Top-Rated Coffees (94+ points)

Juicy-bright, sweetly tart. Red plum, tamarind, almond, tangerine zest, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Citrusy, high-toned acidity; very full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Tangerine zest and agave syrup lead in the resonant finish.

Elegantly fruit-forward, richly aromatic. Strawberry guava, lychee, cocoa nib, amber, ginger blossom in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet, gently tart, balanced acidity; vibrant, silky-smooth mouthfeel. Harmonious, resonant, coherent finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly sweet, deep-toned. Date, pomegranate, chocolate fudge, gently scorched cedar, tangerine zest in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel; chocolaty, sweetly tart finish. In cappuccino format, pomegranate notes stand up to milk and chocolate lingers on and on.

Balanced, juicy, bright. Dried cherry, sassafras, honey, almond, freesia in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Very long, deeply aromatic finish that carries over all the flavor notes from the cup.

Impressively floral-toned, berry driven. Black raspberry, magnolia, marjoram, tangerine zest, amber in aroma and cup. Tart-leaning but balanced acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Exceptionally floral finish supported by berry and tangerine notes.

Bright, juicy, balanced. Apricot, almond butter, star jasmine, bergamot, cedar in aroma and cup. Sparkling, vibrant acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, flavor-saturated finish that extends the promise of the cup.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly chocolaty, deeply sweet-savory. Black cherry, hop flowers, magnolia, date, hint of teriyaki in aroma and small cup. Creamy mouthfeel; floral finish with savory undertones. In cappuccino format, savory impulses are all but subsumed in sweet floral notes.

Gently aromatic, multi-layered. Candycap mushroom, rhododendron, lilac, cocoa nib, lychee in aroma and cup. Even-keeled, juicy acidity; very full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Umami finish akin to candycap mushroom with pleasing undertones of cocoa nib.

Delicately sweet-tart, subtly nuanced. Cocoa nib, raspberry jam, lemon balm, nougat, ginger blossom in aroma and cup. High-toned, balanced acidity; silky, viscous mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to cocoa-toned raspberry with hints of ginger blossom.

Evaluated as espresso. Complex, multi-toned. Chocolate fudge, black cherry, almond blossom, sandalwood, pipe tobacco in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel; very sweet, chocolaty finish. In three parts milk, richly complex with wide-ranging floral and fruit notes, all supported by deep chocolate.

Bright, juicy, richly sweet-savory. Black currant, shiitake mushroom, amber, lilac, Meyer lemon zest in aroma and cup. High-toned, apple-like acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Citrusy, floral finish.

Multi-layered, richly complex. Pomegranate, dried pineapple, cocoa nib, marjoram, wisteria in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet, fruity acidity; full, creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Long, resonant, flavor-laden finish.

Deeply chocolaty, floral-toned. Dark chocolate, lilac, hazelnut butter, apricot, tangerine in aroma and cup. Balanced, bright acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of lilac and dark chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken both found a sweetly tangy intrigue animating this plush, satiny bodied espresso, and rewarded it with 95s. Ken called it rich pistachio; John favored musky, mango-like tropical fruit. For both tasters, the pistachio/mango notes impressively sweetened and moved forward in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet grapefruit and orange blossom notes shimmer inside a deeply expressed chocolate in aroma and cup. Velvety mouthfeel. Ken and co-taster John DiRuocco shared parallel descriptors and the same 95-point enthusiasm for this poised, resonantly finishing espresso. Floral-toned chocolate with a continued grapefruit hint graces three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. This was Ken’s favorite in the tasting; he had it at 96 with a 10 for aroma. Co-taster John DiRuocco was a bit less enthusiastic at 94. The difference may have been their reading of the striking floral herb notes. Ken experienced them as exhilarating sweet lavender while John read them as a pleasant but drier eucalyptus. But both overall admired this sweetly citrusy, walnut-toned, brightly chocolaty espresso whose character resonates through the finish and retains character impressively in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Resonant, layered berry (blueberry, raspberry), vanilla-toned flowers, papaya, a hint of cinnamon jostle in aroma and in the cup, where aromatics are suspended in a layered structure of complex bitter, sweet, tart and savory tastes. Ken (94) liked this velvety, viscous espresso a bit better than co-taster John DiRuocco (93). The complexity consolidates a bit in three parts milk, where flavor settles in with quiet certainty around a pronounced chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Ripe, berryish fruit hints at brandy in this lush yet tartly dry espresso that reveals its rounder chocolate side in the cup. Ken (93) decided to like its intensity and tart fruit sweetness. Co-cupper John DiRuocco went more decisively to the bright side at 94. Convincing in three parts milk: crisp chocolate with a juicy, fruit-toned finish.

Evaluated as espresso. In the aroma, lush, chocolaty fruit (maraschino cherry, ripe orange) transforms to a bright, floral citrus in the cup, slightly drying but sweet. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) felt that the entire package came together nicely, with “nice high notes balanced by chocolate undertones, acidity by body.” Ken had less conviction in regard to coherence, but he too characterized the mouthfeel as full and plush, the cup impressive, and seconded John’s 94. Both particularly praised the coffee in three parts milk, where lemon, chocolate and cherry tendencies played nicely.

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (94) found this anaerobic natural Kona luxurious with deep floral notes and softly subtle chocolate and orange. Co-taster John DiRuocco (93) concurred but was bothered by what he regarded as a very slight overripe edge to the fruit. Both found the mouthfeel medium in weight but impressively plush in texture, and the shot in three parts milk delicately complex with flowers, fruit and chocolate working in layered coherence.