Top 30 Coffees of 2024
Our countdown of the Top 30 Coffees of 2024 continues daily from Sunday, November 17, through Friday, November 22, when we reveal the #1 most exciting coffee of the year.
Each year, our editors rank the year’s most exciting coffees from the thousands we cupped over the course of the year. We rank these 30 coffees based on quality (represented by overall rating); value (reflected by most affordable price per pound); and other factors that include distinctiveness of style, uniqueness of origin, tree variety, processing method, certification, and general rarity.
We’re pleased to reveal coffees #4 to #30:
Deep-toned, richly earth-sweet. Perique tobacco, preserved Meyer lemon, fresh fig, tea rose, myrrh in aroma and cup. Gently bright, balanced acidity; very full, viscous mouthfeel. Integrated, harmonious, floral-toned finish.
Price: $40.00/4 ounces
Sweetly spice-toned, complex and satiatingly fruity. Black cherry kombucha, clove, pipe tobacco, molasses in aroma and cup. Lively, sparkling acidity; creamy, lithe mouthfeel. Incredibly long, harmonious, integrated finish.
Price: NT $900/8 ounces
Evaluated as espresso. Rich-toned, sweetly savory and deep. Amber resin, cocoa butter, scorched grapefruit zest, gardenia, almond brittle in aroma and small cup. Plush, roast-buoyed mouthfeel; honeylike finish with smoky amber undertones. In cappuccino format, deeply floral, cocoa-toned, gently smoky in harmony.
Elegantly fruit-centered, richly aromatic. Plum confit, wild honey, frangipane, clove, lavender in aroma and cup. Complex, bittersweet structure with juicy acidity; very full, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, mesmerizing finish.
Richly layered, vibrant, engaging. Nectarine, aromatic orchid, almond paste, frankincense tangerine zest in aroma and cup. Intricate, richly layered structure with juicy acidity; viscous, very silky mouthfeel. Perfumed, crisply sweet-tart, rich-toned finish.
Price: $39.25/12 ounces
Nuanced, delicately sweet, honey-toned. Wild honey, cocoa nib, myrrh, tangerine, lilac in aroma and cup. Balanced, juicy acidity; very full, satiny mouthfeel. Long, lingering, lush finish.
Multi-layered, rich-toned. Bing cherry, coconut, candied violet, frankincense, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Balanced, high-toned acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Crisp, sweetly tart finish that goes on and on.
Price: $80.00/4 ounces
Deeply complex, vibrant, rich-toned. Rose, cocoa nib, pistachio, lychee, mangosteen, amber in aroma and cup. Engaging, high-toned, sparkling acidity; crisp, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Floral-toned, deeply sweet finish.
Elegantly sweet-tart, richly floral, complex. Narcissus, tamarind, rice pudding, hazelnut, pink grapefruit in aroma and cup. Sparkling, vibrant acidity; plushly satiny mouthfeel. Floral-toned, multi-layered finish that carries over all the flavor notes from the cup.
Balanced, juicy, deep-toned. Dark chocolate, wisteria, apricot, hazelnut, coconut in aroma and cup. High-toned, sparkling acidity; very full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Long, harmonious, integrated finish that carries over the promise of the cup.
Gently bright, balanced, classic. Raspberry, sweet cocoa, magnolia, cashew butter, orange zest in aroma and cup. Sweetly bright and gently lively in structure; plush in mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates to orange and cocoa in a quiet but vibrant finish.
Price: $27.50/6 ounces
Richly aromatic, deep-toned. Raspberry, tangerine, cocoa nib, lilac, myrrh in aroma and cup. Bright, balanced acidity; very smooth, silky mouthfeel. Long, lingering, harmonious and integrated finish.
Floral-toned, fruit-saturated. Ginger blossom, wild strawberry, guava, sea moss, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Elegantly bright, sweet-savory acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Very long, fruity, floral finish.
Price: $27.75/ 12 ounces
Clean, harmoniously balanced. Mulberry, lychee, marjoram, azalea, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Malic (apple-like) acidity; elegant, silky mouthfeel. Berry-toned finish supported by notes of sweet herbs.
Rich-toned, complex, fruit-driven. Dried apricot, lychee, amber, hop flowers, tangerine in aroma and cup. Crisp, apple-like acidity; plush, viscous mouth feel. Finish focused around notes of dried apricot and amber with compelling floral undertones.
Evaluated as espresso. Complex, nuanced, multi-layered. Chocolate fudge, candied walnut, tamarind, lychee, pink grapefruit zest in aroma and small cup. Creamy, viscous mouthfeel; long, flavor-saturated finish. In cappuccino format, elegantly rich, impeccably sweet, paradoxically delicate and powerful.
Price: $28.00/12 ounces
Very bright and juicy, tropical-leaning. Kiwi, lychee, dark chocolate, pikake flower, dried mandarin in aroma and cup. Vivid, expressively bright acidity; very full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Fruity, chocolaty, very long and flavor-saturated finish that leads with notes of kiwi and dark chocolate.
Price: NT $1,110/4 ounces
Richly fruity, complex. Wild strawberry, cocoa nib, lemon balm, wisteria, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with bright, vibrant acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Long, lingering finish centers around notes of wild strawberry and wisteria supported by gentle sandalwood.
Price: $19.00/16 ounces
Melony-sweet, deep-toned. Cantaloupe, amber, narcissus, bay leaf, cinnamon in aroma and cup. Gentle, balanced acidity; very full, syrupy mouthfeel. The sweet finish leads with notes of cantaloupe and amber.
Price: $19.99/8 ounces
Fruit-forward, deep-toned, enigmatic. Strawberry-guava, candied ginger, star jasmine, myrrh, lemongrass in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet-tart acidity; elegantly silky mouthfeel. Long, lingering, integrated finish.
Price: $18.95/12 ounces
Richly fruity, complex. Wild strawberry, cocoa nib, lemon verbena, honeysuckle, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with bright, vibrant acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The long, lingering finish centers around notes of wild strawberry and honeysuckle with undertones of sandalwood.
Price: NT $1200/20 grams
Elegant, plush, floral and multi-layered. Perfectly ripe peach, almond butter, gardenia, Meyer lemon zest, wild honey in aroma and cup. Expressive, juicy-vibrant malic acidity; very syrupy, viscous mouthfeel. Impossibly long, harmonious, all-inclusive finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly tart, intriguingly complex. Tamarind, Jolly Rancher, dark chocolate, hop flowers, hint of marjoram in aroma and small cup. Creamy-smooth mouthfeel; chocolaty-tart finish. Cappuccino format emphasis the marriage of sweet-tart-savory with bright fruit, candylike sweetness, and bittersweet floral undertones.
Price: $20.00/12 ounces
Evaluated as espresso. Chocolate, mango and sweet lime animate this satiny bodied espresso. Impressive stone-fruit sweetness is complicated by an engaging resiny edge co-taster John DiRuocco (94) and Ken (93) both associated with mango. Mango and chocolate crisply and sweetly persist in three parts milk.
Price: $31.00/125 grams
Very sweet, tropical and floral-toned. Vanilla orchid, guava, dried ginger, kola nut, lemongrass in aroma and cup. Vibrant, juicy acidity; silky, viscous mouthfeel. Exceptionally long, harmonious, integrated finish.
Price: NT $799/100 grams
Lush, floral, deeply aromatic, floral-toned. Wisteria, pink peppercorn, dried mango, bergamot, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Delicately bright, vibrant acidity; full, syrupy smooth mouthfeel. Crisp, floral finish with undertones of pink peppercorn.
Balanced, fruit-toned. Lychee, almond, green grape, red wine barrel, cardamom in aroma and cup. Gently bright acidity; round, viscous mouthfeel. Quietly intriguing finish that leads with notes of lychee and cardamom.