Africa Reviews

Lush, ripe cherry and table grape in aroma and cup, complemented by a dry, savory cedar note, particularly in the cup. Crisp, delicately balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Simple but rich finish.

Round, sweet-toned, gently plush. Cocoa, flowers, plum-like fruit in aroma and cup. Delicate, crisp acidity; light but smooth mouthfeel. Flavor carries into a gently rich finish.

Intense, rich, roundly tart: honey, lemon, black currant, flowers, flowering grass. Delicate, sweetly bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Honey and ripe lemon saturate a long, rich finish.

Intense aroma and flavor: brandy, blueberry, dark chocolate, fresh-cut fir. Gently bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. The sweet-toned cup develops a savory edge as it cools, which carries into a complexly dry, chocolaty finish.

Distinct vanilla-toned cedar, dry berry, hints of ripe orange and lush night flowers in aroma and cup. Gentle, sweetly crisp acidity; full, plush mouthfeel. Resonant, sweet-toned finish.

Crisply tart, dry berry and pungent grapefruit dominate in aroma and cup, with rounding hints of nut-toned cocoa and caramel. Intense, brightly balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rich, dry, flavor-saturated finish.

Softly pungent maple-toned chocolate in aroma and cup, complicated by a hint of flowers and a crisp apple-like fruit. Pronounced but roast-rounded acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet, rich but drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig Platinum B70 single-serve brewing device using a "K-Cup" capsule to produce 6-ounce serving): Tart, lemony berry enveloped in a caramelly sweetness. The delicately layered aroma is further complicated by suggestions of cocoa and flowers. Quietly balanced acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet, clean finishing with pleasant but subdued aromatics.

Evaluated as espresso. Impressive range and complexity. Pungently sweet grapefruit, blackberry, rose-like flowers, fresh-cut fir in aroma and small cup. Full, buttery mouthfeel. Rich, flavor-saturated finish; a hint of astringency in the short smoothes out to cocoaish chocolate in the long. Delicate, berryish fruit and sweet milk chocolate dominate in two parts milk.

Crisp and complexly cocoa-toned in aroma and cup, with a tart, pungent berry complication and a hint of lilyish flowers. Bright acidity; light but very silky mouthfeel. Clean, dry, cocoa-toned finish.

The dry, tartly sweet fruit sensation characteristic of the best Kenya coffees unfurls with pleasing, shape-shifting complexity: Melon, black currant, blackberry, tart orange, with floral and fresh-cut fir complications. Assertive but balanced acidity; lean mouthfeel. Smoothes out in a decidedly sweet, mango-toned finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Fresh-cut fir, cedar and orange-like citrus in the delicate aroma. Lightly syrupy body. Intense flavor: fresh-cut fir persists, complicated by a caramelly milk chocolate and a brisk walnut. Flavor carries well into a complex, resonant finish. Balanced in two parts milk; the fir sweetens and a suggestion of lemon emerges.

Evaluated as espresso. Intense, multidimensional citrus in the aromatics: layered suggestions of grapefruit, lemon, lime. Light but buoyant mouthfeel. Lively in the short cup: cranberry, lime zest, chocolate and cedar carry into a dryish finish. Balanced and sweet in two parts milk: more sweet citrus and a hint of toasted almond.

High-toned, giddy and bright: lavender, lime zest, baker's chocolate in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet-toned acidity; silky mouthfeel. The lime notes turn ripely sweet in the flavor-saturated finish.

Deep, sweet-toned aroma: dark chocolate, rich cedar, apricot-like fruit, lily-like flowers. Rich though slightly rough acidity; impressively full, syrupy mouthfeel. The complex aromatics simplify a bit in the cup, but retain depth and resonance. Long though rather dry and piney finish.

Balanced, sweet-toned, pungent. Tart berry – strawberry, cranberry – cedar and multidimensional sweet and tart citrus in both aroma and cup. Smoothly rounded acidity; slightly syrupy, almost creamy mouthfeel. Bittersweet chocolate and citrus zest in the finish.

Deeply and dramatically complex aroma and flavor: Pineapple- and berry-like fruit, milk chocolate, hints of brandy and mint. Richly bright acidity; very smooth, silky/syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is saturated with flavor, particularly with the minty brandy notes. Turns savory as the cup cools, perhaps a bit bitter; otherwise this would be a 94-rated coffee.

Bright, pungent, complex. Fresh-cut fir, tartly sweet berry – strawberry, blackberry, cranberry – ripe orange and tomato in aroma and cup. Richly balanced acidity; syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Very sweet, deeply flavor-saturated finish.

Honey, sweet clover and multi-layered, grapefruit-like citrus in aroma and cup. Brightly tart acidity; light but silky mouthfeel. Suggestions of berry complicate the cup. The finish is rich, with a zesty citrus enveloped by continued honeyish sweetness.

Complex layers of fruit in aroma and cup: strawberry, cherry, orange, deepened and complicated by a pungent cedar. Rich, round acidity; soft, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Some flavor carries into a long, resonantly sweet finish.