Anaerobic/experimental Reviews

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.

Balanced, juicy, sweetly tart. Pomegranate, lychee, honey, amber, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet-tart acidity; plush, syrupy mouthdeel. Fruit-driven finish supported by amber and cocoa nib.

Complex, richly nuanced. Narcissus, cocoa nib, pear, wild honey, amber in aroma and cup. Invigorating, malic acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Very long-lasting, floral-toned, richly sweet finish.

Sweet, tart, distinctly spice-toned. Guava, shishito peppers, basil, rhododendron, cedar in aroma and cup. Savory-leaning acidity; very smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp, spice-toned finish with floral undertones.

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. 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. 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.

Evaluated as espresso. Lots of flowers with an herby edge—lavender, jasmine, orange blossom, cilantro—cushion on milk chocolate in this bright, light-footed espresso. Both co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken read this high-toned but resonant espresso in about the same terms with parallel ratings of 94. Resolves to an orangy, floral caramel in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco (95) was particularly impressed by the lavish sweetness and fruit of this elaborately anaerobic-processed coffee from Colombian processing innovator Edwin Noreña. John found the well-structured and clean-finishing character sufficient to contain and balance the aromatic fireworks. Ken (92), on the other hand, found the sweetness and fruit a bit too intense and candy-like, though he found compensating value in underlying musk and sandalwood tendencies. Both tasters admired the coffee in three parts milk, which rounded and diluted the intensely sweet fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) found spicy fruit, orange water and vanilla-like flowers in aroma and cup; Ken (93) concurred and added sweet chocolate and almonds. Altogether a silky textured, lively espresso. The aromatic intricacy consolidates a bit in three parts milk, and the familiar chocolate and almondy nut move forward.

Complex, richly sweet-tart. Pomegranate, pineapple kefir, cocoa nib, freesia, cedar in aroma and cup. Tart-leaning structure with bright, bright acidity; very full, satiny mouthfeel. Tangy finish with notes of cocoa nib and pineapple kefir.

Fruit-driven, brightly sweet. Nectarine, black cherry, magnolia, pomelo, cedar in aroma and cup. Gently bright, sweetly tart acidity; crsip, dry-vermouth-like body. Resonant, harmonious, integrated finish.

Richly aromatic, multi-layered, deeply sweet. Fruit Loops cereal, pineapple kefir, cocoa nib, black sage, agave nectar in aroma and cup. Bright, balanced acidity; plush, very syrupy mouthfeel. Long finish centered around notes of Fruit Loops and cocoa nib.

Evaluated as espresso. Very fruity and richly chocolaty. Black cherry, guava, dark chocolate, tangerine zest, cedar in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny mouthfeel; fruity, chocolaty finish. In three parts milk, chocolaty-sweet and invigoratingly tart.

Elegantly berry-toned, dessert-like. Mulberry, candycap mushroom amber, apricot nectar, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet-savory acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Harmonious, integrated, flavor-saturated finish.

Juicy, lithe, high-toned. Lychee, passionfruit, sandalwood, cocoa nib, marjoram in aroma and cup. Sparkling acidity; crisp, lushly satiny mouthfeel. Cocoa-toned tropical fruit in the finish.