Blend Reviews

Simple, straightforward, chocolaty. Dark chocolate, roasted cashew, oak, a hint of peppermint in aroma and cup. Round, quietly vibrant acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a muted finish.

Extraordinarily deep, resonant, juicy. Minty dark chocolate, orange marmalade, raspberry, hints of wisteria-like flowers and myrrh in aroma and cup. Vibrant, low-toned acidity; syrupy but buoyant mouthfeel. Long, echoing, flavor-saturated finish.

Gently pungent, quietly intricate. Complex floral notes (lavender, rose), bittersweet fruit (orange marmalade), roasted cacao nib, fragrant sandalwood in aroma and cup. Brisk, vibrant acidity; full, velvety mouthfeel. Flowers and cacoa nib carry into a richly drying finish.

Sweet, balanced. Delicate, layered complexity. Cantaloupe, brown sugar, hints of chocolate, cinnamon and freesia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweetly brisk acidity; plush mouthfeel. Gentle but surprisingly juicy, floral-toned finish.

Rich, round, deep. Baker’s chocolate, fresh-cut cedar, pungent grapefruit, hints of narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Brisk but juicy acidity; delicately lively, satiny mouthfeel. The baker’s chocolate note animates a dry finish.

Crisply floral, delicately lively. Complex flowers – lavender, lilac – roasted cacoa nib, tangerine, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Sweetly brisk acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. Flowers in particular carry into a gentle, resonant finish.

Gently bright, delicately sweet. Baker’s chocolate, sweet lemon, plum, freesia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Soft, quietly lively acidity; satiny mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a balanced, sweet-toned finish.

Crisp, delicate, sweet. Intense but elusive scent of violet, hints of raisin, almond, caramel and fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Round, gently rich acidity; lightly syrupy, plush mouthfeel. Fir and caramel in particular carry into a quietly resonant finish.

Classically balanced, gently bright. Tangerine, walnut, honey, lavender in aroma and cup. Softly bright acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. Walnut and lavender carry into a sweet, resonant finish.

Unusual profile: deep, chewy, pungent. Raisin, dark chocolate, cooked fruit, pungent fresh-cut fir, heavy, lily-like flowers in aroma and cup. Round, resonant, backgrounded acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a bittersweet short finish that rounds toward sweet in the long.

Reviewed as espresso. Balanced, quietly complex, complete. Apricot, chocolate, vanilla, narcissus-like flowers, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Silky mouthfeel. Crisp, cedar-toned finish. Flowers and chocolate persist with pleasing clarity in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Pungent, deep. Dark chocolate, fresh-cut cedar, hazelnut, rosemary in aroma and small cup. Heavy, syrupy mouthfeel; richly drying finish. Crisply sweet – nuts and chocolate – in three parts milk.

Sweet, cidery, unusual. Apple cider, rose, almond, sweet-orange Turkish delight, a hint of angostura bitters in aroma and cup. Crisply balanced, rounded acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Finish consolidates around a lightly sweet and spice-toned resonance.

Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, deep. Buttery dark chocolate, lush, lily-like flowers, orange, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and small cup. Plush though rather light mouthfeel. Hints of chocolate, lily and orange carry into a brisk, mildly drying finish. Crisply sweet and cocoa-toned in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Lush tropical fruit and tart berry dominates with a chocolaty depth that for co-taster Ethan Hill (94) evoked “chocolate-covered raisin and tropical fruit.” Ken (94) for his part cited cleanly sweet alcohol suggestions (“fruity cabernet”), and both remarked on a sweetly tart pineapple top note that carried throughout the profile. For both tasters the mouthfeel was “plush [and] velvety,” the finish a bit drying but still saturated with the fruit and chocolate suggestions. In three parts milk the fruit and chocolate rounded but persisted with satisfying continuity.

Evaluated as espresso. Big, complex, tartly pungent. Co-taster Ethan Hill (93) remarked on deeply expressed flowers, a very slightly fermenty berry note, and a musky, slightly savory hint. Both Ethan and Ken (92) found the cup “richly and sweetly tart,” though Ken apparently found the tart character a bit less appealing than did Ethan. Mouthfeel was “plush” (Ethan), the aftertaste deep and tartly complex for both tasters, though again, Ken would probably have appreciated the cup finishing on a slightly rounder note. In three parts milk both found the tart intensity untamed and “bordering on bracing” (Ethan).

Evaluated as espresso. Both co-taster Ethan Hill (93) and Ken (92) remarked on the subtle, intricate layering of aroma and flavor, which for Ethan involved “lilac, lavender, blackberry … almond.” Both found mouthfeel relatively light but “satiny” (Ethan), the general structure delicate and balanced, the finish softly resonant and berry-toned. Both Ethan and Ken felt the general poise and quiet intricacy of this coffee carried persuasively into three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Both co-taster Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) remarked on distinct chocolate, sweetly tart berry and fresh-cut cedar notes. Ken found lavender as well. “Sweet, chocolate-covered cherry” added Ethan. Rather crisply bright for both tasters, with a smooth (“syrupy,” “plush”) mouthfeel and a fine floral and cocoa finish. Filled out three parts milk with tart berry and a balancing sweet chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Very discreetly and mildly roast-toned. Ken (93) found the hint of roast fine, maybe even refreshing given all of the bright, lighter-roasted espressos he tastes, but Ethan (91) was not entirely happy with the roasty suggestions. Chocolaty and floral yes, but he also found the blend “bittersweet,” “dry”, even “gritty,” and “lacking complexity overall.” The term “dry” found its way into Ken’s notes as well, but nevertheless he appreciated the chocolate, the caramel, the raisin, the flowers and for him a pleasant hint of anise. True, Ethan did fall in line with Ken when it came to sampling the blend in three parts milk, where both found the chocolate and caramel notes appealing and the floral notes surprisingly clear and persistent.

Evaluated as espresso. Although co-taster Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) gave this blend the same rating, Ken was a bit more enthusiastic than Ethan. Both agreed it was a crisply bright, floral-toned espresso (honeysuckle and gardenia for Ethan) with a light, silky mouthfeel. Ethan found a sweet corn undertone in the flavor, Ken a brown sugar note. Both were impressed by the flowers in the “refreshingly resonant” finish (Ethan). In three parts milk Ethan felt the floral brightness clashed a bit with the dairy, though the cup remained “quaintly drinkable”. Ken, on the other hand, felt the milk nicely softened and rounded the brisk, complex flowers.