Blend Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Co-cupper Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) equally valued this espresso, but read it slightly differently. For Ethan it was a fundamentally sweet cup (“maple syrup”) with layered complexity: blackberry, chocolate, almond. For Ken a crisp, lively, slightly bitterish edge (roasted cacao nib, lavender) complicated the sweetness throughout. Both agreed that the mouthfeel was plump and syrupy. For Ethan the finish was sweet all the way; for Ken it was a touch drying. In three parts milk again Ethan emphasized the sweetness (“retained a nice marshmallow sweetness”) while Ken cited a brisk cocoa-and-lavender character.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) ended with the same score for this blend though their descriptors varied rather dramatically. Ethan’s emphasized flowers and fruit, Ken’s sandalwood and nut, though both cited a fine, elegant dry cacao note. Both found a refined brightness -- “piquant green grape acidity” according to Ethan – and a light though very smooth mouthfeel. A gentle tart character dominated in three-parts milk but pleasantly so, well-nuanced with cacao, cedar and orangy fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. Exhilaratingly floral. For Ken (92) the flowers were explicit – rose, lily, lavender – whereas for co-taster Ethan Hill (92) the floral character was indirect, expressed in notes of peach, nectarine and coriander. Both valued a sweetly pungent sandalwood character enveloping the foreground floral/fruit notes, and both described the mouthfeel as silky but quite light and the finish bright and mildly drying. Flavor carried with perhaps surprising balance into three parts milk, softening while preserving a brisk floral-and-fruit complexity.

Evaluated as espresso. For both Ken (92) and co-taster Ethan Hill (91) high-toned floral notes and rather bright fruit (nectarine, strawberry) distinguished this complex blend. Very light but buoyant, almost effervescent mouthfeel. Along with fruit and flowers Ken identified a brisk roasted cacao-nib note that for him softened to chocolate in an otherwise rather drying finish. In three parts milk Ethan felt the floral character was muted and the acidity too assertive and out of balance; Ken, on the other hand, found the brisk cacao-and-flowers complex rather pleasing in milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Both co-taster Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) were impressed with deep, pungent aromatic wood notes (sandalwood, cedar) and rich fig and date suggestions. Ken found further complication: musky flowers and chocolate. Ethan felt that the low-toned richness turned rather barley-like in the finish, though for Ken it remained chocolaty. Both were impressed by the blend in three parts milk; for Ken it displayed a “flower-nuanced cocoa and cedar.”

Quietly and subtly original. Tamarind and apricot, sweetly spicy flowers, cumin, cocoaish chocolate in aroma and cup. Crisp, delicate acidity; lightly silky, buoyant mouthfeel. A hint of the nut-toned chocolate survives in a pleasing though simple finish.

Immense; opulent. Strawberry guava, grapefruit, roasted cacao-nib, sandalwood, hop flowers in aroma and cup. Crisply juicy acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Crisply sweet-toned, resonantly dry finish.

(As brewed in a Nespresso VirtuoLine single-serve brewing device using a VirtuoLine capsule containing 12 grams of coffee to produce a manually set 6-ounce serving). Pungent, roundly tart. Stone fruit, caramel, fir, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Tart but juicy acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The tart tendencies dominate in a fruit-toned finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a Keurig-compatible capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving). Sweetly and briskly roast-toned. Gently scorched oak, dark chocolate, prune, freesia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Bittersweet acidity; light but buoyant mouthfeel. A hint of chocolate survives in a rich though drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a licensed K-Cup capsule containing 11+ grams of coffee to produce a 6-ounce serving). Dry, zesty, citrusy. Citrus zest, sweetly pungent, berry-like fruit, fresh-cut oak, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Brisk, distinctly bittersweet acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp, richly drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a licensed K-Cup capsule containing 11+ grams of coffee to produce a 6-ounce serving). Quietly but robustly pungent. Bitter orange, prune, pecan, fresh-cut oak in aroma and cup. Crisp, rich acidity; lightly syrupy, roughish mouthfeel. A floral suggestion complicates a dry, oaky finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Chocolaty, deep. Dark chocolate, lively fresh-cut cedar, anise, musky flowers in aroma and small cup. Full though drying mouthfeel; crisply chocolate-toned, resonant finish. Chocolate carries nicely into three parts milk, turning nutty and buttery with continued cedar and musk complications.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisply and richly sweet, balanced. Dark chocolate, plum, fresh-cut cedar, a hint of lily-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Syrupy, buoyant mouthfeel. A round, resonant short finish turns a bit drying in the long. Chocolate, cedar and a hint of plum carry with crisp authority into three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp, sweetly pungent, quietly complex. Dark chocolate, tangerine, rich-toned cedar, lily-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel; crisp finish. Fills out three parts milk nicely, with fat mouthfeel and good persistence of chocolate, cedar and tangerine notes.

Big, round, ringingly sweet, vivacious. Caramel, roasted cacao nib, rose-like flowers, tangelo, saucy cranberry, pear in aroma and cup. Deep, nuanced, lively acidity; velvety mouthfeel. Cacao nib, rose and pear in particular saturate a long, sweet-toned, resonant finish.

Pungent, deep, spicy. Milk chocolate, Concord grape, passion flower, aromatic sandalwood, a hint of savory black truffle in aroma and cup. Tart, juicy acidity; syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Rich, spice-toned, slightly savory finish.

Pungent, deep, original; savory-sweet. Zesty tangerine, peach, fresh-cut cedar, pink peppercorn, spicy tea rose in aroma and cup. Juicy, balanced acidity; syrupy though very lively, buoyant mouthfeel. The spicy, peppery tendency dominates in a rather drying finish.

Lavishly and sweetly bright. Honey, jasmine, raspberry, almond in aroma and cup. Richly tart acidity; lively mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a continued sweetly tart finish.

Crisply dry but quite sweet; intricate. Black currant, lavender, kumquat, fresh-cut fir, a hint of flavor-rounding chocolate in aroma and cup. Rich, quietly vibrant acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Exceptionally deep, resonantly flavor-saturated finish.

Rich, fruit-toned, deep. Dark chocolate, molasses, plum, fresh-cut cedar, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Quiet, resonant acidity; satiny mouthfeel. Dark chocolate and plum in particular carry into a long, sweet-toned finish.