Blend Reviews

Deeply but vivaciously expressed complexity. Raspberry-like fruit, roasted cacao nib, honey, narcissus-like flowers, a hint of pungent sandalwood in aroma and cup. Round, juicy acidity; syrupy yet lively mouthfeel. Long, rich, flavor-saturated finish.

Rich, fruit and brandy. Cherry, blueberry, milk chocolate, brandy, lily-like flowers in aroma and cup. Lively, effervescent acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rich and sweet in the short finish, slightly drying in the long.

Big, sweet and fruity with a savory, spicy edge. Guava- and pineapple-like fruit, brandy, dark chocolate, a hint of flowers and bay leaf or eucalyptus in aroma and cup. Round, vibrant acidity; heavy, syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate, brandy and bay leaf in particular carry into a rich though drying finish.

Delicately pungent and honey-toned. Roasted cacao nib, honey, sandalwood, a hint of lush, night-blooming flowers in aroma and cup. Richly bright, bittersweet acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Cacao nib and flowers in particular carry into a resonant, slightly drying finish.

Delicate and brisk. Honey, fresh-cut pine, peach, hints of flowers and oolong tea in aroma and cup. Gently brisk acidity; buoyant, silky mouthfeel. A savory hint in the cup carries into a crisply tart finish.

Deep, sweetly pungent. Dark chocolate, molasses, fresh-cut oak, hints of orange and spearmint in aroma and cup. Round, quiet acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rich, chocolate-toned finish.

Strong in character, roasty, savory-sweet. Dark chocolate, cedar, sweet herb, a hint of tart, cranberry-like fruit in aroma and cup. Backgrounded acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate persists in a sweetly rich though drying finish.

Soft, nut-toned. Almond, fresh-cut cedar, ripe orange, a hint of roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Round, backgrounded acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is rather quiet but a hint of cacao-like chocolate persists.

Crisp, gently bright, delicately complex. Flowers, roasted cacao nib, cherry-like fruit, hazelnut in aroma and cup. Softly brisk, lively acidity. Quite light though silky mouthfeel. Sweetness and hints of flavor carry nicely into the short finish, fade in the long, then reassert themselves in the very long.

Richly pungent; chocolaty and earthy. Roasted cacao nib, freshly turned earth, plum-like fruit and a carnally sweet floral note reminiscent of heavily scented lilies or trumpet flowers. A salt-savory edge deepens the cup. Flavor resolves toward dark chocolate and vanilla in a gently drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a "RealCup" capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving): Cedar, caramel, orange, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Round, quiet acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Clean, simple, balanced finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a "RealCup" capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving): Almost sugary sweet, quietly balanced. Caramel, apricot, hints of citrus and fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Round, gently rich acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a clean finish.

Richly and gently bright, balanced. Cedary dark chocolate, honey, ripe orange in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, juicy acidity; lightly but distinctly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a sweet-toned finish.

Evaluated as espresso produced in a 40ml/1.35-ounce shot by a Singolo capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. A prune-toned fruit is complicated by a salty chocolate and sweet wood in aroma and small cup. Heavy but rather inert mouthfeel. Salty and astringent sensations dominate in the finish. Very woody in three parts whole milk, though the pruny fruit sweetens to a pleasant chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso produced in a 30ml/1-ounce shot by a Verismo capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated separately using a conventional steam wand, not with milk from the Verismo milk capsule. Scorched and astringent. Burned caramel, gently charred cedar, dark chocolate, a floral hint in the aroma. Leanish mouthfeel. A drying woody sensation dominated the flavor of the small cup, with hints of dark chocolate and rubber. Rich but very drying, slightly salty finish. In three parts whole milk displays a woody but sweet chocolate with a slight rubbery hint in the background.

Evaluated as espresso produced in a 40ml/1.35-ounce shot by the Rivo capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated separately using a conventional steam wand. Plum, dark chocolate, gently scorched wood in aroma and cup. The roasty fruit shows a slightly salty tendency in the cup, but sweetens again in a pleasant finish. Roundly chocolaty in three parts milk, though with a continued dry, woody edge.

Evaluated as espresso produced in a 40ml/1.35-ounce shot by a Singolo capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Shots from the tested samples of this blend were rather uneven in aroma and flavor, suggesting that blending may not have been sufficiently thorough before the coffee was ground and put in capsules. The mouthfeel was full and syrupy in all shots, but in flavor and finish some shots were dominated by a simple woody molasses, whereas others were livelier, with the wood note more aromatic, the molasses approaching carob, and hints of a tart fruit. The best shots were particularly impressive in three parts whole milk, where they displayed a roundly nuanced milk chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso produced in a 40ml/1.35-ounce shot by the Rivo capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated separately using a conventional steam wand. Soft, simple, chocolaty. Distinct chocolate, hints of orange and cedar in aroma and small cup. Smooth, slightly lean mouthfeel. Flavor fades in the short finish, but a pleasant hint of chocolate revives in the long. Delicate in three parts milk with the chocolate sensation showing some richness and hints of complexity.

Evaluated as espresso produced in the Nespresso-recommended standard 40ml (1.35-ounce) shot by a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer and with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Sweet-toned, with distinct floral and fruit – mango, apricot – notes in aroma and small cup. Very lightly syrupy mouthfeel; the finish is sweet, clean, simple. Fades a bit in three parts milk, though a delicate floral-toned chocolate persists.

Evaluated as espresso produced in a Nespresso-recommended ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot by a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Rich, deep, dark chocolaty. Hints of cedar and perhaps lemon. The mouthfeel is full, perhaps a bit heavy. Clean, simple, rather deep finish. Imparts a sweet, wood-toned chocolate and syrupy mouthfeel to three parts whole milk.