Bourbon Reviews

Deeply but buoyantly pungent. Caramel, honeysuckle, lemon zest, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Poised, sweetly bright acidity; syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Rich, flavor-saturated finish. The depth and persistence of flavor in the long finish is extraordinary.

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (91) and his co-taster (91) recorded identical scores and very similar readings for this lively, balanced espresso: in aroma and flavor sweetly tart fruit (orange, lemon, kiwi) rounded by flowers for Ken and “sweet pea” for the co-taster; smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel; most impressively a very sweet finish with chocolate and cinnamon suggestions. Delicately chocolaty in three parts milk (“pure milk chocolate” according to the co-taster).

Savory-sweet and lushly floral-toned. Flowers, plum, dark chocolate, raisin in aroma and cup. Delicately balanced, crisply sweet acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rich, deeply flavor-saturated finish.

Round, sweet-toned, balanced. Apricot, orange, caramel, lily-like flowers and a hint of chocolate in aroma and cup. Softly tart acidity; plush mouthfeel. The chocolate hint in particular comes forward in a slightly drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, richly complex, distinctive. Vanilla, hazelnut, candied ginger, dark chocolate and ripe, orangy raspberry in aroma and small cup. Full, round mouthfeel; raspberry, ginger and dark chocolate particularly saturate the finish. Preserves richness and complexity two parts milk.

Gently crisp, refreshingly balanced. Freshly cut aromatic wood, dark chocolate and a faint tart berry note in aroma and cup. Quiet, softly expressed acidity; lightly creamy mouthfeel. Aromatically simple but balanced, resonant finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly and sweetly tart in aroma and small cup: fresh-cut cedar, dark chocolate, zesty orange, hints of flowers and pipe tobacco. Full yet buoyant, lively mouthfeel. Flavor carries into a long, deep finish. Tart fruit, softened by a backgrounded chocolaty sweetness, continues to dominate in two parts milk.

Intense, gently but sweetly tart. Lemony peach, almond, fresh-cut fir, brown sugar in aroma and cup. Delicate, lively acidity; leanish but silky mouthfeel. Long, almost sugary sweet short finish, drying in the long.

Intense, exhilaratingly complex citrus character, simultaneously suggesting bitterish lemon zest, sweet ripe lemon, pungent grapefruit with a heady hint of citrus blossom. Lightly syrupy body; clean but tartly dry finish.

Quietly balanced, sweetly tart: flowers and orangy citrus, a hint of cedar carry from aroma to cup. Round, soft acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel; the tart sweetness extends into a long finish.

Gently sweet in aroma and cup, highlighted by notes of honeyed orange, flowers and a suggestion of nut. Gently bright acidity, medium body and a silky mouthfeel. A simplified version of the fruit-floral complex lingers in the dry finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Bright and juicy. Flowers, ripe citrus and stone fruit in the small cup with caramel undertones. The fruit carries into a clean finish, with sugary sweetness developing in the long. Two parts milk amplifies the caramel character and rounds the persistent fruit and floral notes.

Orange, bittersweet lemon, nut, aromatic wood in aroma and cup, with complicating floral top notes. Balanced, crisp acidity; silky mouthfeel. The citrus notes in particular carry into a rich, sweet finish.

Sweet and intense – stone fruit and honey complimented by silky milk chocolate. Fruit- and floral-toned acidity, medium body and a deeper chocolate-like sensation in a finish marked by a touch of drying astringency.

Evaluated as espresso. Forcefully bright in the small cup: a berry-like sweetness supports tangy citrus and tart cherry. An impressively flavor-saturated finish combines chocolate, aromatic wood and concentrated fruit. A softer version of the fruit complex carries into two parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Intense cedary, fruit-toned wood in the aroma; some acidity in the cup, with chewy, raisiny fruit notes leaning toward dark chocolate. A hint of flowers at the top. Strong presence in two parts milk: full mouthfeel, bittersweet chocolate, with the aromatic wood nuance rounding toward nut.

Sweet-toned orange and lemon aroma, with soft hints of nuts, cherry and caramel. A bright acidity is softened and rounded by a suggestion of fruit. The balance continues in the cup with sweet lemon and honey in front, fading to a pleasant nuttiness. Hints of chocolate and aromatic wood linger in the long finish.

Gentle, balanced, agreeably simple aroma, with distinct floral notes and a hint of milk chocolate. The floral tones carry into a soft, sweet cup with orange and a spice note that could qualify as cinnamon. Flattens a bit in the finish but remains sweet.

Cocoa and caramel aroma. Blazing acidity, dark chocolate and caramel, regal balance. A nicely conducted, relatively light roast makes this balanced but assertive coffee particularly well-suited for vacuum pot and drip brewing.

Low-toned fruit (peach?), semi-sweet chocolate and fresh-cut cedar notes in the aroma. The cup is delicate but lush, enlivened by a softly tart acidity and complicated by continued fruit (cherry, peach) and semi-sweet chocolate notes. The finish is simple but sweetly clean.