Bourbon Reviews

Deeply chocolaty, floral-toned. Dark chocolate, lilac, hazelnut butter, apricot, tangerine in aroma and cup. Balanced, bright acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of lilac and dark chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Chocolate, mango and sweet lime animate this satiny bodied espresso. Impressive stone-fruit sweetness is complicated by an engaging resiny edge co-taster John DiRuocco (94) and Ken (93) both associated with mango. Mango and chocolate crisply and sweetly persist 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) liked this coffee (“brightly orange and juicy, sweet, jasmine and stone fruit”) a bit better than Ken did (93), who nevertheless concurred with John’s descriptors and added dark chocolate and molasses. Both found the mouthfeel plush and satiny. In three parts milk, the shot proved delicate yet substantial, with an animated, light-footed chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, deep, sweetly nutty. Hazelnut butter, tamarind, jasmine, dark chocolate, cedar in aroma and small cup. Crisp, velvety-smooth mouthfeel; nutty, chocolaty finish. In cappuccino format, Nutella-like in its marriage of chocolate and hazelnut notes.

Crisply cocoa-toned, sweetly nutty. Cocoa powder, almond, brown sugar, carnation, date in aroma and cup. Balanced, even-keeled acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of cocoa powder and date.

Citrusy, exceptionally sweet. Magrut lime, black cherry, watermelon candy, tarragon, sasparilla in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; very full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Resonant finish that leads with notes of magrut lime and watermelon candy with undertones of tarragon.

Delicately floral-toned, brightly citrusy. Wisteria, pink grapefruit, thyme, red plum, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Juicy-sweet acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Very sweet, floral finish with undertones of cocoa nib and pink grapefruit.

Balanced, richly spice-toned. Ginger snaps, nectarine, cocoa nib, jasmine, cherry wood in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Cocoa-toned finish supported by notes of ginger snap.

Crisply sweet, nut-toned. Fig Newton, almond butter, marjoram, cedar, magnolia in aroma and cup. Very sweet structure with brisk acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Crisply sweet, nut-driven finish.

Deeply sweet, cocoa-toned. Cocoa nib, lilac, black cherry, fresh-cut oak, brown sugar in aroma and cup. Balanced structure with brisk acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to cocoa nib and brown sugar with lilac undertones.

Deeply chocolaty, rich-toned. Dark chocolate, hazelnut butter, magnolia, pear, cedar in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Crisp, sweetly nutty finish.

Crisp, richly sweet-tart. Dark chocolate, dried nectarine, narcissus, almond brittle, cane sugar in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet structure with juicy acidity; plush, creamy mouthfeel. The finish centers around notes of chocolaty nectarine.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply chocolaty, richly floral, sweetly tart. Chocolate fudge, wisteria, black cherry, toffee, cedar in aroma and small cup. Creamy-smooth mouthfeel; long, flavor-laden finish. In cappuccino format, complex, nuanced and satiating.

Rich-toned, deeply layered, juicy-bright. Black cherry, magnolia, cocoa nib, marjoram, cedar in aroma and cup. Richly sweet-tart structure with high-toned acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Resonantly sweet finish with tart fruit up front and sweet florals underneath.

Deep, rich, sweetly herbaceous. Heavy cream, sweet herb melange, caramel, Meyer lemon, the aroma of oak forest in aroma and cup. Gentle, round acidity; plump mouthfeel. Fades gracefully to bittersweet herb notes.

Richly sweet-tart. Tamarind, raspberry, cocoa nib, thyme, cedar in aroma and cup. Juicy-tart acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of raspberry and cocoa nib.

Crisply fruit-toned, sweetly tart. Pie cherry, salted caramel, lemon balm, sandalwood, frankincense in aroma and cup. Balanced, bright acidity; full, syrupy smooth mouthfeel. The finish carries over all the aroma and flavor notes from the cup into the long.

High-toned, sweetly tart. Pomegranate, red wine, milk chocolate, cedar, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Sparkling acidity; satiny, viscous mouthfeel. Fruity finish with undertones of milk chocolate.

Fruit-driven, subtly lactic. Grape jelly, pineapple kefir, dark chocolate, amber, salted caramel in aroma and cup. Tangy acidity; creamy-smooth mouthfeel. The lactic-leaning finish gets ballast from dark chocolate notes.