Central America Reviews

Bizarre, beautiful, shocking, intricate. Tropical fruit (lychee, passionfruit), sweet herb (clove, cilantro, dill, spearmint), dark chocolate, musk, yogurt. In structure quite sweet, roundly tart (think unsweetened yogurt), deeply savory. Lightly syrupy in mouthfeel. Passionfruit, chocolate, dill all make distinct appearances in the drying but sweetly and richly complex finish.

Crisply sweet, richly tart-savory. Dried apricot, marjoram, wild honey, oak, narcissus in aroma and cup. Balanced sweet-tart structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to dried apricot and marjoram with undertones of honey.

Richly spicy, musky, chocolaty. Mexican chocolate (cocoa nib, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar), dried parsley, nutmeg, musk in aroma and cup. Crisp and piquant in structure; light, silky mouthfeel. The impressive finish is drying yet quite sweet, saturated with chocolate, cinnamon and musk suggestions.

Intense, spicy-sweet, chocolaty. Mexican chocolate (cocoa nib, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar), oak, orange zest, juniper berry or a light whiff of gin in aroma and cup. Sweet but crisp and balanced in structure, with a savory bottom. Light, though quite syrupy, mouthfeel. Cinnamon dominates in the short finish, but cocoa comes forward in a sweet and long-lasting finish.

Sweetly tart, very lightly fermenty. Chocolate liqueur, lime zest, hints of peach and strawberry, mint, cedar in aroma and cup. Very sweet but crisply bitter/tart in structure; light, plushly buoyant mouthfeel. Drying but deep in the finish, with pleasing liqueur-like chocolate notes persisting.

Vast yet intimate in its layered intricacy: complete and perfectly balanced. Complex flowers (citrus blossom, ginger blossom, aromatic orchid), bright, fresh fruit (pear, peach, tangerine), sweet cocoa, sandalwood, a hint of candycap mushroom in aroma and cup. In structure, juicy and lyrically bright with a subtly pungent umami base; light-footed, satiny mouthfeel. Pear leads into long, vibrantly flavor-saturated finish.

Richly sweet-tart; citrusy and bright. Lime zest, magnolia, cedar, almond, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart in structure with high-toned, vibrant acidity; crisp, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of lime zest and magnolia with undertones of maple syrup.

Brightly fruit-toned, tropical, and aromatically vibrant. Lychee, passionfruit, dark chocolate, frankincense, star jasmine in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet-tart structure with high-toned, juicy acidity; lush, syrupy mouthfeel. Resounding flavor-saturated finish with layer after layer of fruit far into the long.

Crisply sweet, cocoa-toned. Cocoa powder, lime zest, almond butter, freesia-like flowers, oak in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with pert acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The quiet finish centers around cocoa and almond.

Sweetly herbaceous and spice-toned. Lemon verbena, green grape, nutmeg, fresh-cut fir, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart in structure with bright, citrusy acidity; full, velvety mouthfeel. The finish is resonant and long, leading with notes of lemon verbena and green grape in the short, modulating to fresh-cut fir in the long.

Richly sweet, vibrantly bright. Pink grapefruit zest, cocoa nib, apricot, hazelnut, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with pert acidity; delicately silky mouthfeel. The gentle finish centers around notes of apricot and cocoa nib supported by rich hazelnut and hints of cedar.

Deeply sweet, nut-toned. Hazelnut butter, baker’s chocolate, magnolia, oak forest, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The gentle finish consolidates to hazelnut and chocolate tones with a hint of rich aromatic wood in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Floral-toned, richly sweet. Honeysuckle, cashew, oak, fig newton, pink peppercorn, dark chocolate in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny mouthfeel; resonant, floral-toned finish with a hint of spice notes. Three parts milk foregrounds sweet nut and dark chocolate, backed up by sweet spice notes suggesting pink peppercorn.

Sweet-toned, richly nutty. Cashew butter, date, baker’s chocolate, magnolia, oak in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with brisk acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The richly drying finish consolidates around notes of cashew and magnolia.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet-toned, balanced. Black cherry, fir, hazelnut, baker’s chocolate, gardenia in aroma and small cup. Full, creamy body; gentle, chocolaty finish. Dark chocolate notes are amplified in three parts milk, with notes of black cherry and hazelnut underneath.

Nuanced, ethereal, yet exceptionally lush. Aprium, star jasmine, pistachio butter, cocoa, pink peppercorn, almond brittle in aroma and cup. High-toned, sweetly tart in structure with a juicy, vibrant acidity; levitating, nectar-like mouthfeel. The finish is rich-toned and resonant with all of the aromatics and flavors of the cup, star jasmine and cocoa, in particular.

Exceptionally high-toned, delicately fruit-centered, intricately balanced. Mulberry, coconut, sandalwood, dark chocolate, lilac in aroma and cup. Richly sweet in structure with balanced, juicy acidity; delicate but plush, mouth-filling texture. The finish is a gentle reminder of everything the cup offers, in particular mulberry, coconut, and lilac.

Impeccably floral and cocoa-toned with a savory throughline. Chocolate fudge, wisteria, Asian pear, hazelnut butter, white peppercorn in aroma and cup. Richly sweet-savory structure with floral acidity; velvety-smooth, viscous mouthfeel. The finish centers around spice-toned chocolate (think dark chocolate with peppercorns) and wisteria.

Crisply and sweetly bright, exquisitely balanced. Tangerine zest, lavender, cocoa, cedar, fresh apricot in aroma and cup. Bright, delicate but juicy in structure; silky/satiny in mouthfeel. The quietly complex finish fades in the short but apricot and lavender revive in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Roast-prominent, chocolaty, richly sweet. Scorched fir, ripe banana, bakers chocolate, wilted narcissus, allspice in aroma and small cup. Light and fluffy mouthfeel; finish consolidates to chocolate and banana with smoky undertones. In three parts milk the roast integrates nicely with deep chocolate, sweet fruit and a savory pungency.