Central America Reviews

Deeply and richly sweet, fruit-forward. Sweet/sour notes suggesting Jolly Rancher hard candy, pink peppercorn, roasted almond, fresh-cut redwood, lilac in aroma and cup. Bright, sweetly tart structure; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is candy-like through and through, with undertones of pink peppercorn and aromatic redwood.

Sweetly tart, crisply herb-toned. Gooseberry, bay leaf, freesia-like flowers, lightly scorched clove, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Juicy, sweet-tart structure; plump, satiny mouthfeel. Low-toned notes of chocolate and sweet, gently scorched clove dominate the finish, with gooseberry complications more pronounced in the short and bay leaf in the long.

Crisply sweet-tart, fruit-toned. Notes of cascara (dried coffee cherry), lemon verbena, honeysuckle-like flowers, dark chocolate, black peppercorn in aroma and cup. In structure crisp but almost candy-like sweet and deeply fruit-forward; syrupy mouthfeel. The finish, long, resonant and consistent, foregrounds the sweet herbaceous notes, both lemon verbena and cascara, wrapped in dark chocolate.

Delicately sweet-tart, floral-toned. Strawberry, lavender, cashew, cedar, baker’s chocolate in aroma and cup. Lush and bittersweet in structure, animated by a vibrant, satiny-smooth acidity. The finish evokes fruit and spicy florals in the short, quieting to chocolate and nut butter in the long.

Rich-toned, savory-sweet. Pie cherry, violet, ginger, pipe tobacco, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Deep, sweetly savory in structure; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. The crisp finish consolidates to notes of pie cherry and pipe tobacco in the short with hints of ginger resurfacing in the long.

Delicate, subtly and richly sweet. Dried hibiscus, pistachio, black currant, roasted cacao nib, myrrh in aroma and cup. Sweetly savory, gently bright structure; smoothly satiny mouthfeel. The finish, both deeply sweet and richly drying, consolidates to dried hibiscus in the short, while cocoa-toned black currant with a hint of myrrh return in the long.

Delicate, balanced, sweetly spice-toned. Strawberry, almond, cocoa powder, fine musk, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Integrated, juicy, balanced structure. Velvety, lively, almost effervescent mouthfeel. The resonant, flavor-saturated finish leads with notes of sweet berries in the short, rounding to deep florals in the long.

Balanced, crisply sweet-savory. Freesia-like flowers, toffee, starfruit, sandalwood, lime zest in aroma and cup. Bright, balanced, sweet-savory structure with juicy acidity; lightly syrupy, buoyant mouthfeel. The finish emerges with notes of starfruit and lime zest in the short and aromatic wood-toned toffee in the long.

Complex, richly sweet-savory. Jasmine, pomegranate, nutella, marjoram, frankincense in aroma and cup. Crisply bittersweet structure with high-toned acidity; velvety mouthfeel. A surprising coconut note surfaces in the immediate finish, which proceeds with chocolate-toned sweet herb hints in a larger context of sweet-tart, pomegranate-like fruit.

Deep, resonant, quietly complex. Candied orange zest, baker’s chocolate, tamarind, roasted walnut, cedar in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-savory structure with a roundly tart edge. Satiny, lively mouthfeel. Tamarind and cedar carry into the short finish; walnut lasts in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Baker’s chocolate, plum blossom, molasses, grapefruit zest, cedar in aroma and small cup. Crisp, lightly satiny mouthfeel; the finish consolidates around grapefruit zest and baker’s chocolate in the short, with notes of cedar returning in the long. In three parts milk, baker’s chocolate envelopes citrus zest and stone fruit notes in pleasing balance.

Subtle, engaging, deeply sweet-savory. Orange blossom, baker’s chocolate, cantaloupe, fresh pine, a hint of cinnamon in aroma and cup. Round, sweetly savory structure; taut, velvety body. The finish consolidates around quiet chocolate and almond notes.

Deeply rich, bittersweet, herbaceous. Almond brittle, date, mace, honeysuckle, eucalyptus leaf in aroma and cup. Crisply bittersweet structure; satiny, full mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to gently drying notes of date and almond.

Deeply rich, sweetly smoky. Ripe banana, black peppercorn, singed clove, pipe tobacco, gardenia-like flowers in aroma and cup. The structure is dominated by a smoke-toned sweetness with spice undertones. Velvety smooth mouthfeel. Fruit tones carry the short finish, while gently drying pipe tobacco and clove re-emerge in the long.

Richly aromatic, wood-framed, bittersweet. Rhododendron, fresh mulch, dried apricot, saltwater taffy, molasses in aroma and cup. Bitter-leaning in structure; lean, silky mouthfeel. The finish is gently drying, with sweet mulch notes and vanilla-like florals.

Deeply aromatic, floral-toned, sweetly and brightly tart. Star jasmine, dried apricot, myrrh, wild raspberry, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Lively, richly sweet-savory in structure; buoyant, silky-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is resonant and flavor-saturated, leading with fruit and floral notes in the short and closing out in the very long with rich tones of myrrh.

Evaluated as espresso. Fruit-toned, sweetly tart. Raspberry jam, almond, dark chocolate, narcissus, sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The crisp, chocolate-toned finish is complicated by complex, jammy notes of raspberry in the short, consolidating to dark chocolate and sandalwood in the long. In three parts milk, fruit and chocolate deepen and round.

Sweetly zesty, quiet but resonant. Pineapple guava, sweet, aromatic starch (taro?), nougat, hints of lemon zest and honeysuckle in aroma and cup. Tart in structure, with rounding sweetness and a distinct savory edge. Flavor consolidates around guava and nougat in a simple but rich finish.

Subtle; balanced; classic. Roasted cashew, sweet apple, clover flowers, brown sugar, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Softly and sweetly tart in structure; plush and velvety in mouthfeel. Apple, brown sugar, cashew and clover all carry into a quietly complete finish.

Roast-encapsulated complexity; sweetly and exhilaratingly pungent. Richly scorched cedar, rose-like flowers, orange zest, black sage, a hint of cocoa-ish chocolate in aroma and cup. Bittersweet but zesty in structure; light though plush mouthfeel. Flowers and cocoa in particular carry into a roasty but cleanly sweet-toned finish.