Dark Reviews

Deep, rich-toned, sweetly smoky. Mexican chocolate (dark chocolate and cinnamon), gently scorched mesquite, raisin, gardenia, roasted hazelnut in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with barely perceptible acidity; plush, satiny mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of dark chocolate and gently smoky mesquite.

Crisply sweet, chocolaty. Dark chocolate, smoky cedar, prune, gardenia, cashew in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with virtually no perceptible acidity; lean, gently drying mouthfeel. The finish centers around notes of dark chocolate and smoky cedar.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich-toned, floral. Dark chocolate, black cherry, gently scorched cedar, molasses, magnolia-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, satiny mouthfeel; the crisp finish centers on notes of molasses and scorched cedar. Especially chocolaty in three parts milk, with pretty floral tones and undercurrents of smoky cedar.

Deep-toned, chocolaty and floral. Dark chocolate, gardenia, gently scorched oak, red apple, hazelnut butter in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with gentle, round acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The crisp, richly drying finish consolidates to dark chocolate and oak.

Sweetly roast-framed, cocoa-toned. Cocoa powder, dried date, gently scorched oak, lily, cashew in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with little perceptible acidity; full, velvety mouthfeel. Cocoa-driven finish with undertones of date and scorched oak.

Balanced, sweet-toned. Baking chocolate, almond, date, molasses, magnolia in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with little perceptible acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. A rather muted finish centers around almond and baking chocolate.

Rich-toned, chocolaty. Dark chocolate, cedar, rhododendron, date, sassafras in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with gently tart acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. A quiet finish consolidates around notes of dark chocolate and rhododendron.

Roast-dominant, smoky-sweet. Dark chocolate, burned mesquite, lily, prune, fresh earth in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with barely perceptible acidity; heavy, smooth mouthfeel. Persistent dark chocolate notes lift a rather bitter, earthy finish.

Very roast-prominent, chocolaty and spiced-toned. Chocolate, charred mesquite, date, baking spices, dark caramel in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with a bitter edge; full though drying mouthfeel. The finish, while sweet, is dominated by burned wood notes that obscure the underlying chocolate and fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. Attractively roast-prominent, deeply sweet and complex. Scorched cedar, baking chocolate, blackberry jam, blood orange zest, marjoram, violet-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Lightly creamy, almost fluffy mouthfeel. Finish consolidates around an herb-toned chocolate enveloped in a smoky resonance. In three parts milk, intensely sweet and aromatically vibrant, supported by a rich, smoky depth.

Evaluated as espresso. Chocolaty, nut-driven, a bit smoky. Dark chocolate, almond brittle, orchid, charred mesquite, molasses in aroma and small cup. Velvety-smooth mouthfeel; smoky, chocolaty finish. In three parts milk, deeply chocolaty and roast-prominent, with inviting notes of smoky mesquite.

Evaluated as espresso. Very rich and deeply sweet. Dark chocolate, dried cherry, singed cedar, lilac, candy cap mushroom with layered complexity in aroma and small cup. Very thick, syrupy mouthfeel; the finish consolidates to smoky cocoa and sweetly savory mushroom. In three parts milk, the cup is very chocolaty, sweet and floral with an umami throughline.

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.

Evaluated as espresso. Smoky, chocolate-toned. Cocoa, salted raisin, crimson lily, smoke in aroma and small cup. Heavyish though velvety mouthfeel; sweetly salty, smoky finish with a chocolate throughline. In three-parts milk, bittersweet cocoa and salted fruit resonate clearly.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly roast-toned; floral and chocolaty. Gently scorched cedar, baker’s chocolate, narcissus-like flowers, mango, spearmint in aroma and small cup. Satiny mouthfeel; chocolate and spicy roast notes carry in a dry but lasting finish. The crisp chocolate dominates in three parts milk, with continuing hints of flowers and mango-like fruit.

Richly roasty and chocolaty, floral-toned. Dark chocolate, scorched cedar, magnolia, raisin, cashew in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure, with a hint of rounded acidity; full, plump mouthfeel. The drying, resonant finish consolidates to cocoa-toned cashew and smoky aromatic wood notes.

Crisp, chocolaty, roast-framed. Baker’s chocolate, scorched oak, gardenia, hazelnut in aroma and cup. Sweet-savory structure with a touch of acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. Smoky-sweet finish with chocolate notes throughout and a rich floral suggestion.

Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, rich-toned, floral. Jasmine, vanilla, pink grapefruit zest, cedar, dark chocolate in aroma and small cup. Delicate, lively mouthfeel; long, flavor-saturated finish. In cappuccino-scaled milk, notes of jasmine and vanilla take center stage, supported by dark chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply and richly sweet-savory. Blackberry, roasted cacao nib, tamarind, sandalwood, pistachio in aroma and small cup. Crisp but velvety-smooth mouthfeel; rich, resonant, flavor-laden finish. Berry and cocoa notes lead in cappuccino-scaled milk, followed by an intriguing hint of sandalwood.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep, richly chocolaty, sweetly tart. Dark chocolate, peach, candied almond, tangerine zest, magnolia-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Plush, satiny mouthfeel; resonant, long, bittersweet finish. In three parts milk, chocolate and magnolia-like flowers round and amplify.