Dark Reviews

As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a "OneCoffee" Keurig-compatible capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving: Sweet-toned and gracefully citrusy. Candied lemon, night-blooming flowers, a hint of honey in aroma and cup. Delicately crisp acidity; lively, light but silky mouthfeel. Rich, lemony, slightly drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso produced in a 30ml/1-ounce shot by a Verismo capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated separately using a conventional steam wand, not with milk from the Verismo milk capsule. Scorched and astringent. Burned caramel, gently charred cedar, dark chocolate, a floral hint in the aroma. Leanish mouthfeel. A drying woody sensation dominated the flavor of the small cup, with hints of dark chocolate and rubber. Rich but very drying, slightly salty finish. In three parts whole milk displays a woody but sweet chocolate with a slight rubbery hint in the background.

(As brewed in a Keurig Vue single-serve brewing device using a Vue-Pack capsule on the regular – alternative to “strong” – setting to produce a 6-ounce or serving): Caramel, cedar, hints of chocolate and peach in the aroma. Quiet, sweet-toned acidity. A distinct, pleasingly cedar-toned chocolate dominates in the cup and persists in a mildly drying finish.

Delicately sweet roast-influenced profile. Mildly scorched cedar, raisin, hints of dark chocolate and cardamom in aroma and cup. Backgrounded, roast-rounded acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Clean- and sweet-finishing with a continuing hint of chocolate.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a Keurig-compatible capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving): Crisp, rather deep, quietly complex. Roasted cacao nib, walnut, orangy fruit, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Roast-muted acidity; smooth mouthfeel. Sweet, chocolate-toned, though rather drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a Keurig-compatible capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving): Buttery dark chocolate, a marzipan-like almond note with an enlivening hint of slightly tart fruit in aroma and cup. Brisk, roast-influenced acidity; very light but silky mouthfeel. Hints of chocolate and walnut survive in a sweet but drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a Keurig-compatible capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving): Roundly bittersweet. Carob (or a woody chocolate), caraway seed, a hint of fresh earth in aroma and cup. Round, roast-muted acidity; heavyish mouthfeel. Some flavor survives in a drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a Keurig-compatible capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving): Pungently sweet, gently roasty. Scorched wood, a hint of dark chocolate, prune, and a peppery savory note in aroma and cup. Round, fruit-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Simple though rather rich finish.

Pungent, gently scorched cedar, dark chocolate, caramel and an herbal hint in aroma and cup. Round, roast-muted acidity; pleasantly smooth though rather lean mouthfeel. The chocolate sweetness dominates in a long, resonant, slightly drying finish.

Pungently roasty, crisp. Lightly scorched cedar, dark chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar, a hint of lime zest in aroma and cup. Roast-muted acidity; smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a sweet, mildly drying finish.

Lightly scorched cedar dominates in aroma and cup, complicated by dark chocolate, cardamom-like spice and hints of flowers and lemon. Roast-muted acidity. Leanish though smooth mouthfeel. Chocolate moves forward in a simple but sweet finish.

Richly pungent: scorched cedar, cardamom-like spice, and, particularly in the cup, a pleasant hint of dark chocolate. Lean mouthfeel with some silkiness. The chocolate hint carries into a rather sweet, rich finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep, rich, chocolate- and cedar-toned. Gently scorched cedar, plum, chocolate, and a hint of anise in aroma and small cup. Syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate and cedar carry into a sweet but drying finish. Dominates two parts milk, but the fruit-toned chocolate rounds and softens in four parts.

Evaluated as espresso. Soft, lush aroma: molasses, lilac-like flowers, chocolate crème. In the small cup full, syrupy mouthfeel and continued molasses, flowers and chocolate with a deep, black-cherry-like fruit. Sweet, chocolate-toned finish. Flavor loses some of its depth and intrigue in two parts milk, though the chocolate survives.

Very atypical aroma and flavor. Richly charred oak, overripe tomato, musk and faint floral and pear notes point toward a sort of minty, vegetal dark chocolate. Muted acidity; rather lean mouthfeel. A drying astringency dominates in the finish, drowning out sweetness and flavor.

Sharply and richly pungent. Scorched cedar, rosemary-like herb, hidey leather, with hints of floral top notes. Bittersweet, backgrounded acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor almost resolves into chocolate in a sweet but heavily astringent finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a "K-Cup" capsule to produce a 6-ounce serving): Sweet and caramelly in the aroma with faint hints of flowers and chocolate; in the cup the chocolate, caramel and floral notes are more distinct. Brisk acidity; silky but very light mouthfeel. A slight woody astringency mars an otherwise sweet, chocolate-toned finish.

Crisp, balanced, roasty. Dark chocolate, raisin, peppery aromatic wood, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Acidity is round and roast-muted; mouthfeel is medium in weight but slightly lean in texture. Chocolate prevails in a sweet-toned, balanced finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Impressive aroma: rich, buttery dark chocolate, backgrounded orange and plum with a hint of flowers. Full, syrupy mouthfeel. The sweetness recedes in flavor and finish, however, and a bitterish, zesty orange and pungent cedar move forward. Powerful, richly chocolaty presence in two to four parts milk, with a continued underlying zesty dryness.

Heavily scorched wood dominates in aroma and cup, with hints of faded chocolate, clove and molasses. Acidity is folded inside the scorched pungency of the roast; mouthfeel is light and leanish. The finish is bittersweet and drying.