Espresso Reviews

Lush in flavor but slightly lean in body and presence. Elegant blueberry- and chocolate-toned nose with a hint of cedar. In the small cup medium-bodied with a touch of sweet acidity and continued berry, cedar and dark chocolate notes. A bit thin-presenced in milk, though the sneakily persistent dark-chocolate, cherry-brandy opulence stays around nicely.

Rather delicate, toasty aroma with hints of low-acid fruit - banana, chocolate. In the small cup medium to full body, with a crisply smoky, toasty character complicated by caramel and continued banana notes and a hint of flowers. The finish stays just on the rich side of rough. Rounds and blossoms in milk but remains roasty - think chocolate on toast - with a continued lean toward a banana-like fruit.

Deeply rich aroma with fruity chocolate and cedar complication. In the small cup the cedar notes dominate, backgrounding the chocolate and fruit. Full body but slightly rough mouthfeel; rich and slightly sharp in the short finish, but in the long smoothes out nicely with a final memory of chocolate. The cedar and chocolate carry into milk, the cedar dominating but the chocolate-fruit side blooming nicely.

Fine, delicate aroma: sweet-toned with floral top notes and a hint of dark chocolate. In the small cup medium-bodied and sweet but rather simple: some continued dark chocolate notes and raisiny fruit. In milk remains sweetly delicate and restrained.

Sweet-toned aroma but rather quiet: raisin, dark chocolate, walnut, floral complication. In the small cup substantial body, smooth mouthfeel, salty-sweet, with continuing dark chocolate and walnut notes. Substantial presence in milk, though subdued and simple.

(Tested as roasted - rather dark - by the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee.) Complex aroma: toast, banana-toned fruit, semi-sweet chocolate, perhaps a hint of tomato. In the small cup quite light-bodied though smooth in mouthfeel; very sweet, with a richly fruity character that continues to suggest banana and a prune-toned, semi-sweet chocolate, all of which carries elegantly into a rich finish. Rather lean and limited in milk, however; the chocolate and fruit notes are attractive but fail to bloom.

Lovely, high-toned aroma: flowers, orange, fresh cedar. In the small cup medium in body, lightly syrupy in mouthfeel, and cleanly and richly lively: The cedar character moves forward and the orange takes on a slight chocolate cast. Rich finish with good flavor persistence. In milk delicate, straightforward, crisply sweet.

A gently pungent complex of tart berry and semi-sweet chocolate runs through the small cup with brisk authority from aroma to finish. The berry and chocolate notes blossom beautifully in milk, softening and rounding without losing energy or character.

Straightforward aroma with caramel and apricot-toned fruit. In the small cup syrupy and round, with a gentle fruit-toned cedar character and a mild musty-malty edge. Rich finish with a slight astringency. Very impressive in milk: semi-sweet chocolate with a fruity lean toward banana and apricot: rich, sweet, expansive.

A delicate but intense lemony chocolate dominates from aroma through demitasse to milk. The lemon-toned chocolate is lavish and sweet in the aroma; in the small cup tartly sweet; in finish pleasantly persistent despite a slight astringency. In milk the lemon mutes while the chocolate rounds out lushly.

Suave, cedar- and chocolate-toned aroma with floral top notes. In the small cup medium-bodied, rich, and very smoothly and sweetly cedar-toned. The chocolate and flowers return to complicate the cedar in the long, round finish. In milk rather lean in mouthfeel but expansively chocolaty with a continued suggestion of flowers.

Very sweet-toned aroma with floral hints. In the small cup medium-bodied and slightly lean in mouthfeel, crisp, cedary, with raisiny, licorice-toned fruit. Slightly heavy finish but excellent flavor persistence, with the fruit turning toward chocolate. Comes into its own in milk, where it is balanced and roundly rich, with deep semi-sweet chocolate character.

A big, muscular espresso. Smoky, sweet-toned aroma with hints of apricot-toned chocolate. The massive body and syrupy if slightly astringent mouthfeel tend to overwhelm the chocolaty fruit in demitasse and finish, but all turns out well in milk, where the body remains fat and the chocolate blooms deeply and darkly.

Superbly and naturally sweet espresso. Complex in the aroma: caramel, milk chocolate, hints of nuts, flowers, pear-toned fruit. In the small cup medium-bodied but very smooth, gently pungent, with semi-sweet chocolate and a hint of smoke. Very sweet finish, long and cleanly rich. Fills out milk nicely with plump semi-sweet chocolate and a continued slight smoky, pungent edge.

Smoke, toast and a hint of flowers in the aroma. In the small cup medium-bodied and smooth in mouthfeel, balanced, rich, simple, with hints of cedar, dark chocolate and toast. Sweet finish. In milk lean-bodied but lush, dominated by a smoky semi-sweet chocolate.

Sweet, lyric fruit in the aroma: cherry, chocolate-toned blueberry. The fruit mutes in the small cup but the underlying structure is pleasing: rich, intense, medium-bodied and silky in mouthfeel. The berry notes carry into the slightly heavy finish. The blueberry character fattens nicely in milk, though the chocolate side of the flavor complex remains a bit tight and restrained.

Sweet-toned, roundly balanced aroma with overlapping hints of apricot, cedar and milk chocolate. Medium-bodied in the small cup, crisp, almost sharp, with continued suggestions of apricot, cedar and milk chocolate. At its best in milk, which softens the sharpness without dampening authority, allowing the fruit and chocolate to bloom with gently luxury?

Smoke and toast in the aroma, with a hint of flowers. In the small cup medium-bodied and smooth in mouthfeel, balanced, rich, simple, with hints of cedar, dark chocolate and toast. Sweet finish. In milk lean-bodied but lush, dominated by a smoky semi-sweet chocolate.

Very sweet-toned aroma with spice (nutmeg?) and toast notes. In the small cup full bodied and slightly rough in mouthfeel, bittersweet with toast, cedar and chocolate hints. Rich, heavy finish. Simple, powerfully rich presence in milk with chocolate and distinct banana notes.

Cocoa, banana and a hint of cedar in the fine aroma. In the small cup big-bodied, gently and sweetly pungent, with a rich, orange-toned cedar character and cocoa notes that round toward chocolate. Rich short finish, very slightly astringent in the long, but sweet chocolate suggestions persist throughout. Remains in sturdy control in milk, though it never quite sweetens and blossoms.