Exotic Reviews

A grapey, fruit-saturated alcohol dominates, big and startling, though more grappa-like than whiskey-like. Pear, grappa, white oak, cocoa, raisin in aroma and cup. The acidity is essentially unreadable in coffee terms given the impact of the big, grapey alcohol sensation. The mouthfeel is light and pleasingly buoyant. The fruity alcohol dominates in a very sweet finish.

Bittersweet, powerfully cocoa- and floral-toned. Intense plumeria-like flowers, cocoa, lightly scorched almond, pineapple guava in aroma and cup. The acidity is tart and dry; the mouthfeel full and syrupy in texture, though quite drying. Surprisingly sweet in the finish, with persistent chocolate and guava notes.

Sweetly bright, subtly wine-toned. Tangerine zest, oak, honeysuckle, cocoa powder, a hint of wine in aroma and cup. Gentle, roundly bright acidity; lightly satiny, lively mouthfeel. Wine/grape suggestions carry into an oaky but very sweet-toned finish.

Deeply sweet with a resonantly savory edge; intense and original. Peach, lavender, coconut and oak are complicated by a pleasing alcohol suggestion that no doubt reflects the bourbon-barrel conditioning, but in the sensory context of the coffee reads more brandy- or wine-like. Round, vibrant acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The peach note in particular carries into a flavor-saturated finish.

Complexly structured; tart, sweet-savory, balanced. Mango, cedar, molasses, fresh pipe tobacco, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Gently crisp acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Tobacco, cedar and the mango-like fruit carry into a quiet finish.

Delicately sweet and subtly lush. Honeysuckle, roasted cacao nib, lychee, pink grapefruit zest, myrrh in aroma and cup. Lively, expressive, crisply sweet acidity; velvety-smooth, viscous mouthfeel. The quietly resonant finish is flavor-saturated, leading with honeysuckle and pink grapefruit in the short, rounding to notes of cocoa-toned lychee in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply rich, sweetly savory. Dark chocolate, orange zest, vanilla, tamarind, pungently spicy flowers (lantana?) in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; bold, sweetly tart finish with suggestions of cocoa-toned tamarind and orange zest. Crisply sweet in three parts milk, where notes of dark chocolate are amplified and the tart sweetness of tamarind-like fruit persists.

Complexly layered, richly sweet-savory. Violet, dried fig, almond butter, ginseng, fine musk in aroma and cup. Bright, sweet-tart acidity; delicate, silky-smooth mouthfeel. The intense, resonant finish is saturated with all the flavor notes from the cup, in particular the fruit and floral tones, which ring on and on.

Delicate, sweet-toned, subtly complex. Rhododendron, date, graham cracker, pink peppercorn, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy, citrus-like acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. The gently drying finish consolidates around notes of date and graham cracker in the short, with suggestions of spicy floral tones (pink peppercorn) in the long.

Lush, deeply sweet, richly savory. Plumeria, red currant, lime zest, frankincense, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The sweetly tart, resonant finish is flavor-saturated, with all the notes from cup and short finish carrying far into the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp, intensely sweet, balanced. Jasmine, tangerine, cedar, baker’s chocolate, almond in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy body. The richly drying, sweet finish consolidates to almond and fruit-toned chocolate. Both the almond and chocolate carry brightly into three parts milk.

Deeply rich, sweetly spicy. Butterscotch, pipe tobacco, rhododendron, juniper berry, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Lively, juicy acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. The engaging finish is laden with notes of sweet pipe tobacco and butterscotch.

Refined, richly complex. Spice box, cocoa powder, lemon zest, pineapple guava, walnut in aroma and cup. Gentle, backgrounded acidity; crisp, silky mouthfeel. The rich-toned, flavor-saturated finish is redolent of spice box and lemon zest in the short, with cocoa-toned walnut lingering in the long.

Sweet, softly crisp. Aromatic wood and flowers. Sandalwood, lavender, dried raspberry, cacao nib, ripe banana in aroma and cup. Gently zesty, floral-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flowers and sandalwood carry into a richly drying finish.

Very delicate; sweetly fruit-forward. Dried raspberry, prairie flowers, almond paste, spearmint, a hint of brandy in aroma and cup. Gentle, rounded acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor consolidates to raspberry and spearmint in the subtle, gently drying finish.

Intricate, immensely sweet. Dried raspberry, orange zest, mousse-like chocolate, Cognac, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Punchy, sweet acidity; velvety mouthfeel. The flavor consolidates to chocolate and dried raspberry, with a hint of sweet ferment, in the finish.

Crisply sweet, deeply nuanced and cocoa-toned. Almond butter, cocoa, bergamot, jasmine in aroma and cup. Lyrical acidity, juicy and buoyant; light but plush, silky mouthfeel. Bergamot and almond notes persist in the resonant, flavor-saturated finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Syrupy, savory-sweet, roasty. Dark chocolate, scorched mesquite, orange zest, very ripe peach in aroma and small cup. Fat, syrupy mouthfeel; heavy, savory-sweet finish. Fruit-toned chocolate and mesquite dominate in three parts milk.

Complex, delicate, richly sweet. Mango, blood orange, nougat, violet, myrrh in aroma and cup. Vibrant, juicy acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. All of the fruit, flower, nut and exotic spice notes carry through a deep, flavor-saturated finish.

Deep, musky, complex, subtly spirits-toned. Oak, fruit-toned spirits, suggestions of butterscotch, banana bread and crisp roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Round, resonant acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor saturates a long, persistent finish.