Natural/Dry Reviews

Exhilaratingly aromatic: sandalwood, rose-like flowers, roasted cacao nib, açai and banana, a hint of rye whisky. Rich, complexly expressed acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. A savory hint implicit in the rest of the profile surfaces to deepen a long, rich, flavor-saturated finish.

Rich, deep, brandy-toned. Brandy, rose-like flowers, dark chocolate, pineapple-like fruit in aroma and in immense, opulent cup. Roundly rich acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Rather heavy finish, though the extravagance of the cup is worth it.

Evaluated as espresso. Both Ken (93) and his co-taster (91) admired the wine-like intensity of this dried-in-the-fruit profile, though Ken read more complexity, in particular floral top notes, in flavor and finish. Both tasters cited a creamy mouthfeel and consistent finish. Especially impressive in three parts milk, where the shot bloomed with a complex expression of fruit-toned chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (92) showed considerably more enthusiasm for this intense dried-in-the-fruit profile than his only mildly respectful co-taster (89). The co-taster associated the usual fermented fruit notes with wine and spiced cider, Ken with bourbon whisky (which he likes). The co-taster found the fermented fruit notes complicated by “sweet hay and malt,” Ken by a more decisive “fresh-cut cedar.” Ken rated the lightly syrupy, perhaps buttery mouthfeel a bit higher than did his co-taster. Both found the shot pleasantly chocolaty in three parts milk, additionally nuanced by malt for the co-taster, by cedar for Ken.

Crisply sweet, intensely complex. Honey, brandy, apricot, brandy, citrus flower, a hint of walnut in aroma and cup. Round, brandyish acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Honey and walnut in particular persist in a deeply flavor-saturated, gently drying finish.

Sweet, deep, fermenty. Very ripe blueberry and strawberry, minty dark chocolate, brandy, walnut in aroma and cup. Round, rich acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. A savory edge in the cup turns more prominent in a drying finish.

Intense, heady blueberry and lush, lily-like flowers with deepening suggestions of cedar and brandy in aroma and cup, and a savory hint in the cup. Impressive structure: sweet-toned acidity; full syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is sweet and blueberry-toned with a continuing savory edge.

Bittersweet, sharply pungent, earthy. Pungent fir, overripe plum, sweet earth that collectively leans toward chocolate in aroma and cup. Heavy, bitter-toned acidity; heavy mouthfeel. The overripe fruit and earth notes hint at chocolate in the short finish, but turn astringent and composty in the long.

Richly structured coffee with an intense balance of sweet, bitter and tart tastes supporting complex aromatics: lavender-like flowers, pecan, fresh-cut fir, and most strikingly, an unusual fruit note simultaneously suggesting mango and melon. Rich, deep acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The complex fruit note in particular carries into a drying but sweet finish.

Spicy floral notes (lavender, tea rose), dark chocolate, honey, hazelnut, and a pungent mango-like fruit in aroma and cup. Rich, juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is bittersweet and drying in the short, but flavor and sweetness reassert themselves in the long.

Intense, lyric, complex floral character – tea rose, lily, lavender, honey – anchored by a crisp, cocoa-toned chocolate. Sweet-toned, floral acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Dry but rich, flavor-saturated finish.

Crisp baker's chocolate and heavy, lush, cherry-like fruit and brandy hints in aroma and cup. Wine-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rather heavy, sweet-salty finish.

Brandy, mint, cocoa and apricot in a quiet but clean dried-in-the-fruit profile. Tart, apple-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Some flavor persists in the simple, savory-sweet finish.

Deeply and dramatically complex aroma and flavor: Pineapple- and berry-like fruit, milk chocolate, hints of brandy and mint. Richly bright acidity; very smooth, silky/syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is saturated with flavor, particularly with the minty brandy notes. Turns savory as the cup cools, perhaps a bit bitter; otherwise this would be a 94-rated coffee.

Rich, brandy-like fruit dominates the profile: cherry, blueberry, cocoaish dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Round, fruit-influenced acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor carries richly into the finish, where a very slight over-ripe note emerges as the cup cools.

Frank but brilliant in its complex fermented fruit character: cocoa, dusk flowers, butter, brandy, lemon all layer engagingly in aroma and cup. The sweet, exuberant ferment seems to turn the mouthfeel almost effervescent. Sweetness and flavor outlast a hint of astringency in the long finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster Sean Kohmescher (92) and Ken (88) split on this coffee and how to read its deep, ferment-toned fruit. Sean enjoyed the distinctive character of the fruit: “stone-fruited chocolate” with a hint of grapefruit. Ken read the same fruit but also picked up nagging musty/salty tendencies. Two parts milk smoothed things out a bit for Ken, developing a chocolaty sweetness, though Sean remained more committed here also, praising the shot’s “light, sweet, berries and cream” performance in milk.

Complex and balanced flavor and aroma: orange-toned citrus, cherry, cedary aromatic wood, a hint of baking spice. The acidity is extraordinary: deep, powerful yet roundly rich and sweet. The mouthfeel is full and syrupy, the finish long and fruit-saturated.

Dry berry or black currant, flowers, hints of lemon and aromatic wood in the aroma. All carry into a luxuriously sweet cup, with the lemon note dominating. Rich, complexly fruit-toned acidity, silky to lightly syrupy mouthfeel, clean, gently lemon-toned finish.

Orange, bittersweet lemon, nut, aromatic wood in aroma and cup, with complicating floral top notes. Balanced, crisp acidity; silky mouthfeel. The citrus notes in particular carry into a rich, sweet finish.