South America Reviews

Crisply sweet-tart. Pomegranate, baking chocolate, hazelnut, rhododendron, oak in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; crisp, lightly satiny mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of pomegranate and baking chocolate, supported by oak.

Balanced, juicy, deep-toned. Dark chocolate, wisteria, apricot, hazelnut, coconut in aroma and cup. High-toned, sparkling acidity; very full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Long, harmonious, integrated finish that carries over the promise of the cup.

Richly fruit-forward, deeply aromatic. Ripe blueberry, tangerine, dark chocolate, cedar, magnolia in aroma and cup. Gently bright acidity; plush, creamy mouthfeel. Blueberry-driven finish supported by dark chocolate and cedar.

Richly spiced-toned, elegantly aromatic. Ginger blossom, nutmeg, lavender, lemon verbena, baking chocolate in aroma and cup. Malic (apple-like) acidity; silky, viscous mouthfeel. Spice-toned finish into the long.

Brightly sweet, deeply fruit- and cocoa-toned. Raspberry jam, dark chocolate, thyme, peach, frankincense in aroma and cup. Balanced, vibrant acidity;very silky, very smooth mouthfeel. Jammy cocoa-toned finish.

Sweet, tart, distinctly spice-toned. Guava, shishito peppers, basil, rhododendron, cedar in aroma and cup. Savory-leaning acidity; very smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp, spice-toned finish with floral undertones.

Elegantly fruit-forward, richly aromatic. Strawberry guava, lychee, cocoa nib, amber, ginger blossom in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet, gently tart, balanced acidity; vibrant, silky-smooth mouthfeel. Harmonious, resonant, coherent finish.

Rich-toned, deeply chocolaty. Dark chocolate, cashew, key lime, magnolia, cedar in aroma and cup. Gentle, round acidity; full, creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Chocolaty, sweetly nutty finish with undertones of magnolia, cedar and key lime.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisply chocolaty, rich-toned. Baking chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, lily, cedar in aroma and small cup. Velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Caramelly, gently tart finish. In cappuccino format, nicely chocolaty with lily and cedar undertones.

Multi-layered, richly complex. Pomegranate, dried pineapple, cocoa nib, marjoram, wisteria in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet, fruity acidity; full, creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Long, resonant, flavor-laden finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken both found a sweetly tangy intrigue animating this plush, satiny bodied espresso, and rewarded it with 95s. Ken called it rich pistachio; John favored musky, mango-like tropical fruit. For both tasters, the pistachio/mango notes impressively sweetened and moved forward in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet grapefruit and orange blossom notes shimmer inside a deeply expressed chocolate in aroma and cup. Velvety mouthfeel. Ken and co-taster John DiRuocco shared parallel descriptors and the same 95-point enthusiasm for this poised, resonantly finishing espresso. Floral-toned chocolate with a continued grapefruit hint graces three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. This was Ken’s favorite in the tasting; he had it at 96 with a 10 for aroma. Co-taster John DiRuocco was a bit less enthusiastic at 94. The difference may have been their reading of the striking floral herb notes. Ken experienced them as exhilarating sweet lavender while John read them as a pleasant but drier eucalyptus. But both overall admired this sweetly citrusy, walnut-toned, brightly chocolaty espresso whose character resonates through the finish and retains character impressively in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. In the aroma, lush, chocolaty fruit (maraschino cherry, ripe orange) transforms to a bright, floral citrus in the cup, slightly drying but sweet. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) felt that the entire package came together nicely, with “nice high notes balanced by chocolate undertones, acidity by body.” Ken had less conviction in regard to coherence, but he too characterized the mouthfeel as full and plush, the cup impressive, and seconded John’s 94. Both particularly praised the coffee in three parts milk, where lemon, chocolate and cherry tendencies played nicely.

Evaluated as espresso. Lots of flowers with an herby edge—lavender, jasmine, orange blossom, cilantro—cushion on milk chocolate in this bright, light-footed espresso. Both co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken read this high-toned but resonant espresso in about the same terms with parallel ratings of 94. Resolves to an orangy, floral caramel in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco (95) was particularly impressed by the lavish sweetness and fruit of this elaborately anaerobic-processed coffee from Colombian processing innovator Edwin Noreña. John found the well-structured and clean-finishing character sufficient to contain and balance the aromatic fireworks. Ken (92), on the other hand, found the sweetness and fruit a bit too intense and candy-like, though he found compensating value in underlying musk and sandalwood tendencies. Both tasters admired the coffee in three parts milk, which rounded and diluted the intensely sweet fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) found spicy fruit, orange water and vanilla-like flowers in aroma and cup; Ken (93) concurred and added sweet chocolate and almonds. Altogether a silky textured, lively espresso. The aromatic intricacy consolidates a bit in three parts milk, and the familiar chocolate and almondy nut move forward.

Floral-toned, super-sweet. Wisteria, cocoa nib, rambutan, black sage, salted caramel in aroma and cup. Malic (apple-like) acidity; plush, viscous mouthfeel. Concentrated finish that carries through on the promise of the cup.

Richly aromatic, multi-layered, deeply sweet. Fruit Loops cereal, pineapple kefir, cocoa nib, black sage, agave nectar in aroma and cup. Bright, balanced acidity; plush, very syrupy mouthfeel. Long finish centered around notes of Fruit Loops and cocoa nib.

Sweetly spice-toned, delicately aromatic. Ginger blossom, clove, narcissus, cocoa nib, goji berry in aroma and cup. Gently bright, balanced acidity; vibrant, silky mouthfeel. Crisp, cocoa-toned finish supported by notes of ginger blossom and clove.