The dry aroma is complex, sweet and jammy. The flavour is great. They mention Coffee Cherry as a note twice, I must confess I don't know what that smells or tastes like. For me there is wild strawberry, apricot, florals, a touch of apple peel, soft citric acidity and a bit of tropical fruit on the end maybe. This is beautiful, delicious coffee.

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The dry aroma is excellent, sweet and complex with some citrus, stone fruit, and almond. The flavour is very good, a bit of boozy cherry liqueur, some tropical fruit, and a touch of floral black tea. Flavours homogenised quickly to a balanced, very clean and sweet cup. Excellent. Perhaps a bit Christmassy for May, the packaging feels Christmassy too, but I do like Christmas so “hey ho”.

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Jasmine, parma violets and sweet citrus in perfect harmony. Super clean and elegant.

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The description of purple fruits, perfumed aromatics, and silky bodies is spot on. I'm really impressed and very pleasantly surprised by this. There are dark berries, hints of bergamot, earl grey-like florals, juicy acidity, and a nice creamy finish. The price isn't low at £2.50 per sachet, so it's not cheap and it's not more economical than brewing using fresh beans, but I think that price is fair. You pay for convenience and usually have to compromise on quality too. Not so here.

This will be a permanent fixture in my luggage when I travel and I'm looking forward to trying more iterations! A cupping score doesn't really fit the bill here, suffice to say an 87+ cup of coffee all day long.

The dry aroma put me in mind of warm heinz tomato soup, there's a little hint of spice and a nutty sweet base. The flavour is excellent; lime and peach giving way to a lasting cardamom note. There is some lemon and jasmine tea like hints and a bit of orange blossom maybe. It doesn't beat you up with sweetness but there is plenty there to balance the juicy acidity and it is super clean. The body is light but that simply increases the elegance of this coffee which is, by some distance, the best Peruvian coffee I've tasted to date.

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On the dry aroma we have stone fruit with a touch of mixed berries and milk chocolate. The flavour is excellent, I get more peach, mango, hibiscus, maybe blue fruit and melon, a soft strawberry here too. There's some florality and its very sweet with really pleasant acidity. There clarity is excellent and its really very clean too which lifts it above the pack for me.

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The dry aroma pops with high-percentage milk chocolate, strawberry, boozy watermelon, and plum. The wet aroma is consistent. The flavour is outstanding. It is super sweet, juicy, and aromatic, with strawberry, guava, and mango melding to violet. It has a port wine character, too. The aftertaste is sweet, long, and satisfying.

For an off piste description I would say this coffee tastes like drinking earl grey with lemon sponge cake, apricot and blackberry jam and peanut buttercream, sat in the conservatory in late summer

Seriously though there is a wonderful sponge cake and citrus note on the dry aroma, apricot jam and jammy blackberry and lime acidity come through in the flavour with some hints of florals and cola. Its complex, the acidity is bright malic, citric and layered, the aftertaste is clean and sweet, its balanced and satisfying.

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The roasting looks great, more like a washed in appearance than a natural so perhaps a more yellow or white honey process after a 96 hour anaerobic fermentation.

So, a bit of lime with some citrus and a little nutty cocoa on the dry aroma, a bit of sponge cake and some florality at the break. The flavour is complex and layered starting with plenty of robust stone fruits, apricot, jasmine and rose florality into a tea like note, vibrant and clean with malic and soft citric acidity, a really lovely sponge cake sweetness too.

Blindfolded Im calling this as a washed Ethiopian; probably a Yirga or Guji. It has a lot of that vibe. Unsurprising given the varietal. The processing here has been judged superbly though to lift the sweetness and aromatics without taking away from the complex acidity and aromatics. The roasting is faultless too a really beautiful job all round. Balanced, sophisticated, aromatic and quite delicious.

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This coffee is herbaceous, fermented, and very complex on the dry aroma, with some forest fruits and berries, cocoa, and watermelon. Then, tropical fruit is forward in flavour, some fruity chocolate, bergamot, and some florals, too. It has a light to medium body, with the malic acidity of pineapple and some citric for me. Layered, poised, and elegant, it is an outstanding coffee.

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The result is sensational dry aroma of, yes, lychee but also poised jammy red and yellow fruits. Big wine gum vibe too, really strong aroma. The wet aroma had much more clarity of lychee and florals; rose, jasmine white tea, oriental peach. Scented vibes. Does put me in mind of a well maintained nightclub bathroom a bit.
But seriously, top drawer aromatics.

The flavour is outstanding too, white peach, watermelon, strawberry, mandarin orange citrus notes, tropical sweetness, very soft integrated malic and citric acidity, lingering and pleasing on the aftertaste. The body is light and it might be too perfumed for some, but to me it is a joy.

The processing is a massive factor here and there are questions about terroir, authenticity of origin and whether this is just making a coffee taste like Lychee, almost like adding flavouring but I know where I stand on this and for me its a 90+ coffee.

Super clean and elegant, delicate but also satisfying.

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The dry aroma is excellent, with sweet blackcurrant and I thought a herbaceous cinnamon note. The malic acidity is quite soft and delicate and the coffee is relatively light in body. In terms of flavour though this is a very interesting and complex coffee. I get an overarching note of herbaceous lavender without the soapy aromatic you strongly associate with that herb. There is some honey sweetness a bit of dried fruit and a flicker of citrus. Quite a remarkably flavoured coffee and quite unlike anything Ive cupped before. Probably not a profile I would rush back to if Im completely honest but you have to appreciate the elegance and sophistication of this coffee.

Another first class job and another outstanding coffee.

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Strawberries for days, stone fruit, florals and poised malic acidity. Theres complexity in notes of citrus and mixed berries and just fantastic cup clarity and balance. Might have to get a slightly bigger bag of this for my own self and do a fuller and more in depth review.

Cupping Method:This was a cheeky wee extra 15grams that arrived from Coffea Circulor - very generous and much appreciated.

What can I say really; wow. Its simply delicious. It buzzes with wonderfully poised sparkling acidity, balanced by plenty of sweetness, theres Lychee, Pineapple and Elderflower notes. There is also very much a white wine thing going on and @agarojewska used this very coffee in the coffee in good spirits competition for a champagne cocktail vibe. Makes perfect sense. She made the link to The Great Gatsby and thats where the name for the coffee comes from.

If I was to say that this is probably the best coffee Ive ever cupped it wouldnt be an exaggeration. Its really up there - certainly not cheap - but the price is totally justified in terms of the true development cost, quality and flavour of the coffee. Treat yourself to a 40g jar - you wont be disappointed.

Im already looking forward to my next Coffea Circulor brew.

Outstanding.

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Best Ethiopian natural Ive cupped this year, without question, and soars straight into the 88+ club.

Its from Keramo village in #sidamo and its called Duwancha after a local fruit - nice.

Passionfruit, blueberry, lactic yoghurty dairy notes, florality, tropicality, citric and malic, structured complex, sweet and balancedI love it.

Delicious.

The Alchemist? is an experimental anaerobic natural from Gasharu farms in the Nyamasheke district of the western province of Rwanda.

The dry aroma and flavour is full of macerated fruits, red and dark berries and chocolate, its bold clear and has excellent body. However, its the tropical malic acidity that really lifts the score for me with this coffee. Its a bit boozy; theres definitely a hint of funk no more than a couple of notes on a bass guitar though.

It homogenises quite a bit as it cools rather than improving or opening up in any way but that doesnt detract much really.

I have known a coffee like this to divide opinion a bit on a table with some liking this a lot more than others. Im all for them, especially when the brakes are kept on a bit to add balance and refinement as has been achieved here. Sweet, juicy, aromatic, lots of body, not much to dislike here for me.

Cupping Method:From Dog & Hat. Follow @the_qreview on Instagram for photos and the full post.

The coffee itself is washed Kurume & Dega cultivars from the Gedeb area, in the south of the Gedeo zone. More specifically the area of Chelbesa and Im assuming Dhilgee is the name of the washing station that produces this coffee from cherry provided by 170 local farmers. Roasting definitely towards the Obi-wan side and a top job done there.

So Im expecting fairly classic #yirgacheffe vibes from this and its definitely in that ball park but theres a real scented almost sparkling florality to it which I personally really like and that stands out from a lot of washed East African coffee Ive cupped recently.

The aroma has obvious sweet citrus, a nip of blood orange, and an almost medicinal note, but it's not unpleasant. The flavour is excellent, very floral. Yes, lychee, watermelon maybe, a bit of a peardrop candy thing (if youve ever had those), and really good quality pink lady apples (if youve ever had those).

Its layered with complex sweetness, citric and some sparkling phosphoric acidity too. Really enjoyed it. The body is light and tea like as you might expect and it is grapefruit juice drying in the aftertaste but thats not going to hold it back too much.

Great coffee. Itll be gone by Friday I expect.

Cupping Method:From Dog & Hat subscription box.

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On the dry aroma its quite layered and complex. Theres a lovely familiar cinder toffee note off the beans when you open the bag then from the grounds theres Brown Sugar, Apricot, Milk Chocolate and Caramel at the break.

The flavour is excellent. Lots more brown sugar sweetness and stone fruit, a hint of
apple pie, some raisin, maybe blood orange acidity, citrus and a black tea note, its very, very clean, bright, malic, and juicy, very satisfying. Plenty of body and very well balanced.

Its quite an archetypal coffee in that its much like lots of other washed Burundian Coffees (and washed Rwandan coffees for that matter) that Ive cupped, but you dont often get this level of clarity, aromatics, structure and complex sweetness.

A very fine example of washed Burundian Bourbon.

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A Colombian Natural from Luis Anibal Calderon, of Finca Villa Betulia in Acevedo, Huila. On the roast we have Campbell and Syme for a second time and a quick sniff suggests theyve nailed this.

Im excited to try this coffee.

Going back a decade Colombian Specialty coffee was basically washed Caturra. High standards of processing and regional microclimates meant there were differences in terrior? and different cup profiles but it was all washed. There was next to no natural or experimental processing. Then the El Nino phenomenon of 2015 led to challenging conditions, changes in regulations and new methods of processing.

Fast forward 7 years and some of the most amazing, delicious and distinctive coffee produced using experimental fermentation and various natural processes is coming out of Colombia.

Then add in that this varietal Ombligon is a rarified one too.. originally from Ethiopia. Small pockets of it have been kept going and cultivated over the decades, the cherries are distinctively long with a sort of belly button shape at the base and the quality of cups they produce is consistently very high.

Big intro and Im not disappointed

The dry aroma is outstanding, it leaps at you with rich milk chocolate and macerated fruits, theres a miso thing going on too. The wet aroma isnt quite so big but its still rich with chocolate and sweet fruit. The flavour is outstanding too, candied Kiwi, Cucumber and Watermelon, Plum and Cherry Sweetness and bags of deep rich chocolate. The body is creamy and weighty and the aftertaste is long.

There is just the tiniest, slightest nip of bitterness at the very end, it could be more layered and elegant and it could be a bit cleaner with a touch more balance so it doesnt quite make the 90s but this is a belter of a coffee - it's super tasty and Im not sharing it.

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Back in Ethiopia: The awash river runs through the rift valley and this coffee comes from smallholder farmers around the river area in the sidama region.

What a bright and clean natural this is. Excellent dry aroma of caramelised citrus which was unexpected as was the flavour of lemon bon bons and bergamot which is equally excellent. Slightly syrupy sweetness and the whole coffee got better and opened up as it cooled. Sometimes cupping coffee makes you smile and this was one of those occasions. Surprisingly bright citric acidity very nicely balanced with the sweetness. The body is a little light and thin but that doesnt take away too much from a coffee like this.

Hipster appreciation cap off and homberg of serious evaluation on: we did get a hiccup of an earthy taint on cup number 3. There was a big obvious Quaker in that cup which is maybe the culprit. So two scores - we acknowledge the taint but it shouldnt detract from a simply delicious, poised coffee like this!

Ive drunk it all already. Delicious

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Kenyan is not a Ribena bomb but it's a great coffee all the same, close to blackberry acidity, such a difficult trick to roast to get enough sweetness to carry the berry aromatics but not roast them away….this is close and I doubt it could've been done better.

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Not reaching for the stars but if I needed to give an example of Ethiopian coffee that was clear and quality, well here you go ….. citrus, early berry fruit, clean, very nice.

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The aroma is satisfyingly sweet with caramelised fruit, good depth. The beans themselves have a pleasing gradient. Feels like an omni roast. The flavour is very good, nice dark fruit acidity, maybe fig, plum, a little winey and finishing with dark chocolate. A very solid specialty coffee,

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So does this taste like an anaerobic natural from Colombia, all strawberries and yoghurty ferment but with the volume turned down by some nutty Brazil. Yes. That's exactly what it tastes like. It's very nice, I've made some espresso driven drinks through the Racer with it as well as cupping it and they were all very, very pleasant.

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here we have a Kenyan washed coffee. I have cupped loads of these already this year in search of the blackcurrant. Still nada. But this is a nice example from a well established and appreciated farm. Kirinyaga is an area producing consistently excellent coffee. This Kainamui AA certainly checks out.

More cranberry and dry red fruit, nice juicy malic acidity, the aromatics of caramel without the sweetness on the nose. Nice. Quality. Very clean and very nicely roasted. Like a perfect maroon suit with a mustard yellow shirt and tie.

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The dry and wet aroma offer berries and sweet citrus with a touch of sweetness. The acidity is excellent, malic, citric and juicy. The flavour is also very good, red berries to tangerine aromatics maybe a bit of white chocolate. Medium boided, nice silky mouthfeel, good flavour but the acidity is the star vibrant and complex. Juicy, tasty, classy.

The Kenyan has a very good dry aroma of jam on nutty toast, the flavour is excellent with hints of bright raspberry, cranberry and that cinder toffee metallic sweetness which I've tried to tell people about - some get it - some don't ….It's unmistakably washed Kenyan; no blackcurrant though for me again. Starting to believe that the Ribena cup really has gone, for now. That said, this is a great coffee. The balance is very good, the body is very good, the acidity is excellent, well integrated but still poised and racy, plenty of sweetness too and complex aromatics. The roast is pointed to omni so maybe there's a point more in this as a filter profile. Still a really great coffee.

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The Honduran has a nice dry aroma of cocoa and a note of melon. The flavour is good with a left overnight fruit salad vibe, more Melon than Pineapple. There's some cocoa with a good sweetness and nice texture. Clean, sweet, uniform, it's a nice specialty coffee, quite restrained and elegant considering the processing if a little bit middling. It actually puts me a little bit in mind of a good washed Colombian Caturra from Quindio or Atioquia.

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The coffee is clean, sweet and uniform. The dry aroma is of berry jam and cocoa which carries through into the wet aroma and also the flavour. The coffee is balanced with a soft malic to citric acidity. There is also grapelike floral note on the backend. Nice. I do appreciate a coffee that translates from aroma to flavour. It's not reaching for the stars but it's eminently quaffable as filter which is how the entire bag has gone after cupping.

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The dry aroma is sweet and nutty with some jammy red fruit notes, the wet aroma brings a touch of cocoa to the party. The flavour is very good, cranberry, and some marmalade notes. Super juicy malic and citric acidity steps on the sweetness a bit, finding this with most washed Kenyans I cup at the moment though, perhaps the new normal, to rekindle that awful phrase.

An excellent coffee, structured, plenty of aromatics, very nicely roasted and clean as a whistle.

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