A stunning espresso with remarkable depth of flavor.

There's nothing here a regular espresso drinker hasn't seen, but the depth of the flavor here is eye-opening. The aroma is deep chocolate and you almost spend the whole day with a smile on your face smelling it.

In the cup it's rich chocolate, caramel, toffee, dark cherry, and blackberry. It's deep and complex. It spins out a big crema that gives it a lush mouthfeel. It's hard to explain but I get a fresh bag of espresso every week - maybe one out of 25 bags just has this richness.

Outstanding!

Cupping Method:Espresso, Americano, latte, it does well. Primarily pulling at 95C on my La Spaziale A53.

This is such a cool and fun coffee! And most at the end of the day, really delicious.

I actually get a lot of interesting tropical notes, pineapple, starfruit, lychee in the cup. The acidity is very bright. I get floral (almost Pink Bourbon-ish) muskmelon (I guess that's canteloupe!) and a bit of nuttiness pre-grind. There's a lot of acidity and a lot of natural sweetness. Only a very slight touch of funkiness.

A super cool coffee and becoming a big fan of this producer Juan Pablo Velez!

Cupping Method:I made it at 195F, 18:1 ratio on Hario v60.

I think it was really intended as pourover, but boy does it pop as espresso.

Everything here is pretty subtle as pourover. Glycerin mouthfeel, lychee, a little pineapple, balanced bergamot. This is maybe my 10th pink bourbon, so I'm less immediately blown away by the florality and fruitiness. I'd drink this all day but it doesn't hit you in the face like other pink bourbons.

But boy is it amazing as espresso. Ruby red grapefruit, the type with the brown sugar on top. Lots of florality, especially bergamot. Blackberry notes. Tart, not sour and perfectly bounded for light roast espresso.

Cupping Method:I got the Pink Bourbon set from Edison after discovering them in Texas.

Actually this was pretty tight when I made my first cup right when I got it. After 10 days of rest it really popped.

Espresso 95C on my La Spaziale, I pulled a little long with this one. Iced Americano was unreal.
Pourover 199F and 195F - lower temp was better.

This coffee won a gold medal for Single Origin Espresso at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Coffee Awards. Because this is a highly prestigious, expert judge competition, we add a 5-star review to the roast. We do this to help our users find the best roasters and roasts!

An outstanding single-origin espresso that clearly expresses the notes pecan, tamarind, and vanilla notes mentioned. Those are challenging ones to hit and be good. The tamarind is nice as it's more of an overtone than a quick burst in some coffees where it comes on too strong. As espresso, this one's pretty citrusy on the back end of the palate but doesn't get too tart.

Medium crema, medium body, nice mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:I got this as a gift from a friend from Calgary. I used it for straight espresso, a cortado, and iced Americano. It worked well in all formats.

As good a cup of straight out drip coffee as I can really remember.

This has a bright note of strawberry on the front of the palate, then transitions into a glycerine smooth black tea/chocolate mid-palate and finishes with a strawberry lemonade. Has a really nice natural sweetness. Almost mango-ish type of aftertaste and linger.

Cupping Method:Drip at Revival Cafe + Kitchen at Alewife/Cambridge

Has a cool bubblegum / watermelon funk. Little bit of hibiscus or kiwi acid on the finish, really tasty. That bright acidity at the end is key and makes it all work.

Super unique and tasty.

Cupping Method:From the Pirates of Coffee Ramadan calendar. V60, 18:1, 197F

Outstanding espresso with fluffy, lingering crema, syrupy mouthfeel, and complex flavors. Dark chocolate, sasparilla start, some midpalate baking spice, then some blackberry acidity to balance things out. Long dark chocolate linger. Delicious.

Cupping Method:Espresso at Mia’s Brooklyn Bakery in Newton MA

We're doing the Pirates of Coffee Ramadan calendar out of order, so starting with this one #17.

I'm Chinese, so I know lychee/longan character well! When you open the bag, there's the lovely aroma. It carries to the coffee. The tasting notes here are spot on - lychee, black tea, hibiscus. It's not too tart though, and it has a glycerin mouthfeel and a lot of natural sweetness.

Amazed they could get this type of character in the fermentation process, and a job very well done by the roaster.

Cupping Method:17.5:1, 196F, in Hario v60

I drank this as part of Leaderboard Season 13 (coffee #9 out of 10).

I liked this coffee a lot. It's quite clean but has a lot going on, as the best Sidras are. It's my first Ecuadorian Sidra, and I think it expresses itself similar to the Colombian ones I've had.

For me it starts off with a bit of strawberry and black tea. It has some lemon/tangerine in the background, and is a touch herbal and a touch floral

Cupping Method:Pourover v60, 18:1 ratio. Came out really well at 199 degrees.

I went into this with some skepticism, because I normally am not a huge fan of barrel aged anything (except whiskey). A natural barrel, aged coffee sounded like it would be funky and woody. But a reputable barista at Parterre in Dallas highly recommended so I gave it a shot.

This a total surprise. It’s smooth and has that vanilla/oak that a good bourbon has without any harshness or overwhelming wordiness. It doesn’t taste funky or woody, and has nice balanced acidity in the citrusy range. Black cherry is definitely a note to for me but not the artificial cough drop type.

Cupping Method:Kyoto cold brew at Parterre in Dalls

I was really blown away by this Kenyan roast as a light espresso, and how closely it matched the characteristics described the the roaster. It's also nicely within bounds from an acidity perspective - it's tart, but not in a mouthpuckering way, and expresses enough natural sweetness.

So first off, the ruby red grapefruit is quite clear, but in a great way, like when you've sprinkled just a little bit of sugar on top. I also get lemon mid-palate and the finish. I also think the florality/bergamot is clear but not overwhelming.

A really nice job by Edison here here.

Cupping Method:Espresso at Parterre in Dallas. Very impressed they served this as espresso.

A cup that makes you go wow, and provides a new perspective for me on Bolivian coffee.

Super smooth. Black tea, pomegranate, juicy pear, a little bit of green apple. A slightly lemony finish. A lot of natural sweetness in the brown sugar honey range.

Cupping Method:Pourover at D Squared in Exeter NH

UPDATE - Recupped this 45 days later from 10g that I froze. Used a slightly lower temp, 195F, and got one of the best cups of coffee I've had this year. Ripe, sweet peach, black tea, amazing mouthfeel and balance.

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A well-executed natural Ethiopian with trademark black tea character, a rich mouthfeel, and a honeyed peach character. It's very smooth, with a full-bodied mouthfeel that's almost glycerine (in a pleasant way). The finish is crystal clean.

Cupping Method:197F Hario v60 with an 18:1 ratio

Leaderboard S13 blind tasting.

Fairly neutral nose.

Nice acidity, very clean. I actually correctly guessed this was a washed Chiroso; I found it very similar to one I had from Black & White. Berries, a touch of pineapple, and brown sugar.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover, 18:1, 196F

I drank this as part of Leaderboard Season 13. It's an outstanding, complex Ethiopian. Grading Ethiopians, I'm generally looking for something more than just the floral/peach/tea notes now. This one offers a more crisp/tart acidity and a clear lavender note. I thought it was slightly blackberry/strawberry, but pomegranate seems fair.

I actually didn't think it was especially funky and didn't get the musk melon mentioned.

Cupping Method:I drank this twice, once at my usual 196F/18:1 in v60. I made it a bit stronger and hotter the 2nd time. It really drew out the lavender but also a slight hoppiness.

When you open the bag, you're just smashed by the stunning aroma of watermelon jolly ranchers and lychee. I've done it for a bunch of friends and family members and they've blown away.

The coffee itself - when hot, it's still quite fruity, watermelon, then a hint of rooibos. It's a bit floral tool. It cools to a chuggable raspberry peach iced tea. Some hints of pineapple and guava.

So so good.

Cupping Method:3x pourover, 18:1, 196F. This coffee was part of Leaderboard, and I scored all 9 points guessing that it was a Colombian co-ferment since that's where most of this experimental type processing is coming out of.

A super interesting coffee for my 1,000th review, and the first Leaderboard roast of Season 13!

A really interesting aroma with spice, cinnamon, and fruit. I suspected it could be some type of co-ferment. Really did not expect a honey-washed Gesha.

The coffee itself was delicious and complex. When it’s hot, it has a slight rooibos/vanilla character with a hint of cinnamon, lavender and candied peach. Once cool, it’s raspberry peach tea, with a slight hint of lavender. An awesome coffee from one of the world’s best roasters!

Cupping Method:I made it 3 times with Hario v60, between 195 and 199F, each time at an 18:1 ratio.

Java is new to me varietal from Colombia that's both quite easy to drink and complex.

There is a subtle hint of wintergreen followed by layers of fruitiness including pineapple, peach lemonade, and a hint of iced tea.

A hint of something like yuzu lime brings a fresh citrus note, making the overall flavor profile more complex and engaging. Despite being a light roast, the coffee has a full body, providing a nice mouthfeel. It has a natural sweetness built into the citrus like a limeade/lemonade. To me this is a well-rounded coffee that stands out for its blend of flavors and textures, appealing to those who appreciate depth and subtlety in their cup.

Despite all these flavor descriptions here, it's subtle rather than smacking you in the face, and a nice break from some of the over-the-top co-ferments we're seeing from Colombia now.

Cupping Method:196F, Hario v60, 18:1 (12.5 grams)

A really nice espresso. A little bit better to me than the espresso we had last week that we rated 4.5. So I think it’s a 5.

Very smooth, but complex. Milk chocolate, a touch of bergamot, blackberry.

A medium crema with longer linger. Medium body. Massive chocolate finish. Wife was happy with lattes. Made really nice iced Americanos where the chocolate was ever-present.

Cupping Method:Mostly 95F pulls out of my La Spaziale espresso machine.

Delicious. Definitely. Starts vanilla/roiboos and finishes honeysuckle jasmine. I get a little bit of lemon and a really nice bright burst of satsuma. Complex, floral, and delicious.

Cupping Method:V60 pourover, 196F, 18:1

A perfectly balanced but complex gesha. Great roast, well executed. Not a hint of bitterness in site. A lovely honeysuckle/jasmine florality, a touch of pineapple. Black tea is in the background. Naturally sweet with a silky mouthfeel.

You could drink this hot on a cold day like a fruity tea, you cold drink this cold on a hot day like an iced tea.

Cupping Method:17:1, Hario v60, 196F. Seems like a pretty solid formula!

What I thought was most notable for this Tiny Arms Kenyan is how full-bodied it was. That hasn't been the case for many Kenyans I've had, good as they may be. This one was super fruity, with hints of Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail, sweet grapefruit, and bright red berries. It's on a platform of strongly brewed black tea. Good when hot but extremely tasty once it's cooled off a bit.

Cupping Method:At Nibbana Cafe in Lowell, MA (Western/arts loft location)

A delicate and carefully crafted Burundian with a lot going on. Bright acidity throughout the palate, especially a sweet and tart citrus a quarter of the way through the palate. Trails off and is more blueberry and honeydew. Could be slightly creamy. Has that mouthfeel. Maybe a touch of marzipan. Unique and delicious.

Cupping Method:Hario v60, 195F

Delicious Ethiopian. Smooth and balanced and bursting with fresh peach. Not overly floral but subtly so, more honeysuckle than the bergamot or jasmine you often get.

Very easy to drink entire cup in a couple of seconds with a clean finish. Honey in texture and sweetness.

Nothing complicated here, just great Ethiopian beans treated delicately!

Cupping Method:Brewed with Hario v60 ceramic at 194F, 17:1 ratio. From The Roses Advent calendar.

A trippy and borderline insane roast. When I opened the tin I could smell chili peppers right away. It's spicy dark chocolate on the grind. It's quite appealing and the pour doesn't disappoint.

This is a very fruity and funky coffee, but also super smooth and balanced. I got papaya, tamarind, and strawberry notes. The funk is a little bit malty. In the cup, I get a black licorice and slight clove. The licorice doesn't overwhelm the balance. It's a clean finish with a bit of black tea linger.

An outstanding and unique roast!

Cupping Method:Pourover with Hario v60, 14g/225g water, 200F. A rollicking start to The Roses Advent Calendar I got late!

(Black Fox All Day Blend) Despite numerous visits to Black Fox, this was my first experience with their espresso. It offers a delightful blend of slight earthiness and dark chocolate, complemented by a bright note of blackberry/black cherry acidity. The flavor is very tasty, leaving a lasting impression with a trailing finish reminiscent of high-quality 70% dark chocolate. Nice crema and mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:At Cafe 77 next to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Double espresso on a La Marzocco.

This dark roast espresso made of Uganda/natural Sidama was unique for me. It had an incredible combination of flavors, characterized by its rich, nutty profile and deep chocolate notes. The nuttiness provides a solid foundation, complemented by the depth of the chocolate, which is reminiscent of a high-quality dark variety.

The inclusion of smoky elements and a variety of spices adds an interesting dimension to the espresso. These flavors contribute to its complexity without overpowering the core notes of nut and chocolate. The spice, in particular, is noticeable but not dominant, offering a subtle enhancement to the overall taste. I thought it was notably spicy and peppery in a dynamic way.

The espresso strikes a balance between being bitter and sweet. This balance ensures that no single aspect is too prominent, allowing for a more nuanced tasting experience for the spice and touch of smoke.

One of the standout features is the finish, which is characterized by a clean, lengthy chocolate linger. This aftertaste is not only pleasant but also adds to the espresso’s appeal by leaving a lasting impression.

Overall, this espresso offers a well-rounded and complex flavor profile. It successfully combines rich, nutty, and chocolatey notes with a hint of smokiness and spice, resulting in a balanced and enjoyable espresso suitable for a variety of palates.

Cupping Method:Double espresso at Vernon Coffee Roasters in Vernon

I had a rare (for me) cappuccino at the New York Coffee Festival made with this roast at the Minor Figures oat milk booth. It was so good that it made me a fan of both. On my list to try more of this roaster.

Coffee that is so complex and multi-faceted (but delicious) it takes a lot of effort to describe. I am on my 3rd cupping here. I think first think that comes to mind is pink lemonade Starburst, then the really sweet ruby red grapefruit. I also get lavender and cocoa powder. The acidity is bright with a slight hibiscus character, and it's hard to stop drinking this one.

Cupping Method:Pourover at 200F, 203F, 205F.