I liked this coffee. Brazilian coffee is not typically my favorite, but this one had a bit more of what I like and a bit less of the notes I don't.

The lead is a big red fruit note. It's nutty, plummy, and a bit funky. There's some caramel/cashew overtones. It's clean, with a little lingering complexity in the funk. I like the description of the guarana from the roaster.

Seems like a cool roaster here from Portugal and I made a note to check out more of their coffee.

Cupping Method:Leaderboard S15, Coffee #4. Made with Hario v60, 197F, 18:1.

This was a blind tasting but the size of the beans (very big) made it fairly obvious this was the Pacamara, with Tanzania the logical origin. I had a similar coffee from Nomad a year ago, and it was reminiscent.

This one from Hex, who's been on my list to try, had a very silky mouthfeel, almost glycerine. I could have taken it be a Chiroso if the beans weren't so big. It has a strong tea character (I got black tea more than the roaster's note of red), and a bright citrus note, something like a satsuma or tangerine. I liked this coffee overall - it wasn't super complex or fireworks but very enjoyable to drink.

Cupping Method:Leaderboard Coffee game, blind tasting (S15, coffee #3). Made with Hario v60, 18:1, 197F

Well, I thought this coffee might have been Kenyan as it had many of the characteristics of Kenyan coffee: currant, strawberry, citrus, smooth, and clean. Silky mouthfeel and slight savoriness. I didn't necessarily get a tomato but it was enough to throw me off (actually the roaster listed tomato as a trait here.) Overall, a pretty nice coffee for pourover that's pretty different from the other washed Chirosos I've had.

Cupping Method:Blind tasting from Leaderboard Coffee game. Hario v60, 18:1 ratio, 196F.

This was an interesting and different espresso that worked in a very different way for me.

It's a touch milk chocolate, and then sweet ruby red grapefruit, like when you put brown sugar on it for breakfast. Not very bitter or grapefruit ride, just that sort of citric, sweet, tart, and slightly bitter character. It's bright and pretty tasty if you're into it (which I am).

The crema is on the light side but pretty persistent.

When I tasted it I personally liked it but I was sure how it would work in lattes. I had ordered it as an extra bag because we have latte-drinking guests. Turned out everyone was pretty happy. Folks, including myself, liked it a bit more than another single origin medium roast I had ordered that week from Trade.

Cupping Method:I bought this coffee from Trade, and mainly made it as an espresso (including a lot of lattes for family).

I liked this half-caff nitro cold brew from Snowing in Space. It had a nice nitro mouthfeel and had a nice balance of natural sweetness and acidity. The acidity is mostly citrus in the background but it works.

Otherwise, it's chocolate, lightly nutty, and caramel. I like the idea of a half-caff nitro cold brew can and can't remember seeing it before.

Cupping Method:I bought the can at Concord Market and drank it on a hot day at my daughter's soccer game. I had kept it it in her Yeti lunchbox and it was still cold.

This is a pretty good cup of coffee and comes in very convenient format.

I don't know what natural salt fermentation for 36 hours with slow drying in a greenhouse really means as I haven't seen it as a coffee processing technique. However, it does seem to have done a good job taking the edge off of this robusta. It is not bitter or rubbery at all, which allows us focus on the other characteristics.

I don't necessarily get the pineapple, papaya, ripe red fruit, and spices mentioned. For me, it is a strongly, brewed black tea, a hint of strawberry, and a touch of watermelon funk. Though I suppose those are red fruits! The finish is very clean and maybe a little peachy.

This is a very, very pleasant surprise as I have tried a lot of very bad Vietnamese coffee!

Cupping Method:I made it at 201° with 180 g of water as instructed on the package. I also comparison tasted it with a coffee from leaderboard that I suspect is also a natural processed Catimor.

This Burundi coffee delivers a fun medley of fruit, starting with bright blueberry and red currant notes, complemented by a subtle watermelon funk mid-palate manifestation of the natural processing. The sweetness is striking, with natural fruity tones alongside a tea background. I thought it was bit flat on the finish but the brightness of the forward acidity makes this a winner for me.

Cupping Method:Pourover at Blue Bottle, Prudential Center Boston

A bright and balanced coffee that maybe doesn't stand out in any one way but does a lot of things well (Chiroso can be kind of like that I think). It has a full-bodied mouthfeel for a light roast, with a good amount of natural sweetness and a really nice satsuma and red berry acidity. It's a touch lemongrassy.

Cupping Method:18:1, v60, 196F

Very clean, a bit complex, a lot a of bergamot/earl grey character. Slightly peach and I do get that hint of lemongrass. I'd take a brighter stonefruit note somewhere, but this is pretty good. Wish I had a bit more to dial it in.

Cupping Method:Hario v60, 196F, 10g single cup sample from a friend coming back from Germany

Medium dark espresso that drinks pretty dark. Strong, dark, bittersweet, nice crema and balance. Very chocolate, a bit of smoke and spice. Complex with a bit of blackberry on the back end.

Cupping Method:At Farmer's Daughter in Sudbury, MA. Double espresso.

Caffe Vita has long been on my list of things to try, so when I saw this organic roast from Trade, I put it in my queue. I'd say the timing was really good for this one, as we had some darker roast drinkers staying with us as guests. This espresso is a medium, but because it's lower acidity, it drinks a bit like a darker roast but without the smoke and spice.

The most notable characteristic here is the deep chocolate lead on the palate. It stays pretty chocolatey. I agree with blueberry, but there is only a slight hint of citrus. I get a little roasted hazelnut and caramel. It pulls a big crema and has a great mouthfeel. There's not necessarily anything here that makes you go "wow" but it kept four very different types of coffee drinkers happy.

Cupping Method:Espresso drinks, primarily for iced Americanos for me.

On May 7, 2024, Starbucks quietly changed its iced coffee blend—no fanfare, no announcements, just a subtle shift that left many regulars none the wiser. Perhaps this low-key approach was a way to avoid the uproar Coca-Cola faced with "New Coke" years ago. Then again, whether Starbucks iced coffee has that devoted following is debatable. Nevertheless, they gathered market feedback organically rather than risk a more dramatic launch.

I hadn't had Starbucks iced coffee in a while, so I tried the new blend at their Marlboro, Massachusetts location. It was served from a steel container with a spigot, and the barista poured the coffee into a cup before adding ice. Right off the bat, it felt familiar—no drastic differences from what I remembered, but still solid.

Starbucks iced coffee has always been a reliable option, and this blend continues that tradition. It's chocolate-forward, well-balanced, and smooth. There's a richness to it that reminds me of those Christmas chocolate oranges, though this blend is nutty and has a caramel mid-palate. It's a bit heavier than what I usually go for—I prefer lighter, fruitier coffees—but this hits the spot on a hot day.

What I appreciated about this iced coffee is how it manages to be satisfying without being overwhelming. The chocolate and caramel notes give it a dessert-like quality, but it's not too sweet or heavy. It's the coffee you can sip on a sweltering day and feel refreshed. Even if you typically drink their coffee black, there's a smoothness here that makes it enjoyable.

While the changes to Starbucks' iced coffee blend might not be groundbreaking, they've done an excellent job keeping it consistent with what people love about it. The new blend is well-rounded, with enough depth to appeal to a broad range of tastes. Whether you're a regular or just dropping by for a cold drink on a warm day, it's worth trying this updated blend. It's still the reliable, crowd-pleasing iced coffee that Starbucks is known for—with a bit more character.

Cupping Method:In the Starbucks in Marlborough, MA

When I started my specialty coffee journey, I drank a lot of Barrington, a top local roaster in Massachusetts. I'm sure I've had this Barrington Gold espresso coffee before, but I never reviewed it, as I didn't start taking detailed notes until the last three years. Barrington has had this espresso blend since the 1990s with some minor tweaks.

This espresso is solid and gets better as it cools a little. It's nicely bittersweet, with a lemon caramel mid-palate and some lingering dark chocolate with a slight earthiness. There's a hint of tamarind in there. Crema is a little bit thin but pretty persistent. I think a bit more would have helped with overall mouthfeel and balance.

I think I have this espresso rated between a 4.0 and a 4.5, so I rounded up for this review.

Cupping Method:Shot of espresso at Remnant Espresso Bar in Bow Market, Somerville, MA.

Cherry cola, indeed! The more like cherry then cola for me. The cherry note is so ubiquitous in roaster description and often one I don't like. This is different, more like a bright rainier.

The cola… Cola as a note in coffee for me refers to a distinct flavor profile that combines sweetness, acidity, and a hint of spice, reminiscent of the taste of Coke. This note can manifest as a tangy, effervescent sensation with subtle caramel, citrus, and spice undertones, evoking the flavor of classic cola. It's a lively and refreshing element that adds complexity to the coffee, often found in certain washed African coffees or in blends designed to highlight bright, sparkling characteristics. The cola note can contribute to a unique and memorable cup, balancing sweetness with acidity and providing a slight, fizzy-like aftertaste. I get a bit of that here.

It's a clean slightly flat finish.

Cupping Method:Worked best for me on Chemex. Did well on v60 as well. Also made OK espresso.

Characteristic carefully roasted Ethiopian with a tea platform, white peach, slight honeysuckle florals. Light lemon. Silky mouthfeel. The peach is really nice. I've had some Ethiopians this year that I've been more interesting, but this is a classic.

Cupping Method:V60, 196F, 18:1, just had a single 20g sample

It was so hectic with visitors in town that I forgot to review this one, and I must have deleted the picture I took. This pulls a nice sticky crema and drinks like a medium espresso. It's milk chocolate, pretty fruity, and has a roasted hazelnut note that's not over the top.

It has some complexity and balanced acidity. Everything was good here, I'm not sure there was one super outstanding attribute and depth of flavor. Everyone was happy with their lattes and cappucinos.

Cupping Method:From Trade, used primarily as Espresso.

Jammy espresso with big crema and really nice mouthfeel. Good and fluffy crema. Leads with a dark chocolate note and has a lot of sweetness. I get cherry and a ripe plum or slightly prune fruit mid-palate. It's well balanced and I bet it would do well with milk.

The Moxie was very grapey platform-wise. White grape, concord grape, red grape, you could find it. Combined with sort of a smooth/glycerine mouthfeel gave it a sort of kids Welch's grape juice first half of the palate. Some people really like that, it is not as much my thing. What I did really like was the bright and complex acidity.

This was a challenging coffee that took a bit of work to dial-in (hence the review is later coming in the other 3 Moxie coffees I recently tried). It could be a bit hoppy/slightly bitter with higher temps/finer grind. I don't know if I'd recommend this specific Kenyan for someone without a real specialty coffee setup and a bit of experience. But it's really worth it when you get it right.

In general, that can be the case with Moxie - they really express the flavor but depending on how you like it, it takes a little work with the temp/grind/technique to get what you want.

At 195F out came cranberry, hibiscus, and currant. There is a little bit of tea in the background but it is very fruity coffee.

Cupping Method:I made it a few different ways, including as espresso but focused on pourover. It worked best at a lower temp - best was actually a larger pot (30g coffee/540 water), 18:1 ratio Chemex at 195F. Pictured is a slightly hotter v60.

Catching up on notes.

Smooth, balanced, chocolate, creamy, well nitroed. Think I should have iced it on this very hot day.

Solid smooth medium roast with a lot of flavor. Citrus and slightly smoky with balanced acidity. Has a touch of lemongrass in cinnamon. Clean finish. This is a house roast by Gillies in Brooklyn.

Not what I normally drink at all from a pourover perspective but pretty tasty.

Clearly a carefully selected blend. Leads with a rich bite of chocolate, then a bit of smoke (hickory isn't inaccurate). Super smooth and a lot of natural sweetness.

Have to think this would be a great medium roast espresso as well!

Cupping Method:Pourover at Owl and Turtle in Camden, ME

Tasty dark roast espresso with great balance. Chocolate first, second, and third, but with different pairing notes. A earthiness mid-palate, peanut/walnut late. Just a little bit of smoke and spice. Maybe a touch light on crema.

A really nice Italian style cafe blend espresso.

Cupping Method:Espresso at Dot's in Lincolnville, ME

Solid smooth medium roast with a lot of flavor. Citrus and slightly smoky with balanced acidity. Has a touch of lemongrass in cinnamon. Clean finish.

Cupping Method:This was a house roast by Gillies for Whistling Whale in Camden, ME

I'm not sure there's a five-star coffee in these beans but Strait has done a fine job transforming this into a versatile and tasty omniroast.

As pourover, it is a caramel forward easy drinker with pear and citrus notes. It has a gyclerine mouthfeel. It's not very complex but is a bit more interesting than your usual every day drink or breakfast blend.

As espresso, it shines more. It's a light medium, with the caramel notes, blackberry, spiced pear, and tamarind. It worked well with whole milk.

I like Sunny Day as an omniroast that's versatile and something universally likeable. If you have someone that likes coffee but hasn't moved much beyond your standard Colombia Supremo or Equal Exchange Mexican, this is something they're going to like.

It has a peanut/cocoa aroma pre and post grind. It's smooth, sweet, and easy-to-drink. I get milk chocolate, almond, and valencia orange making it as pourover. It has a very smooth mouthfeel and a good amount of natural sweetness. Personally, I like a bit more acidity but a lot of folks are going to like this as filter/pourover.

I also really liked it as espresso. The orange character deepended, and there were some notes of tamarind and blackberry 3/4s of the way through the palate. It pulled a nice light medium crema that was sticky.

I've had 3 roasts from Nonesuch but I really trust the roaster already to get the most out of the beans (Shapeshifter was the best Peruvian coffee we've ever had).

Cleaning up notes. I missed inputting a few reviews between my Nantucket and Quebec trips. My local cafe Twisted Tree switched from Jaws to Captain Crosby on espresso so I got to try it. I noted 4.5 and took a picture but can't find my taste notes.

Well-executed Yirg here. Black tea platform, nice natural sweetness, touch of early gray, and apricoat/peach mid-palate with a light red berry acidity.

Cupping Method:Got a sample of this along with a few others from a friend in Florida. Made with v60, 18:1, 196F

As espresso at Cantook, earthy, floral, tart. Some tart cherry and bergamot. Complex with a light medium crema.

Cupping Method:At Cantook in Quebec City. Made a few visits during our QC stay, Insta link to one of them.

This isn't the type of coffee I normally drink so this review is slightly different. I'm grading based on the expectation for a medium dark doughnut shop style coffee, and for passing my "10 AM with the boss" test.

First off, as a coffee reviewer, I get sent all sorts of wretched mushroom coffees or white-label. I don't really know that much about the sourcing here, and it is a mushroom coffee. But this one tastes quite nice for what it's going for, so the score is based on that.

The 10AM test is where I make a big cup of coffee which if it's good enough, I'll drink without thinking all that much about. It's similar to my 90 minute drive test. Morning Overdrive passed!

What I do know is Morning Overdrive is smooth, easy-to-drink, and hits the dark roasts notes right with almost no bitterness. There's a subtle/smoky/smooth start, a touch of nuttiness mid-palate, and a very clean finish. It tastes just like an old-school Colombia Supremo.

Cupping Method:I think this worked best as a lighter temp pourover, it softened the dark notes and took out the bitterness.

Complex chocolate driven espresso with a lot of acidity and complexity. Some midpalate earthiness. Tamarind 3/4 of the way through. Medium looking but light drinking crema where a bit more might have helped. Between a 4 and 4.5 for me so I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

Cupping Method:Shot of espresso at the McGill cafe