Marvelous complex espresso for light/medium drinkers who don't mind a bit of tartness. Acidity is bright and complex with satsuma orange and blackberry notes. There's also a touch of nuttiness, spice, natural sweetness, and a syrupy aftertaste with a long linger. A definite winner for sipping espresso for me.

Cupping Method:Doppio at Revival Cafe in Cambridge, MA (Alewife location)

Delicately balanced with perfect bright acidity through (raspberry and sweet mandarin orange as the roaster described it is exactly what I got). Changes to black tea than milk chocolate platform for me after cooling.

Cupping Method:Hario v60, 203F and 205F. Didn't catch a huge difference between the two.

This Carmen Estates Gesha is a coffee that truly captivates the senses. Upon the first sip, it's immediately evident that this is a coffee of exceptional quality.

The Earl Grey and bergamot notes are pronounced, offering a sophisticated and aromatic experience. The floral and tropical elements are intertwined, creating a delightful complexity. The initial burst of cherry and pineapple is brigh.

As the coffee lingers on the palate, the subtlety of Satsuma and lime emerges towards the end, adding layers of nuance to the flavor profile. What's remarkable is that the bergamot note remains present throughout, ensuring a harmonious and balanced taste from start to finish. Theres definitely a lot of acidity here, so folks should note that depending on their preferences.

Cupping Method:Brewed at 201/203F in a Hario v60. Comparison tasting with another Rogue wave Gesha (natural/extended fermentation)

One from December I missed. A very tropical, very fruity, only slightly funky Ethiopian. Nose is floral and tropical, and it's peachy/pineapple on black tea with a crisp acidity.

I've been using this super tasty, well-balanced Colombian as an espresso. It's more dynamic than it sounds. Nutty at the beginning, a slightly salty chocolate, naturally sweet. Just a touch of blackberry but clean acidity wise.

Cupping Method:95C pulls on La Spaziale. Made lattes, iced Americano, and straight sipping espresso. Especially liked the Americano. My wife liked the latte. I got it from Trade.

I'm quite happy with this espresso given it's versatility. I usually like my medium roast espresso a little bit more complex and floral. I get a bit of florality, but it's more red berry/blackberry driven, with roasted walnut.

It's balanced and very easy to work with for milk drinks. My wife has been picky about her lattes recently and she's been happy with each one I've made. Has a nice mouthfeel and a medium crema.

I can see why this has been a long-lived bestseller for Oren's!

Cupping Method:I ordered it from Trade, and I've been pulling it at 95 degrees C on my La Spaziale A53 espresso machine.

I *think* this is robusta, but I have to dig out the sheet that I got with the shipment to double confirm.

It's an incredibly sweet and vibrant coffee, and I'm only 90% sure it's robust. It says it all. I get ripe peach, a touch of lactic sweetness and mouthfeel, and a strong black tea finish. As with specialty robusta, I don't know if the average coffee drinker will love it (they will at least like this). The effort that goes into sourcing and roasting great specialty robusta is tremendous, and I don't know if anyone does it better than Suedhang.

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UPDATE - it's Arabica, which makes sense.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover, 204F

Sweet, slightly nutty, aromatic, and super smooth with a lingering finish. I messed up this post previously and don't have the data to finish it. Only just remembering this was an incredible coffee and will need to try it again (but it's very expensive!)

This is one of my favorite cups of coffee that Ive had this year.

A super bright Kenyan that tastes like candy. Bright clementine, green apple. Cola and brown sugar.

Very naturally sweet and smooth.

Cupping Method:v60, 204 degrees.

I love this canephora, and I'm obsessed with it. I've probably only had one other robusta as good. I've also had the pleasure of driving through the Ecuadorian lowlands where this coffee was grown.

First off, Suedhang packaging is gorgeous, both packaging and tasting notes. A great gift for any specialty coffee lover who appreciates design. This coffee has a wonderful aroma on the grind, but the treat is once your brew it.

I do get the vanilla and papaya notes. But the biggest thing for me is this coffee drinks like rooibos crossed with genmaicha. And rooibos tea does often carry a little bit of vanilla, so that makes sense that they compliment each other.

There's no harshness, bitterness, or rubbery character that you get in bad robusta.

Also, as one might expect with robusta, it seems quite high in caffiene!!

Full disclosure - it doesn't drink like regular specialty coffee, and you need an open-mind to enjoy it.

Cupping Method:Various temperatures on Hario v60 and Chemex. Close to 200F got a delicate, complex cup.

I really enjoyed this Costa Rican coffee from a Costa Rican roaster. I think of it as an omniroast and I'm grading it as such. I think where it really shines though is as sipping espresso, where the florality and bergamot really shine through. As espresso it drinks nicely within bound of acidity and bitterness but with a lot of complexity. You get blackberry, cherry, earl grey, chocolate, and a touch of nuttiness. It was also very versatile and my wife preferred the lattes I made with this roast over 2 renowned roasters.

As pourover, it drinks more black cherry with a little bit of earl grey/bergamot. It's very smooth and balanced. I wouldn't say those are typically my favorite notes in pourover but with low bitterness and the black cherry more crisp and acidic than you get sometimes, it's a nice morning cup.

Cupping Method:Espresso at 94C on my A53 La Spaziale
Pourover at 203 F worked best

I'm generally not a huge Indian coffee fan, but this one was totally different than anything I've had before, not the chocolate/earthy style at all.

It drinks a little backwards with a smooth orange pekoe type finish. A caramel sweetness hits first, then some honey/raspberry. It definitely has a unique overarching philosophy. Suedhang says magnolia, I don't really have a strong sense of that one, but I thought wildflower.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover, 205 degrees F (Stagg EKG)

I think this tastes like papaya cotton candy. It is pretty trippy and unique, and doesn't taste like any coffee I've ever had before (and that's a lot). It's absolutely delicious. I get a hint of slivered almond and some other tropical notes. Very smooth and clean.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover, 205 degrees

A super juicy, well-executed Kenyan. Perfectly smooth, balanced acidity. Bursting with natural sweetness. Blackberry, blueberry, honey. Acidity is crisp and in the middle of the range.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover, 205 degrees F (Stagg EKG)

A lovely delicately crafted roast with crisp green apple, slivered almond, and a touch of caramel.

Sort of like a deconstructed candied apple from the autumn fair in the form of light roast coffee. Really wonderful. I will say this coffee seems so subtle that I feel like I almost got lucky on the extraction.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover, 203 degrees F (Fellow Stagg EKG)

A super smooth, classic washed Ethiopian that is balanced across the flavors you might expect to find - some peach, some black tea, a bit of florality. Very, very easy to drink. I'd like a bit more complexity in the acidity and fruit, but just about everyone will be very happy with this roast.

I gave it a 5 because I think the processsing technique and roaster accomplishes very specifically what it's going for, which a super clean, light, easy to drink coffee that still has what you would expect from an Ethiopian.

Cupping Method:Hario ceramic v60, brown paper filter, 205 degrees F. From the Green Kettle Advent Calendar.

A truly delicious Ethiopian with some twists on the usual character. You definitely get the florals here in the form of a bergamot/earl grey base. I got a little bit of peach, and then strawberry/raspberry with a touch of lactic character. No funk at all and a very clean finish.

Cupping Method:At Intelligensia in Watertown. They said 18-1, 209 off the boil.

A spectacular gesha that's a little bit different from the usual. Less fruity and more floral. The platform is distinctly earl grey, with a very subtle herbal/pine hint (I'm OK with Intelligentsia's choice of juniper to describe it). There's also a touch of sweet tropical fruit, like a ripe pineapple.

It's incredibly smooth - not a hint of bitterness, and has a super clean finish. It's very easy to drink a whole cup of this without thinking about it.

Cupping Method:At Intelligentsia in Watertown, MA

Kona coffee to me is the best hot/warm on a cold day. This one is full-bodied, nutty, naturally sweet, chocolatey, and oh-so smooth. It's not incredibly complex but so delicious and so easy to chug a cup. It does carry a some nice trailing acidity and complexity in the berry range (very subtle).

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover from the Revolver Advent Calendar

This was an outstanding Kenya that I had as pourover at Turtle Beans in Bordentown. It was so good that I ordered it to go but had almost finished it before I went. This I am almost certain (I'd have to go back through the notes) was my favorite Kenyan of the year (there was another from a Danish roaster that was also outstanding).

The highlight of this roast is the immense tropicality that almost resembles a Central American gesha. Kiwi, pineapple, passionfruit were notes I got, along with black tea. There was no savoriness that sometimes offsets Kenyan coffee's winning characteristics. This was a great roast.

I usually walk into a coffee shop and get an espresso right away, and that helps me decide how much time I'd like to invest into the shop. I ended up spending 2 hours here and drinking 5 coffees which should give you a sense of what I thought!

Turtle Beans had an outstanding, perfectly pulled, medium-roast espresso with a ton of complexity. Great mouthfeel, some natural caramel notes, and subtle nutty and blackberry notes.

Cupping Method:Double espresso at Turtlebeans in Bordentown, NJ

I actually got only a minute sample of this because my tasting partner drank all of it!! As far I could tell, it is one of the best Kenyan coffees I've ever had.

The front of the palate is bursting with berry flavors, and then there is an interesting herbal note, almost mint chamomile. Intense natural sweetness, complex acidity, and mouthfeel. Sensational.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover from the Revolver Advent Calendar

It took me a bit to dial in this dry/naturally processed Ethiopian. We loved this. Indeed, strawberry, Earl Grey, and perhaps a little holiday spice was spot on. This one was strong, smooth, and sweet.

I think is not for everyone but if you get it right it's heaven. I made this roast 4x and 2 times it was one of the best coffees I've ever had, and 2 times it was not bad but pretty funky with some savory overtones.

Ethiopians can be so delicate and floral, so you really have to take the edge of this natural one.

Cupping Method:Best Chemex pourover was about 207 degrees, and a slow pour. I think 3 weeks helped with degassing/settling the beans.

Super super smooth Colombian with light chocolate, blood orange, and some citric complexity that's lemony. Finishes very clean, and very hard to stop drinking.

Cupping Method:Green Apron CT Advent #5.

Fruity, black tea, peach, naturally sweet, smooth. Strawberry.

Blind tasting from the Revolver Advent Calendar #13

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover

Fruity, black tea, peach, naturally sweet, smooth. Strawberry.

Blind tasting from the Revolver Advent Calendar #13

This was so good.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover

Absolutely bonkers, unique coffee that's perfectly described by the roaster.

MAIZ. Well, what does that even mean. It's not really a note I've seen in coffee. But this one, on pourover, it's blueberry, black tea, chocolate, and then clear as day, Mexican corn. It's the best kind too, sweet and distinct.

As espresso, the corn is present but more as an aftertaste. It's very nice, chocolate, gorgeous crema. Just a touch floral. Very smooth with a nice blackberry mid-palate and just a hint of a corn finish.

Cupping Method:Chemex pourover, and in my espresso machine (95C)

Fruity, tart, candy like pink bourbon light roast. Mid-palate touch of bergamot and creamy vanilla, very subtle but gives it an angle to contemplate. Clean, complex finish. I wish I had more!

Cupping Method:Revolver Advent Calendar 11

This was our second Phil & Sebastian coffee recently, as we had another one in Leaderboard. We got this one in the Revolver Advent and tasted it blind.

V and I both loved this one. We got peach, chamomile, black tea, and some trailing hibiscus. Great, super smooth mouthfeel, almost glycerine. No bitterness and balanced acidity.

Cupping Method:Hario v60

Outstanding, full bodied espresso with rich flavor. Lovely medium crema. Notes of dark chocolate, caramel, and blackberry.

Cupping Method:At Patent Coffee in Manhattan