For a light roast, nutty and full-body with a touch of earthiness but also good acidity in the apricot range. Unique and fun coffee.

Cupping Method:Sample at the New York Coffee Festival. Sample on the right. In person a lot lighter than the dark roast.

From the heart of Malawi, this reserve coffee truly exemplifies the nuanced flavors this hilly, landlocked country to offer. At the first sip, you're greeted with an incredibly smooth texture, reminiscent of liquid velvet. The dominant chocolate notes are both comforting and decadent, making for an indulgent morning cup or a sophisticated after-dinner treat.

But it's the undercurrents that truly fascinate. The earthiness grounds the taste, adding a rich depth, while a subtle hint of blackberry acidity ensures it doesn't sway too heavily on the bolder side, offering a harmonious balance.

Starbucks has done an excellent job with the Malawi Sable. It's a delightful addition to their Reserve line and a must-try for coffee enthusiasts looking to explore unique, global flavors.

Cupping Method:Starbucks Reserve Roastery in NYC.

Satisfying decaf that is very smooth with some acidity. Peach, red berries, black tea, blood orange, and chocolate. A lot of natural sweetness on the brown sugar spectrum.

Cupping Method:At Google's NYC office

Tasty fruity blend with red apple, grape and nice acidity. Chocolate and just a touch nutty with no bitterness.

Cupping Method:Filter blend at Google NYC office

I am provisionally entering this as a 4.5, but might change it as I dial-in my pourover here and the beans perhaps de-gas.

This coffee is very unique and has some remarkable characteristics, notably a vibrant passionfruit/tangerine tang in the mid-palate that lingers through the rest of the cup. That alone made me very happy, as I've had a series of light roast California coffees that are very smooth but lacking acidity. That's not a problem at all here, and Nomad coffees typically espress acidity beautifully.

That mid-palate is the strongest part of the coffee, I think it's not quite a superstar finish as the acidity fades away.

Cupping Method:Chemex Pourover, 2 days after roasting initially.

A super funky and interesting Thai coffee from a small selection of beans a Canadian friend sent me. Sort of in between a black tea and milk chocolate, definitely get an orange note, and a very rich mouthfeel. I like it, it's kind of a weird coffee, and not for everyone, it's got of a bit of funk, but fairly smooth around that. I'm not sure creamy is the right word.

Cupping Method:Chemex. Bag also said espresso but I didn't have anymore.

An outstanding light roast with peach, blueberry and a lot of natural sweetness. Black tea platform and medium complexity.

Cupping Method:Chemex

Got a sample of this from a friend coming back from Toronto. Might have brewed it a bit light but its very fruity. Apricot, peach, blueberry, and some red berries.

Cupping Method:Hario v60

A smooth light roast with lots of natural sweetness. Cherries is a good description of the light fruitiness. Its very easy to drink and went amazing with my August moon cake though normally I like a bit acidity/complexity. In between black tea and chocolate. For a light roast coffee, very full-bodied.

Cupping Method:Pourover. Angel's Cup Blind Tasting (knew the roaster in this case but not the specific roast)

This is a really good cold brew with nice acidity and fruitiness. Very smooth with almost no bitterness.

Cupping Method:At Saxby's Boston University location

This Ethiopian was very flavorful and smooth with red berries, a little bit of white grapefruit, and brown sugar with black tea as the overarching platform. For me, I'd actually like a little bit more acidity still.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover at Del's (204 degrees F)

Definitely get the chocolate and orange (maybe orange blossom?) flavors here, like the old-school chocolate ball you would get for Christmas and crack into wedges. I think that is the most characteristic description of the Colombian medium roasts I've had. Very smooth and almost creamy mouthfeel. I don't get a lot of acidity or complexity, so that's the trade-off.

Cupping Method:Cupping at Del's Waltham Roastery

A lovely town near me, Lexington, MA has a Peets that has very good service and is a nice place to work. Its also a town I cant believe doesnt have a sleek 3rd wave pourover type place (RIP Ride Studio Cafe Lex).

In any case, had a double espresso here on a cold rainy day and it hit the spot. Great crema, nutty, toasty, a little spice, nice mouthfeel. A very good dark roast espresso. I guess Peets wouldnt have been here all these years if they didnt have a good espresso as a base for their drinks.

A really nice Mexican that drinks clean and light. Platform is like a strongly brewed black tea with low bitterness. I get brown sugar and white peach. Super smooth. Reminds me a little of a peach black tea from Republic of Tea.

Cupping Method:My wife got it for me at Aero in Northborough

Notes - gave it a 4.5. Bright and fruity.

Notes: 4.5 like it enough to go back and grab a bag of beans for home.

Cupping Method:Blind Tiger Shop in Ybor City

Balanced, clean, and smooth Ethiopian that basically tastes like a white peach black tea. Its easy to drink rather than complex, but quite enjoyable sipping.

Cupping Method:Pourover at George Howell store in Newtonville, MA

As promised, a little lemon and a little peach, which a short burst of milk chocolate mid-palate. Gets better as it cools and drinks very smooth.

Cupping Method:To go siphon from Euphoria Coffee in Chelmsford, MA

A very cleanly roasted coffee that drinks smooth and low acid. Wonderful rich chocolate aroma on the grind. Id like a little more acidity/fruitiness but the trade-off is a fair deal - extremely smooth.

Cupping Method:Cold brew and pourover

The flavor of this decaf reminds me instantly of the holidays, and I can imagine myself drinking it with my family around the fireplace. I think that's because there's a prominent holiday spice and sugar plum flavor to it. It's also naturally sweet (a touch of maple?) and very smooth. A very good decaf.

Cupping Method:On a cold, rainy day in September at Clover Food Labs

A Sumatran that wows off the bat with an incredible aroma on the grind - deep chocolate, earthiness, and spice. It drinks well as both espresso and filter, with chocolate, earthiness and spice. It gets close to actually being black pepper spicy but I'd say the prominent note is clove.

In the espresso machine, it generates quite a nice crema and has pleasant mouthfeel.

I would like just a touch complexity/acidity, but overall have to say this is pretty tasty.

Cupping Method:I somehow ended up on the Denim website with a sampler to pay $2 for a $5 sampler. These offers usually result in getting some terrible coffee, but in this case that was not the result!

Very pleasant tasty decaf single-origin that is very versatile. Makes a nice filter and espresso. Does well in milk drinks (father-in-law really liked latte). Chocolate with good florality and some citrus notes as espresso, with an orange character when made as filter.

OK, I'm on my 4th shot of this espresso...

My wife and mother-in-law REALLY love their lattes and other milk drinks made with the 49th Epic Espresso

I do really like it myself as an easy-to-drink, smooth espresso with a little bit of complexity. I like the balance and natural sweetness. I'm not getting big florality, fruitiness, or complexity which is what I like in my espressos. But this one's tasty and makes great milk drinks. If I started a cafe I might use this roast! But the 4.5 is just my own sipping score.

Cupping Method:4x espressos pulled at at 95 degree C

A very clean, easy-to-drink coffee that's quite different from your typical Mexican, notably diverging from the chocolate/earthy characteristics. Instead, this is a low acidity light roast that drinks very smooth with black tea and red apple character, plus a touch of pineapple. For a light roast, it doesn't have much complexity, but it's so smooth you could drink a gallon of it in 5 minutes.

I'm not sure these beans are distinct from what you usually get from Mexico, or the character comes from Whiptail's distinctive light roast approach.

Cupping Method:Angel's Cup blind tasting, made using Chemex.

Smooth, very easy to drink light roast. I think it drinks a little bit more like a light-medium, with both chocolate and black tea character at different points in the palate. Smooth and balanced is what stands out here, and it's more like a really excellent breakfast blend than a fruity light roast some who drink Ethiopian single-origins might expect. There's a little bit of plum and red grape character, and the acidity is definitely enough to balance things off. Additionally, it's has a very pleasant natural sweetness, like a light honey touch.

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I used the last of this coffee (about a month after buying it) to make cold brew and got a really good result. Got a bit more orange character with that extraction.

Great that it's organic to boot.

Cupping Method:I purchased this coffee at the Whole Foods in Laguna Beach, CA and brought it back to Boston. I am drinking it at Chemex pourover.

As described an easy to drink dark roast with chocolate, caramel, spice, and vanilla. Good crema, and very nice mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:At Highline Coffee in San Diego in the Westin Hotel. It serves Cafe Moto.

Had cold brew made with this blend. Exactly as advertised, smooth, chocolate, berries. Maybe just a touch nutty.

Cupping Method:At the Invigatorium

Enticing, nutty, nutella like aroma on the grind. Nice fruitiness when hot but drinks very grapefruit. That mostly goes away as it cools. Then you have a lot of berry, pineapple, and black tea, with a bit of natural honey-like sweetness. A distinctly central America light roast that's very easy to drink. You see some with more complexity, but this is very nice.

Cupping Method:Chemex pourover, Angel's Cup blind tasting

Good coffee for a specific purpose:

I really like Jim's Organic Jo-Jo's Java roast for a versatile coffee to have around the house when you have folks with different preferences. Although it doesn't have a mind-blowing single characteristic, it's very tasty.

This blend drinks light, but not watered down. It's smooth, and it definitely carries some natural sweetness that's very enjoyable along the lines of brown sugar. It does not have an overpowering chocolate or nutty characteristic, though both are present.

I experiment with Jojo's Java the following ways while my in-laws (they actually left reviews before me) were here:

-Made good lattes/cortados
-Made a simple, but smooth espresso
-Great hot French press for easy sipping
-Smooth, cold brew (made in French press)

Cupping Method:Multiple ways! See above. Purchased at Donelan's in Lincoln, MA

La Encenada Snapchill is a fruity, tropical Snapchill coffee can that is very tasty and chuggable. Definitely towards light roast.

Notes I get include red berry with a lot of natural sweetness and some tropical notes. Drinks backwards and that impacts the mouthfeel a bit with the fruitiness first and then a cocoa/brown sugar finish.

Can descriptions includes fruit punch and I think this is apt!

Notably, caffeine level seems a bit above normal based on how I feel (thats a good thing!).

Cupping Method:I purchased 2 Snapchill cans at the George Howell location in Downtown Crossing in the Godfrey Hotel (also see Worka Chelbesa review).