Profile Overview
@ted
Theo Chan, Managing Editor
Member since
Preferences: Barista for Coffee Roast, mainly drinking espresso and pourover. I try to take a sommelier type approach to coffee, and generally know how varietals/regions should taste (but also like being surprised!)
Gear: Lucca Spaziale A53 Chemex Coffee Maker Alessia Moka Pot Hario v60 - Ceramic at home, plastic on the road
Reviews(1287)
4.28(1287)
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One of the better pod coffee Ive had 100% compostable. Balanced, smooth. Not at all a hazelnut coffee but some pleasant natural undertones and a touch of fruity acidity.Rated: 4.50
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Had 4.5 stars in my notes and ordered it at least 4x from Clover Food Lab. Don't see it available from Speedwell currently but other Palo Blancos available from other roasters.Rated: 4.50
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A really nice Colombian from Counter Culture. I got a ton of that chocolate orange you got on your holidays or birthdays 20 years ago. Smooth, balanced, good acidity.
Cupping Method:Pourover
Rated: 4.50 -
Dunks iced coffee just works. Prefer it quite a bit over the cold brew.Rated: 4.50
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Not bad. Pretty balanced and not overhead sweet. Wont be my regular thing but pretty satisfying when I want a sweetened drink.Rated: 4.50
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Angel's Cup Blind Tasting. Beautiful brownie smell out of the bag and on the roast.
Smooth and lively, definitely getting peach, spice, vanilla. Touch of orange zest. Slightly vegetal.Rated: 4.50 -
Angel's Cup Blind Tasting. Characteristic delicious Colombian. Beautiful brownie smell out of the bag and on the roast.
Smooth and lively, definitely getting peach, spice, vanilla. Touch of orange zest. Slightly vegetal.
Clean finishCupping Method:Hario v60 pourover
Rated: 4.50 -
A great and characteristic Ethiopian. A lot of tea, a bit of bergamot, and jasmine. Peach. Smooth mouthfeel with slight umami. Nice linger on the palate.
Cupping Method:Onyx 2022 Advent Calendar. Not clear Onyx sells or ever sold this outside of that.
Rated: 4.50 -
Smooth, balanced acidity. Definitely get dark unsweetened chocolate in the best way possible. Makes a wonderful cappuccino.
Cupping Method:94-celsius extraction, 1oz pull, La Spaziale A53 Lucca.
Rated: 4.50 -
This is one of the best Mexican coffees Ive had. Bursting with jasmine and bergamot. Balanced acidity with raspberry. Tidy and clean cocoa finish.
Cupping Method:Onyx 2022 Advent Calendar. Chemex pourover. I couldn't find this on Onyx's website, so not clear if it's widely available.
Rated: 4.50 -
Blind tasting. Very floral, a lot of tea characteristics. Definitely get the melon. Pretty complex. I will say maybe more interesting than my favorite Geshas in some ways. I dont know the balance/structure/acidity came together. Interesting to find out after blind cupping this was from Cafe Kreyol - their Geisha Spirit might have been the best coffee I had in 2022.
Cupping Method:Chemex pourover
Rated: 4.50 -
Angels cup blind tasting. Smooth and balanced. Nice black tea, hazelnut overarching character. Just the ever slightest vegetal that some may like.
Tangerine acidity and finish.Cupping Method:Came in a cupping flight right after on of the best coffees I've tasted this year.
Rated: 4.50 -
Angel's Cup blind tasting. This was very good. Very mellow, and balanced. Acidity to match. Light brown sugar, a little bit of herbaceousness, and a little bit of almost cake/nutty. Your palate needs to squint a bit as it's all very subtle and fun, and not at all like coffees from other parts of the world
Cupping Method:Chemex, pourover
Rated: 4.50 -
Small, irregular bean size. Very smooth. Earl grey, a bit of raspberry notes, just a light touch of floral. Very nice, 4.5 stars.
Cupping Method:Pourover
Rated: 4.50 -
Super fun and really tasty. Not really an expert on New Orleans style so just followed directions and enjoyed. Great when I get it at Blue Bottle as well.Rated: 4.50
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I indulged in the occasional sweetened oat milk drink, especially pre-long run. This one is just about the right balance of coffee flavor, milk, and sweetener for me. I don't get a ton of interesting coffee characteristics but the acidity level works and I give them credit for that. Usually not the case with canned oat milk latte type drinks.
Cupping Method:Can, part of a 4 pack sampler from Eataly Boston
Rated: 4.50 -
Fabulous as a espresso. All the good characteristics of a dark roast with some acidity, structure, and natural sweetness. Medium/heavy crema.Rated: 4.50
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This is a go-to for me at Clover, a local vegetarian restaurant. It's great iced there. It's smooth, balanced, and citrusy with chocolate and orange distinctly present.
Cupping Method:Pourover at Clover, iced pourover at Clover
Rated: 4.50 -
Notes are that this was very good. Beautiful packaging. Very unique. Floral, fruity. Thats all I got as this was notes from 2018.Rated: 4.50
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Blind tasting. Angels Cup Black Box. Box A. Gorgeous large beans. Rich spice, cocoa and roast aroma. 4.5 stars. Fruity (berry, peach) with someone unique burst of jasmine mid palate. Slightest touch of pleasant umami. Natural sweetness. Outstanding. Very smooth, very balanced.Rated: 4.50
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I didn't really know much about Dutch Bros until my recent trip to Arizona. I drove by a few and it sort looks like a discount chain. But gave it a shot, and actually can see their machinery and service indicates a real dedication to the craft. Really thought they had an outstanding nitro cold brew. Creamy, velvetty smooth, and enough acidity structure to hold up. I'm sold!Rated: 4.50
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It's hard to argue with Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew, it's smooth, creamy, balanced. Heaven on a hot day!
The meticulous process through which it is crafted, combined with its unique texture and subtly sweet flavor, offers a unique and pleasing coffee experience.
The creation of the Nitro Cold Brew begins with Starbucks' signature Cold Brew. This blend is slow-steeped for 20 hours, a practice that allows the flavors to develop fully. The Cold Brew then gets a distinctive treatment as it pours from the tap, infused with nitrogen. This infusion introduces a collection of microbubbles into the brew, resulting in a cascading, frothy texture that differentiates it from traditional iced coffee offerings.
The nitrogen infusion transforms the coffee into a velvety-smooth beverage that is visually appealing and enjoyable to drink. The flavor is subtly sweet, offering a gentle complement to the rich coffee notes. Topped with a thick, creamy foam, the Nitro Cold Brew presents an engaging contrast of textures.
In an industry where innovation is crucial, Starbucks has proven with the Nitro Cold Brew that they can take a familiar product and reinvent it effectively. The inclusion of nitrogen in the brewing process gives this drink a unique character that appeals to both coffee enthusiasts and casual drinkers. This drink's strength lies in its balanced flavors and interesting textures, which combine to deliver a satisfying coffee experience.
It's worth noting that while the Nitro Cold Brew is an impressive offering, there probably are some real limitations in the mass production that keep it from having the complexity of some single origin or microlot blends, hence the 4.5-star rating.Cupping Method:Many times, at many Starbucks locations. This is an update to an original short form review, into an Editorial review after re-trying Nitro Cold Brew on May 31st, a hot day here in Boston!
Rated: 4.50 -
I have only limited notes that this coffee was outstanding with "great fruit acidity" and I could drink every day. We bought 3 Free Space bags after we were blown away by Gesha Clouds.
Cupping Method:Pourover, Chemex
Rated: 4.50 -
A nice Blue Moon with some structure and acidity. Dark chocolate, blackberry, a nice linger. Well executed medium roast. Worked very well as a medium roast espresso.
Cupping Method:Moka pot, espresso, pour over and espresso drinks
Rated: 4.50 -
Ooh, an actually delicious K-Cup decaf. Seems impossible. Smooth and balanced with a bit of nuttiness at the end. Clean finish.Rated: 4.50
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Very smooth, easy to drink. I get light blueberry, apple, and black tea. Nice, clean finish. Low acidity for a light roast but pleasant. Probably close to a medium roast, and actually works pretty well in espresso machine.
Cupping Method:Kalita Wave at K Brew Downtown
Rated: 4.50 -
As described as a pourover molasses: warm spices, lots and lots of chocolate. Medium roast. Good balance. Apricot and blackberry in the trailing acidity. A hit, just a tiny one of bitterness (for me, pleasant).
Massive hit of acidity and dark bitter chocolate as an espresso. Roast is great but balance not quite there. I get it, not an espresso roast necessarily but I tinker with medium roasts as espresso (Countercultures Field Trip works really well). But it made GREAT espresso drinks, i.e. cappuccinos.
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The above were my notes. Bought this at the local cafe, Haute, in Concord. After trying as pourover assumed it was a medium roast and played around with it a bit in espresso machine.
I think the net of it is that this is a versatile light-medium roast.Cupping Method:See above description.
Rated: 4.50 -
When you open the bag, you can almost tell its a blend with the mix of beans. Towards the darker end on the roast with oils visible. LatAm and Ethiopian blends nicely and this is a balanced coffee 4.5 stars. Has a bit of Skor bar to it! Tart cherry acidity. Wife also really liked her latte made with this. A lot of complexity.
Cupping Method:A53 Lucca Spaziale espresso. Doppio, hot americano, wife had as latte.
Rated: 4.50 -
Angels Cup blind tasting. Fun coffee. A lot going on. Incredible aroma out of the bag and on the grind. Rich cocoa, spice.
Complex and interesting. Very fruity. Good acidity, raspberry and mandarin hints. Still has a very subtle nutmeg/clove undertone.Cupping Method:Pourover, 207F, natural filter
Rated: 4.50 -
Very much enjoyed this coffee. Some big beautiful beans. Very balanced and drinkable. A tiny bit of umami on the front of the palate, then I almost a peach and black tea with a strawberry kick
Cupping Method:Pourover, chemex, 207F, natural paper filter
Rated: 4.50