Clean, well-balanced cup of dark roast. Very smooth and drinkable. Extracted easily and has a good aroma. A touch of smoke with dark chocolate and sweetness. Better than the usual hotel coffee. It has acidity but without distinct fruity character.

Cupping Method:K-Cup at Delta Hotel in Sherbrooke, Quebec

Custom blend for a coffee shop (Handlebar) on Nantucket. Have had it as espresso and iced Americano. Solid in both format with chocolate forward notes, light smokiness, a little bit of nuttiness and some late citrus acidity.

Robust, chocolate forward dark roast that has nice natural sweetness with good body and mouthfeel. Fairly smooth and only a touch bitter. Has a plummy acidity but could use a brighter note.

It teeters on the edge of being too smoky, but doesn't get there, especially on ice.

Don't think it's a home run but most dark roast drinkers will enjoy across all formats.

Cupping Method:Iced and filter at Handlebar Cafe in Nantucket

I feel like it's hard to call this a light roast as specialty coffee drinker, but I think this is a solid filter / donut shop style coffee. I think it's better as filter, enough so that I reviewed it separately.

It's very smooth with a nice mouthfeel. While it doesn't have a lot of complexity, it's chocolately with enough acidity to go well with doughnuts, pancakes, french toast, tc.

Cupping Method:I've definitely had this before, but today it was the hot drip at the Downyflake in Nantucket, MA

Mellow, easy to drink roast that is nicely balanced. I would say, probably drink medium dark with a touch of smokiness. Otherwise, it has chocolate notes, and a little bit of citrus. It makes solid iced coffee. Doesn't really have a stand out trait or huge depth of flavor but it's rock solid.

Cupping Method:This is the house roast for Island Coffee by the Steamship Authority in Nantucket, MA.

This bottle looks a lot like the old Colombian medium roast, but is definitely labeled light roast.

I'd call it light medium but it hits most of the basic requirements for cold brew in a convenient format. It's chocolate on front of the the palate and has a bright citrus acidity. It's straightforward and strong.

It's better than most canned cold brew, but not as good as you get at specialty shop. But totally a good option for parties, camping, picnics, etc.

Cupping Method:I bought a bottle from Whole Foods and took it with me to Nantucket.

Earthy, chocolate espresso with some interesting character and complexity. Low-ish crema. Dark chocolate is nice, definitely quite earthy (maybe Sumatra driven?). Nice mouthfeel. Walnut, pecan, maybe persimmon and blackberry.

Cupping Method:Espresso at Lemon Press in Nantucket

Very smooth blend that works well for a travel coffee and definitely better than hotel coffee. Not quite as good as a similar steeped I had from Taiwan yesterday.

It's very smooth and has a great mouth feel. There's almost no bitterness and a lot of natural sweetness. Low complexity and just a little citrus acidity. You could do much worse in a pinch.

For my own reference, I translated the pictured packaging below/

——-

The instructions and information on the coffee packet are in both Chinese and English. Here is the translation of the Chinese text:

1. Tear filter at top along perforation.
2. Pull bottom of hangers away from filter.
3. Hang filter on cup, slowly add 180cc of boiling water (92°C-94°C).
4. Remove filter by hangers and dispose.

**Ingredients:** 100% ground coffee
**Net Weight:** 8g
**Brewing Instructions:** 180cc of water, 92°C-94°C
**Best Before:** Shown on sachet (valid for 15 months)
**Coffee Origin:** Blend of beans from Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia, Ethiopia

**Manufacturer:**
FULL FILL INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Address: 1F, Lane 28, Sec. 1, Huan-Shan Road, Taipei, Taiwan
Consumer Hotline: 0800-081-398

Cupping Method:My mom's friend from Taiwan brought these.

It's a super smooth and clean cup with nice citrus notes, a touch of clean nuttiness, and a clean finish. The mouthfeel is nice. There is no bitterness. It has a little complexity or so-so depth of flavor, but it's better than most K-Cups and hotel coffee.

Reminiscent of prized Colombian medium roasts from the Juan Valdez era.

Cupping Method:Emergency coffee situation using a paper pod machine. Got this out of a vending machine at the Steamship Authority in Hyannis, MA.

Leaderboard season 14, blind tasting.

Kind of clueless/a loss on the origin of this one for the blind tasting. Both runs I got caramel, bing cherry, and a sort of watermelon funk. It didn't seem washed to me actually, and I thought it was a low funk natural. The bing/dark cherry is not my favorite dominant note, but it drank clean other than that. It lacked a bit more bright acidity.

Cupping Method:Hario v60, I tried 195F and 197F, both at an 18:1 or so ratio

This tastes exactly like a K-cup. It's way better than many K-cups I've had: smooth, nutty, not bitter, with a citrus overtone and a balanced mouthfeel. It's pleasant enough and better than, say, hotel coffee.

Cupping Method:I had a K-Cup at an office in Massachusetts.

Chocolate, nutty, citrus. Solid overall and flavorful through the ice.

Cupping Method:Wife bought me home cold brew from Nashoba Brook.

Another very cherry coffee from Goodboybob which seems to be a theme with the sampler I picked for them. Id put the cherry in the ripe/dark flavor range.

A slight almond nuttiness. A little bit of brightness in the acidity. Overall, it could use a little bit more complexity, brightness, and sweetness.

Its an easy drinker that doesnt stand out.

Cupping Method:I got this in a sampler ordered directly from Goodboybob. Made it 196F, 18:1 with Hario v60. May add notes as I want to give it a shot with espresso.

**Aroma:** Very chocolatey.

**Taste (Hot):** A bit bitter and savory.

**Taste (Cooled):**
- Heavy dark cherry note.
- Slight oakiness, giving an almost barrel-aged character.

**Overall Experience:**

- Enjoyable but missing a note of bright acidity to bring it all together.
- Unique flavor profile that many people will appreciate.

Cupping Method:Hario v60, 196F

A solid filter brew thats very easy to drink for a roast on the dark side. The front of the palate is smooth and a bit light. It is slightly floral and slightly hoppy. Clean finish.

Cupping Method:Drop coffee at Cafe Americano in Paris Casino on the Las Vegas drip

Straightforward, dark espresso that has a pleasant chocolate initial hint linger and nice mouthfeel. A little bit of smoke as well. The crema was medium but not too fluffy. Couldve been the machine, but it was Kimbo branded.

A good shot that is pretty characteristic of big label Italian espresso.

Cupping Method:Came out of an bean to cup machine at Paris Casino in Las Vegas

Odyssey Blend is another solid offering from Starbucks.

The grapefruit is strong in this one, but in the good way, with a heavy ruby red grapefruit character and a lot of natural sweetness. For a light medium roast it has a lot of bitterness in that grapefruit and walnut range. Its quite drinkable and for someone who doesnt mind a little bitterness pretty good.

Probably more like a medium for the 3rd wave drinker but no surprises for me as Starbucks always roasts darker. I think it even has just a touch of smoke. Odyssey Blend has a big, rich mouthfeel that contributes quite a bit to this being enjoyable.

Cupping Method:At Starbucks in Terminal C of Logan Airport. 2024 Odysset version. Picture is of bag that was for sale.

This was a solid espresso that didnt quite stand out compared to a couple really strong and similar ones Ive had recently. It made solid espresso drinks all around. It tended to make medium and persistent crema. Overall, it had a nice mouthfeel and evolved well on the palate.

Chocolate, some citrusy notes, a bit of blackberry, a clean finish.

I think a very solid cafe roast, versatile, balanced, just did not get real depth or a wow factor with any of the notes.

Cupping Method:Espresso, iced Americano, coffee tonic. Pulled at 95C on my La Spaziale A53.

My wife really liked this as espresso. I felt like I couldnt really get it to pop for me. Different strokes for different folks! I think is a very classic Colombian bean roasted slightly lighter.

As pourover, I get orange and caramel without a lot of brightness in acidity. As espresso, its clean and lemony.

I thought this was versatile with the weather turning hotter. I wouldve turned the rest into cold brew, but I saved it for my wifes espresso drinks she liked it so much.

Cupping Method:Mainly for espresso drinks, iced Americano, coffee tonic. I also made it once as pourover 15g in, 267g water at 196G on v60.

Straighforward dark roast house espresso with dark chocolate lead, a bit of spice, a touch of blackberry acidity, and a lot of trailing smokiness (up to you whether that's a good thing or not). Good mouthfeel. A solid roast.

Cupping Method:Espresso at So G cafe/roastery

Simple light chocolate nose.

This was an odd one for me, it was subtle and had enough things going on that I drank it all, but at no point did I really love it. I did think it was interesting, especially with clear rose notes. I think there was a lot of dried flower/lily character, or perhaps a slight hoppiness. I got a slight bit of apricot but not quite enough brightness in acidity to make this work.

It was naturally sweet and had a nice mouthfeel.

Just one person's opinion, I think maybe it could have been roasted just a note lighter.

Cupping Method:195F, 18:1 Hario v60

My wife liked this one but Im having trouble getting excited about. I liked the aroma which smelled liked chocolate and freshly baked bread. I get milk chocolate and some blueberry, and its pretty smooth. Im not finding a bright note anywhere.

Feels like a bit of a variation on some of smooth but not straightforward Brazilians.

Cupping Method:I made this twice.

Best was 2 pour v60 method:

10g
50g bloom
130g immersion
197F bloom, 195F remainder

This Costa Rican gesha has a wonderful aroma and is a pretty solid cup of coffee. However, despite going through anaerobic honey processing, I don't think it rises to the great heights some gesha do.

Daffodil is an interesting flavor note. I have lot of daffodils popping up in my yard right. I think it tastes a bit like biting into a dried flower 3/4 of the way through the palate. Slightly bitter, floral, vegetal. It's not so strong as to ruin the coffee and some sips I liked it. You could also say it's just a touch hoppy.

Overall, I think it's a play on marmalade. You could so that floral bitterness or hoppiness plays with the sweet orange.

It fades a bit at the end where it could use some bright acidity. Aftertaste is a bit orange/hoppy. An interesting gesha, not the the one I'd buy myself, but some who like this type of florality might really like it.

Cupping Method:I had just a 20g sample so I made it as v60 at 194F. I think it might have been too bitter at a higher temp, just under 18:1 ratio.

Not coffee ha ha.

I think I like the coffee-based Urban Remedy drinks more, although this isn't bad. It's hard for me to get turmeric. I don't love the aftertaste, but some of these drinks are much, much worse. This has good mouthfeel and is very coconutty.

Cupping Method:Bought a bottle at Whole Foods as a partial meal replacement and drank it over 2 days at home.

Id probably file this in the interesting and fun, but not sure Id really want to drink it again category.

Strong chocolate banana nose pre and post grind.

Tea and toffee note indeed. It has creamy taste and nose. Bitter almond/walnut note mid-palate Im wrestling with. Peanut banana overtone. A lot of vanilla, maybe too much. Funky in a different way.

Didnt like it hot at all, it was pretty bitter. When cool it was fun but didnt really want any more after a half cup.

Cupping Method:Chemex 17.5:1 at 195F

Enjoyed this small cafe in Waltham that serves its own bagged coffee roasts.

Barista couldn't really tell me whether it was white-labeled or not.

The espresso is solid. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, fairly smooth, with a walnutty kicky on the back end. Good natural sweetness with some honey and brown sugar characteristics. Relatively low on the acid side.
Medium, persistent crema. Not fireworks but a good house roast.

Cupping Method:Double espresso at Ollo (with a Portuguese egg tart).

Very clean for a natural. Nice mouthfeel, black tea mid-palate. Didnt get a popping floral or fruit note really so a tough one for me to score. A touch floral, fruity without being distinct? White peach?

Has a cool bubblegum / watermelon funk. Little bit of hibiscus on the finish. Some nice notes but it doesnt quite come together.

Cupping Method:Hario v60, 196F, 17:1

I think this coffee is indeed what people thought of as great specialty coffee 10 years ago. Chocolate, citrus, and hazelnutty. The hazelnut is distinct and could be interpreted as a bitter note though personally I thought this was a solid cup. Smooth overall with a clean finish.

Cupping Method:197F, 18:1 v60 pourover

Kenyan coffees have been my favorite of the past six months or so. I thought this was a pleasant and smooth one to drink, but didnt have the bright acidity that the ones Ive really liked recently had. I have a bit of a love-hate with two of the characteristics in this coffee, cherry and papaya though, and my wife liked it.

Cupping Method:Pourover 197F, 18:1, Hario v60