This is insanely expressive and interesting coffee. Id imagine its almost too floral for some who arent expecting this. It smells like a bouquet of roses and rose tones are present throughout. Theres also a touch of umami and bergamot. Clean finish, really balanced acidity, for me Im getting white peach. I like this more as an experience that something I would want to drink every day as I think the rose might overtake some of the fruity notes.

Cupping Method:Pourover in Moxie shop in Phoenix, AZ

I put this medium roast in my espresso machine and got out something pretty remarkable. A perfectly balanced medium shot of espresso with a lush, velvety crema. Earthy with minerality. Wife, not a straight espresso drinker, liked it when I made her sip it.

Couldnt get it to work on Moka Pot, brought out a bit too many bitter notes.

Cupping Method:A53 Lucca Spaziale espresso machine, 94 degrees celsius. Espresso, iced Americano, hot Americano all worked well. Moka pot didn't.

This is a great smooth espresso with a good balance of roast notes and acidity. Very pleasant linger and aftertaste. Nutty, brown sugar, hint of toasty marshmallow. Medium, velvety crema. Pops aroma wise out of the bag and on the grind with licorice, brown sugar, clove, and chocolate.

Cupping Method:Home espresso machine, A53 Lucca Spaziale, 94 degrees C. Sampled as espresso, iced Americano, and latte.

Definitely as straightforward and expression of the characteristics described on the bag as Ive seen - dark chocolate, cherry, orange. I think the highlight is a big rich maple syrup/molasses burst at the front. Then it settles and you get clear chocolate and cherry with some citrusy highlights. On top of that I get some black tea and a tropical acidity. It is incredibly smooth.

Costa Ricas Dota region puts out great coffee and this is not exception!

Cupping Method:Chemex pourover, 207 degrees F

Angel's Cup blind tasting.

Smooth, easy to drink. Honey crisp apple and blueberry, with a nice light Caramel finish. Nice balanced acidity. Tasted blind, Chemex pourover technique.

Vickie liked it, its smooth, its light.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover.

This coffee is unique and delicious. Very tropical, I get almost a strawberry/star fruit up front. Theres a split second where it feels like you have warm cocoa and theres a nice smooth finish with a touch of tangerine. Acidity is really nice.

I paid $25 for it.

Cupping Method:Chemex Pourover, 207 degrees, natural filter.

Kona drip is not really my things but I know how it is supposed to taste and this is it. Screams bold coffee without any burnt notes. Chocolate, caramel, vanilla through. Very smooth. Spot on medium roast.

Cupping Method:Drip coffee at a cafe in Concord, MA

Had pourover at Haute Cafe in Concord, MA which always does a very professional job. This is an outstanding light roast that is very smooth with just a hint of balanced acidity. I think Counter Cultures description of cherry, vanilla, and juicy are quite accurate here, as well as some black raspberry. I get just a hint of caramel sweetness towards the end of the palate, and a very clean finish with a pleasant and mild aftertaste.

Cupping Method:Pourover from local cafe

My wife and I both liked this coffee a lot. We tried it more as a novelty since neither one of us have had Chinese coffee (or if we did in Hong Kong or China when we went, we didnt know). But China or not, this is a really great light roast pourover. My research trying to find the best coffees has led me multiple times to Sterling, so I ordered this Yunnan as well as their Blendo Stupendo.

First thing both out of the bag and extraction is that this has a tropical aroma, I got a lot of pineapple. Sterlings description said grape, and I do get a Raisin/Raisinet. This is a very drinkable coffee that is very smooth with balanced acidity and mouthfeel. Theres a touch of umami, ever so slight, in the front of the palate, with a very nice black tea and mango mid-palate. Very clean finish fruity, white peach and stone fruit, until almost a second later, just a pop of that black tea hitting again. A lot going on here, changes with temperature.

I did a little bit of research. Did you know Yunnan is the largest coffee-producing region in China, accounting for over 98% of the country's total coffee production (I saw 95% in another place), most of it Arabica. According to the International Coffee Organization, China produced a total of 2.67 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee in the 2020-2021 coffee year, with Yunnan accounting for 2.62 million bags. The remaining coffee production in China is mainly from Hainan province, which produces a small amount of Robusta coffee.

Cupping Method:Chemex Pourover

great

Cupping Method:good

I experimented with this espresso a bit but never quite found a shot that really impressed me. It has a delightful chocolate aroma, both pre- and post-grind, and the bag notes of brown sugar, dried apricot, and butterscotch mostly held true once pulled as espresso. It's just doesn't come quite together. I never got a single shot of espresso I thought was outstanding though it was all OK.

The crema was sticky and medium-bodied, offering decent complexity, though nothing extraordinary.

It worked well in the drinks I made, and while it wasn't a standout, it got consistent, positive feedback from family visiting.

I've heard great things about Bird Rock and hope to try more of their coffee.

Cupping Method:I got this back from Trade and tried making this at 94, 95, and 96C.

Makes a solid cup of decaf with an appealing aroma, and simple, clean mouthfeel. It lacks any distinctive flavor characteristic outside of being lightly chocolate and citrus, but it drinks very easy. I do think Alterra's description here of fresh and smooth is accurate.

Decent institutional decaf is not easy to find, so I am probably grading this slightly higher than I would at home.

Cupping Method:I had this out of a Flavia machine at a medical office in Acton, MA. It extracts pretty well though I can't imagine this format is very sustainable.

I futzed around with this for 2 months, making the occasional pourover, espresso, and affogato. French roast isn't normally my thing. I found it versatile and useful to have around. It was solid way and didn't really stand out to me. Definitely chocolatety, a little plummy and generally low-ish in complexity. Even when quite fresh, the creme was a little bit thin on the espressos.

Nutty, lemony decaf that seems familiar in a way I can't quite put my finger on. Smooth with a nice mouth feel. Not bad at all.

Cupping Method:Decaf at Royal Hyatt in San Antonio Perks Cafe

I had a couple of this at trade snow and thought it was solid. probably drink it more like a medium than a light roast in the specialty world but very smooth with little nuttiness, a little smokiness, and a little earthiness. certainly for me a little bit better than your usual coffee and I finished the cup.

Cupping Method:it was made with a V60. Picture is there vendors sign.

Solid espresso with chocolate, nutty, and earthy notes plus a touch of spice. Pleasant walnut and a touch of clove. It's a little low in complexity and any brightness of acidity but it's quite smooth.

Cupping Method:Had this at the Perks Coffee in the Grand Hyatt San Antonio

Smooth, balanced, nice mouthfeel, good crema, but a bit short on interesting flavor notes. Not bad at all for airport espresso. I get a touch of that robusta streak but it's not too bad.

Cupping Method:Berkshire Farms in Boston Logan Airport

The Orinoco Mocha Java blend has a smooth balance of flavors, with a light hint of cedar and a medium crema that lingers nicely. You'll pick up on caramel and vanilla, giving it a rich sweetness, while the low acidity keeps it easy to drink. There's a touch of plum and just a little spice, adding depth without being overpowering. It's a well-rounded cup that's satisfying and approachable.

Cupping Method:95C espresso, some varied grinds. I got this bag from Roche Bros in Weston, MA

Plays a bit one note - but the note is pretty good. Drinks a bit past medium with a nice, rich chocolate note. I think espresso draws out the limited acidity a bit more, giving a tinge of sweet blackberry. It has some natural sweetness, and while not complex this is pleasant, easy drinking and versatile.

Cupping Method:Tried as espresso and pourover. Got as part of a sampler I bought from Vibrant.

This has the characteristic wonderful, silky, glycerine mouthfeel of a Colombian chiroso, and it is very smooth. I found very simple and clean, orangey citrus with a touch of cherry and blackberry. I didn't get much brightness like I have with other chirosos to pair with the great mouthfeel. This was solid for me but I don't think I'd recommend it over any other chiroso I've previously had.

Cupping Method:Hario v60, 18:1 3x from Vibrant 100g pack (gave some away).

This is good Kenyan, but it's missing a little something. It's very smooth and has a pleasant natural sweetness. There's a touch of hibiscus/cranberry/tamarind flavor and fruitiness, then a very slight oakiness. The fruitiness is interesting and unique, but lacks brightness. The finish is smooth and clean.

Satisfying and smooth if slightly non-descript medium roast. Chocolate with a nice mouthfeel. Lowish complexity but clean and hits the spot.

Cupping Method:At Tilt'n Diner after a long, cold, wet hike

Smooth, clean roast with black cherry and citrus notes. The brightness is a little bit bit more in a tea note and the fruit is pleasant and clean. While it doesn't pop, it's a solid roast with a mouthfeel that is very pleasant and silky.

Cupping Method:Iced at Intelligentsia in Waterfown, MA

I'm finishing off the last of this bag (today is 10/1) roasted 8/15. I thought I would come back and give it one more shot.

I tried it a number of ways, including espresso and pour over and I thought it was versatile, but didn't stand out in any particular way. And its peak it pulled a nice medium, with good structure and has a nice mouthfeel. Milk chocolate, a slight grapefruit, and orange, with a clean/finish and low complexity. Good in milk drinks.

Cupping Method:I got this bag from the Trade Coffee service.

Honey Dew Donuts House Blend is a pleasant surprise for a donut shop coffee. Served extremely hot, it can be a bit intense, but once it cools down, it becomes an approachable and enjoyable medium roast. The flavor profile leans toward sweet caramel, a hint of sugarcane, light chocolate, and a touch of black tea, with very little bitterness. It's a step up from the typical donut shop coffee, making it a solid, likable option.

Cupping Method:Honew Dew Donuts at I95 rest stop in Needham, MA.

Oddball lot with some quakers.

I got a strong cherry character, with a slight watermelon rind/funk and a lot of caramel. I thought this could have been natural or uniquely processed, but it wasn't strong enough for me to gues sthat.

Cupping Method:Leaderboard Season 15, v60, 197F, 18:1 ratio

I thought this was a solid cold brew. It's pretty smooth and they've done a good job canning it so the mouth feel is right. It's pretty chocolatey and perhaps slightly earthy with a slight citrus note.

Cupping Method:I bought a can of this at the Shake Shake in the Salt Lake City airport.

This 230 West Breakfast line is pretty solid. The decaf Breakfast Blend matched the regular pretty well. I think the beans used here were ground fresh and sealed nicely as the flavor remains pretty bright.

Now, there's nothing complex and fancy here, but you get a solid lighter roast with a honey-caramel sweetness, bright citrus acidity, and a very clean finish. There's perhaps a tinge of something resembling a lemongrass.

While not highly complex, it's incredibly smooth and quite satisfying with a granola bar after a hike!

Cupping Method:Made filter pack with one cup option on coffee maker (see photo).

This is my second encounter with 230 West. In my first, I registered in my head as the very definition of hotel coffee. Safe, intermediate blended coffee that probably everyone this is OK.

This Breakfast Blend I think is a little bit better. It's on the lighter side and has a honeyed/caramel sweetness, and a bright citrus acidity, and very clean finish. It's low on the complexity side, but very smooth. Satisfying on a nippy day here in Park City.

Cupping Method:I made drip with the one-cup machine at the Westgate.

Surprisingly, almost shockingly solid decaf that I had at Gillette Stadium. I had this decaf coffee, almost out of desperation as I got soaked at the New Revolution game. I found it smooth with good flavor, almond nuttiness, a slightly caramel sweetness, and a citrus note. The finish has a bit of guarana perhaps. I thought maybe I picked up a note of robusta at the end but still very good. It was a lifesaver on a chilly evening. Although I don't think it's necessarily what I seek out as a specialty coffee lover, it is excellent for big concession coffee and I will happily have it on another Pats/Revs evening.

Cupping Method:At Marketplace Express in Gillette Stadium.