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(1282)
4.28(1282)
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Solid espresso to go with dessert that is missing a bit of structure and has a slight woody/bitterness mid-palate. Light crema, good mouthfeel.
Cupping Method:At Sa Barca restaurant in Tossa de Mar
Rated: 3.00 -
Passable espresso with a little bit of chocolate, clove, and spice. Thin crema and a touch woody.
Cupping Method:Out of a Samaiza cafe machine
Rated: 3.00 -
Sort of uninspired dark roast espresso with limited acidity and flavor. Has a weird overhanging herbaceous wood note. The smokiness and chocolate land on the pleasant side.
Cupping Method:At Parador Tordesillas
Rated: 3.00 -
Medium roast. Doppio for me. Very nice crema. Some things I like about it and some that I dont. I like the texture. Coffee is smooth. Acidity balance is maybe a bit too forward but overall ok. Mid-palate is very cedar-ish to me. Almost mothball. Everything else I like. Wife liked cappuccino made with it and rated that a 4.5.
Cupping Method:Sampled in a cafe in Newburyport, MA on Fri, Dec 30, 2022. High-end Marzocco machine.
Rated: 3.00 -
Friend had this and made it for me here in Spain because she had it. Not my thing. Light, woody, vegetal but bitter?
Didn't want to ding it too badly as maybe this is someone else's jam.Cupping Method:Moka pot
Rated: 3.00 -
Found this coffee I had early this year in my Apple notes. I scored it a 3. Some nuttiness and pleasant flavor, but a bit of bitter/burned.
Cupping Method:At a NH rest stop
Rated: 3.00 -
Good bakery but kind of bad coffee. Roast was bitter enough to go through cortado. Drinkable but not great.Rated: 3.00
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Dark roast thats dark without any other winning character. Decent crema gives a little balance.
Cupping Method:At a cafe in Iceland
Rated: 3.00 -
Chameleon Organic Cold Brew makes a commendable commitment to sourcing organic coffee, which is awesome.
As soon as the Cold Brew hits your palate, you're welcomed by a bitter/carbon-ish note. It's somewhat reminiscent of a slightly over-roasted nuts. Although not everyone's cup of coffee, this burnt nut characteristic can be appreciated by those who favor a bolder, robust flavor profile. Pouring it over iced helped a bit, but I think it's something you either like or don't like.
As the tasting continues, a pronounced caramel streak winds its way through the flavor profile. It provides a sweet undertone that's pleasant.
However, the brew doesn't have enough acidity to balance its robust nature. The lack of it here makes the Cold Brew fall slightly flat and monotonous after a few sips. I think it's also bumpy enough so I can't really call it smooth.
I do think some dark roaster drinkers will like some of the taste notes here (though those folks who like those bold, Italian/dark roast might also find it watery).Cupping Method:Out of a bottle I bought at Whole Foods, and then over ice.
Rated: 3.00 -
Angels Cup Blind Tasting. This one didnt work for me. A burst of aspirin bitterness front of palate, then grapefruit zest. Not smooth or even and a touch tannic in the aftertaste.
Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover
Rated: 3.00 -
I bought a bag of this, and I haven't gotten a great result from a few different extractions. I think this bag is roasted a bit past light. It's probably a little bit more acidic and maybe a little bit more bitter roast. The most drinkable one I probably did a little bit too much water which softened up the problematic notes a bit.
Cupping Method:Pourover, v60 and Chemex attempts. Purchased from Concord Market.
Rated: 3.00 -
Has some good flavor characteristics but it is too acidic for an after dinner decaf.
Cupping Method:Nespresso
Rated: 3.00 -
It's a weirdly balanced, not quite right espresso. It can be covered up with milk but it's very heavy on the cedar and tobacco. Maybe just not my thing.
Cupping Method:Lungo and espresso out of Delonghi Lattissima 660
Rated: 3.00 -
Some elements work, decent crema. Doesnt taste too robusta. But I think woody for sure and a bit bitter. Not really sure why this one made it to market.
Cupping Method:Lungo, espresso
Rated: 3.00 -
I don't love this. I think I know what they are trying to do with the chicory. It's drinkable on a hot day but I'd go for the Colombian cold brew can. It's better than some of the truly awful bottled cold brews out there.
Cupping Method:Cold brew can from supermarket
Rated: 3.00 -
El Salvador Buena Onda Maritza Boza • Little Waves Coffee RoastersChapel Hill, North Carolina
3.50(2)
Angels Cup Blind tasting.
There are some good thing here but a cedary woody note that is too strong. Its present at the beginning and lingers as a slight bitter note at the end. I get some black tea, mandarin, and maple syrup character that is nice.Cupping Method:Hario V60 pourover
Rated: 3.00 -
This one falls pretty flat. It's mostly smooth but not especially bold or flavorful for a Sumatra. A little bit bitter mid-palate but not overwhelming. Drinkable but nothing special, especially compared to the 100% Colombian which is very good.
Cupping Method:Compostable pod in office waiting room machine
Rated: 3.00 -
This coffee is fairly smooth and has some really nice mid/main palate characteristics. Bright citrusy, floral, brown sugar. But it has just a bit of bitter/woody start for me that lingers, like a touch of wormwood and aspirin.
Cupping Method:This came in the Onyx Advent calendar in 2022, but it is broadly available from them.
Rated: 3.00 -
Too sweet for me.Rated: 3.00
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I think this is a good coffee that might not be a fit for my personal palate or maybe I didnt quite get the pour over right. Theres a lot going on in the front of the palate here with milk chocolate and burst of umami. A finish for me of underripe star fruit. Just didnt seem to balance out into something pleasant for me.
Cupping Method:Chemex pourover, 207F, natural filter
Rated: 3.00 -
Way too umami forward for me. Decent acidity, black tea. Too much soy sauciness to me (had another Ethiopian this morning where it was just a hint).
Cupping Method:Pourover at Blue Bottle store in Chestnut Hill, MA
Rated: 3.00 -
A nutty espresso with a lot of acidity. Strong trailing berry and yes, fig finish as described and linger that is clean. Great aroma but too heavy on the acidity. Sampled 2x as Doppio. Also had flat white and latte. In NYC midtown store. Did like the experience at this shop and bought their other blend Goodness Galileo and liked that one much, much more.
Cupping Method:In Gumption Times Square store, 2x. Wife had as flat white and latte.
Rated: 3.00 -
Wasn't sure if this should go under a specific Snickers listing or Victor Allen but duplicating it here for now.
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Brutally sweet with a slight chemical mouthfeel. Caramel tastes right, but not the nuttiness.
It does taste like a Snickers but mostly serves to remind you how important texture is in the composition of a Snickers bar.Cupping Method:Grabbed a bottle by request for a friend from Target in Watertown, MA and tried a little.
Rated: 2.50 -
Brutally sweet with a slight chemical mouthfeel. Caramel tastes right but not the nuttiness.
It does tastes like a Snickers but mostly serves to remind you how important texture is in the composition of a Snickers bar.Cupping Method:I grabbed a bottle by request for a friend from Target in Watertown, MA and tried a little.
Rated: 2.50 -
I didnt really like this coffee starting from the aroma. It smelled a bit stale/chemical. I dont think the coffee really taste like that, just has bitter/tannic mid-palate thats not balanced off by flavor/acidity. Mightve been a funky batch as the decaf of this i had yesterday was much better.
Cupping Method:Marriott coffee maker (Fairfield Inn, Syracuse NY) with Pure Life spring water
Rated: 2.50 -
I thought this Knob Creek Whiskey Barrel Aged Guatemala was horrible. I was expecting a little spice or oak infusion here to accent the coffee but I think its just too strong. It was stronger than Id wanted in any mixed drinks. I actually recoiled. I wouldnt even call it coffee.
Cupping Method:Sampled it as cold brew at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in New York City
Rated: 2.50 -
Folgers Classic Roast brings a sense of nostalgia, being the choice brew of many, including my own parents.
While it boasts a delightful aroma straight from the jar, its taste has subtle notes of chemical undertones that might be attributed to its robusta content. Though labeled as a medium roast, its flavor profile aligns closer to a dark roast, characterized by a fleeting hint of sweetness a unique tartness. However, its predominant bitterness lacks balance. The initial burst of aroma from the freshness seal is commendable, though one wishes it could persist a bit longer.Cupping Method:Instant at my parents house
Rated: 2.50 -
While this coffee has good values and drinks OK as a dark roast, I can't give Urth Caffe a pass for calling it a light roast.
They are not light roast as they are clearly cracked and oily. It's probably fair to call it a Medium-Dark or Vienna Roast.
That said, I got a good result when I ran it through the espresso machine IF you assume it's a Vienna Roast. Smooth, chocolatey, nice medium crema with dark roast characteristics, a touch of smoke and clove.
I think Urth Caffe reminds me of a lot of places I've been in Los Angeles restaurant and cafe-wise. It's a bit eclectic, frenetic, and trying to satisfy everyone. It's not clear labels used elsewhere apply. Maybe they are saying this is lightly roasted compared to their other darker roasts. Enjoy the Urth Caffe experience means embracing that spirit.Cupping Method:Espresso
Rated: 2.50 -
Weird, this decaf was terrible hot, and it's terrible cool. It had a moment where it was warm where it worked. It's very plummy and has a woody bitterness that's not a ton but tastes like biting dried ginseng. It doesn't have pleasant mouthfeel and I didn't want to drink any more after a couple sips.
Cupping Method:Tasting against 2 other instant formats, Snowy Owl steeped, and Nescafe classic
Rated: 2.50