I had a cup to go of Equator's drip coffee at the kiosk in Boston Logan's airport. I noted that it was solid, very chocolate-driven but with some fruitiness. There's a slight wood/spice that's perhaps cedar, but not in a bad way.

Going through my notes from Spain and had this down as a good cafe con leche (I definitely liked it more than my wife did as she gave it to me).

A fruity medium filter roast thats easy to drink, smooth, and well balanced, but very grapefruit dominant to the point where its hard to get much else. Thats not the worst thing in the world as its not really bitter or anything but just makes it feel a little one note

Cupping Method:From Jaho in Boston Chinatown

Tasty and smooth but a bit too big of a lemon water thing mid-palate to give 5 stars. Overwhelms the peach and honey character.

Not coffee but what the hey! Very refreshing in a hot day. They tried to do some subtle flavor things here, some good, some maybe not (rose?).

Cupping Method:Can at Revolution Food Hall in Lexington, MA

This is an easy drinking Rwanda that highlights some of the nice fruity characteristics in Rwanda character, for me grapefruit and red berries. It rides on a strongly brew black tea platform. It has an oaky character throughout the palate that detracts a little bit (but some might like it).

Cupping Method:I tried Chemex and v60. I bought a sampler pack from Blueprint.

Enjoyable medium dark roast that is very smooth with some natural sweetness, and a bit of peanut/walnut. Very chocolate. A bit of smoke appears at the end and lingers on the palate. Best characteristic is the smoothness.

Cupping Method:French press at Urth Caffe in Las Vegas

Chamberlain Coffee's Night Owl Blend offers an intriguing combination of beans from Peru, Guatemala, and Sumatra. It comes in an individual seal pack and a high quality fabric steeping bag.

Upon opening the bag, you're immediately met with an earthy, rich smell, indicative of its robust origins. Theres a subtle hint of peanuts that's noticeable, complemented by a touch of chocolate. The flavor is reminiscent of the typical diner or coffee shop dark roast, which means it's familiar and straightforward.

While many dark roasts tend to have a prominent bitter edge, the Night Owl Blend keeps it in check. Theres a slight woody taste, but its not dominant or off-putting. Whats notable is how it finishes: clean and without any lingering aftertaste. This makes it a good choice for those who prefer a straightforward dark roast without any overly complex flavor notes.

For me Chamberlain Coffee's Night Owl Blend offers a solid dark roast/donut shop type experience with a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Its a blend that will appeal to those looking for a simple, clean dark roast.

Cupping Method:Steepable bag

This one surprised me a bit. Its a pretty good cup of coffee. Its pretty balanced, with chocolate forward. The mouthfeel is good despite a weaker crema than some Nespresso extractions. Its balanced but not complex. It has a pleasant earthiness. Ive prefer this over the smattering of Nespresso capsules and a Cafe Royal Switzerland lungo I have so I feel like I have to give it a 4/5!

Cupping Method:Nespresso machine. I purchases this at an Indian grocer in the Latin quarter. The grocer said Indians liked it because it reminds them of the coffee they get there.

A good decaf capsule with very smooth character and nice medium crema. A touch of nuttiness, a little bit smoky along with dark notes. Low complexity but drinks nicely.

Cupping Method:Nespresso machine, bought capsules at Monoprix in Paris

Solid cold brew. Chocolate forward, a little bit of earthiness. Would like a little bit more sweetness and acidity, but not atypical of an Indonesian based cold brew.

Cupping Method:Cold brew at Noir in Ile-Saint-Louis in Paris

There was a lot to like about this coffee, with chocolate and some orange definitely present. It's organic and the roaster gives off a good vibe.

It has a relatively subtle but clear raw walnut note in the middle. I consider that neutral, but some might not. There's also some woodiness towards the tail end of the palate that I think definitely detracts.

Cupping Method:Had this as filter coffee to go at Peleton Cafe, in Paris

Actually at an AirBnB with a variety of Nespresso machine when coffeepodthoughts reviews got entered and saw he loved Arpeggio. Low and behold I have one and realized I hadnt reviewed it. I used to buy a lot of these.

Verdict I still like its. Chocolate with a bit of spice, and one of the lusher Nespresso cremas. I find it straightforward and prefer a bit more complexity myself but its easy to see what this one is a standby. It was always the ones my wife liked her lattes the best with.

Found my old notes. A nice chocolatey, earthy coffee. Made good espresso and good pourover but not standout for either.

Solid espresso, nutty, a bit smoky, smooth. Not overly complex but a nice pickup.

Cupping Method:At the Pompidou Cafe!

I've used this type of filter pack before with some good results, including this morning with the Kenia Drip and Trip from Hidden Coffee! This is a pretty light Brazilian roast and I actually had it as pourover at the Hidden Coffee in Barcelona. The good flavor characteristics were present, including the orange and vanilla, but it extracted very light in this filter format. That made it super easy to drink and smooth but left me a little wanting for flavor. The vanilla stood out more in this format as it was less overwhelmed by the typical coffee aromatics.

Cupping Method:Drip and Trip bag I bought during a visit to Hidden Coffee in Barcelona.

Solid Nespresso decaf capsule left over from a previous AirBNB guest (later found them for sale at the local market so makes sense). Great crema, nutty, dark flavors, not too bitter.

Cupping Method:Nespresso machine in Tossa de Mar

Good espresso with nutty character and some natural sweetness and acidity. Easy to drink but not overly complex. Good crema, good mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:At a pizza place in Tossa de Mar. Roast was clearly marked on the side.

I thought this was a solid espresso. Medium crema, nice clean mouthfeel. I didn't a lot of complexity but thought it had some nice natural sweetness notes and was a pleasant if not game changing aftermeal shot.

Cupping Method:At a restaurant in Tossa de Mar

Good dark roast espresso that is smooth and flavorful, though a bit short acidity and complexity wise. Bitterness/smoke/spice play well.

Cupping Method:At a cafeteria in Blanes outside of Tossa de Mar

Good decaf to have with my xuixo. Nice crema and mouthfeel, nutty, caramel, nice natural sweetness. Liked the Saula espresso I also had this cafe a bit more.

Cupping Method:At a cafe in Tossa de Mar

This espresso had a lot of good flavor characteristics - in particular, I got a very strong nuttiness and clear chocolate. The nuttiness hits right up front.

Mouthfeel and balance were a bit cloying and I definitely picked up some astringency from the robusta. But overall the flavor and complexity makes it a positive.

Cupping Method:At a cafe in Cadaques

Smooth espresso capsule in the medium range with a bit of earthiness. Low on the acidity and complexity with a good clean, mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:Nespresso machine in Spain

Good crema and mouthfeel. Straightforward dark roast with a bit of smoke. Limited complexity but smooth.

Cupping Method:Nespresso machine in Spain

This is a pretty solid dark roast capsule. Its simple, smoky with a light-ish crema and light mouthfeel, but dark roast characteristics. Smoky, lightly bittermaybe slightly savory. It tastes a bit like a solid Moka.

Cupping Method:Nespresso machine in Spain

Solid decaf for accompaning postres. Smooth, nice caramel flavor with natural sweetness and some smoky notes without bitterness. Didn't find a lot of complexity in the little bit of acidity but enjoyable.

Cupping Method:At a restauraunt in Zaragoza with dessert

Very good cafe roast, a little bit of nuttiness, natural sweetness, smooth, a touch of blackberry. Very nice.

Cupping Method:At a cafe in Hondarribia

A solid, unfussy cafe roast with caramel and toasty characteristics. Makes a good first impression and is straightforward/tasty.

Cupping Method:At Amalie Cafe in San Sebastin

Had this as espresso at a cafe just over the Spanish border in France. Thought it was pretty solid. Nutty, good crema, good mouthfeel. Caramel notes with very little bitterness. Very nice compliment to the profitoroles I was having.

This is 4 if youre drinking it on the street and its not quite the texture of a real cafe con leche. But its quite foamy and creamy, a fear of engineering indeed. To get a satisfying cafe con leche out of a dolce gusto machine is very impressive!

Cupping Method:A dolce gusto machine in Spain. Honestly thought it was going to extract the coffee for me to separately foam milk.