A magnificent medium espresso with tremendous complexity. Has florality, fruitinesss around chocolate and syrupy character. A little bit of spice. Really outstanding. Excellent mouthfeel and a finish that lingers for days.

Cupping Method:Espresso at Common Good Co., a coffee shop and co-working space in Waltham, MA

I think after fidgeting with a little its 5 stars. Maybe 4.8, ha ha. In the light roast espresso Ive been giving 5s Ive been looking for a bit longer l, more complex finish. My first pulls with this espresso were good but not amazing. The lattes were very good. I like it best as a lungo. There you still get a massive crema and the lime/hibiscus notes really come out. Any way you crunch it you get dark chocolate, the expensive kind with little sugar. Great mouthfeel and crema.

Cupping Method:Lungo and espresso on my A53 Spaziale. Best result was a lungo at 95 C (pictured).

This was like a 6 out of 5 stars cold brew. Ive had a lot of coffee and a lot of cold brew and this is one of the best. It drinks in the light side with complexity, florality, pineapple, and strawberry. And its very smooth. You just want more and more. Outstanding.

Cupping Method:At the Coffee N Talk store in the Gaslamp District of San Diego

I was very impressed by this espresso. For what I think is a medium roast espresso it is very complex and floral. It has a touch of nuttiness, natural sweetness, and a light lime acidity. Very balanced with wonderful mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:Espresso at San Diego Coffee N Talk location near Gaslamp District. Probably my only complaint is the size of the cup they used.

I dont think I can remember having a Mexican coffee this good. Theres chocolate and a touch of earthiness. Super smooth with a ton of natural sweetness and a really nice red grape acidity.

Cupping Method:Pourover at Succulent's Laguna Beach cafe

Super good single origin cold brew. Fruity, complex and smooth with bright and almost tropical notes. Strawberry mid-palate and peachy finish. Good to the last drop. Highly recommend.

Cupping Method:Cold brew on ice at Achilles in San Diego

Incredible floral, fruity, complex espresso. Dark, dark chocolate. Fluffy crema and great mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:At Achilles in San Diego

One of my favorite coffees of the year, Shapeshifter is a nano-lot from Nonesuch Coffee, a Brooklyn micro-roaster. Nonesuch describes as coming from a 2.5 acre lot, which seems almost impossibly small! We were blown away how unique and delicious this coffee was.

I drank Shapeshifter with my partner and we called it "Watermelon Sugar Pie" as I thought there was a distinguishable watermelon acidity that turned into brown sugar, and then a nutty/lime finish. It's a very clean light roast that reminds me of some of the excellent Nordic roasts we've been seeing recently.

This was a very unique and delicious coffee, and we hope to see more from Nonesuch in the near future!

Cupping Method:Hario v60 2x

At Dandelion, I had one of the best drip coffees I can remember. The beans were actually from Ritual Coffee Roasters, and they do rotating seasonal beans, so I can't guarantee you will get this wonderful roast. However, it's clear Dandelion has a very thoughtful coffee program and we're including on our site as a cafe/destination.

Cupping Method:At Dandelion in Las Vegas

For me this is just about the perfect drip. Super smooth, very well balanced, just enough acidity. It has flavor but you can almost chug it because its so clean. Milk chocolate flavor with a lot of natural sweetness. The acidity is interesting, its almost like a very light watermelon jolly rancher but also citrusy.

Cupping Method:Dandelion Chocolate in Las Vegas. Verified La Folie was the roast with Barista.

Urth Caffe's Italia espresso roast is an outstanding chocolate forward, Italian style espresso with all the good dark notes, including smoky, earthy, and some clove spice, but balanced and smooth with regards to bitterness and a touch of acidity (I agree with apricot). It has some natural sweetness.

I also had it as cold brew and it was very smooth and chocolatey (I maybe would have liked a bit more acidity for a cold brew, but many will love this).

I recommend Italia as a thoughtful blend with many countries of origin and beans! It's a great example of the alchemy a roaster can do.

Cupping Method:At Urth Cafe in Las Vegas

I've honestly been a little bit shocked by the quality of single-origin espresso in Paris. This was no exception. While tart, the acidity in this espresso stayed centered and was pleasant through. Meanwhile, bergamot and jasmine and florality were present on the nose and hints all the way through.

Actually had Noir's Burundi espresso a few minutes after and it's hard to chose between the two. That one had a bit more nuttiness and earthiness.
Cupping Method:Espresso shot at Noir on Ile St. Louis in Paris

Cupping Method:At Noir Cafe in Ile St. Louis, Paris

A crazy good single origin espresso that was unique in some ways. Both earthy and floral, with a big bergamot/Earl grey bouquet and flavor profile. It is nicely tart without being too heavily acidic, in the red berry range.

Cupping Method:Double espresso at Synapse store in Latin Quarter

A stunning floral, fruity, medium roast espresso with tremendous complexity. There is lemon, lime, blackberry, European breakfast biscuit, green apple, caramel, dark chocolate. And maybe more. Lush crema, perfect balance.
Outstanding.

Cupping Method:At Crible Coffee in Paris as a single shot of espresso from Marzocco machine

Incredibly easy to drink. Distinctly aromatic right out of the seal pack. The instant filter style is a very high quality setup, not just a tea bag but with a stand that hooks on both sides of the cup.

Very fruity and tropical but super super smooth. Black tea platform with a very clean finish, just a hint of vanilla. Ive been trying convenience format all summer during my travels and this one might be my favorite.

Cupping Method:At a hotel in Barcelona after buying these from the Hidden Coffee store

A true treat for the medium roast espresso drink who likes florality, complexity, and acidity. Undertone of a very fine, dark chocolate, and then blackberry/lime acidity never veering too far from the zone where it's pleasant, but evolving and changing. Definitely not for the Italian roast lover!

Cupping Method:Head-to-head espresso tasting vs another Hidden Coffee single-origin (Brazil) at the store in Barcelona

I didnt take great notes on this as it got hectic with the kids at the cafe but wow was this great filter coffee and totally unexpected for Sumatran. Lighter roasted than most Indonesia coffees, this had a cleaner, more mineral earthiness than the usual Sumatran. A touch of nuttiness, some red grape acidity, and something like a strong brewed black tea. I could drink gallons of this. I was blown away by Onawa and I am certain Onawa is a roaster worthy of international acclaim.

Similar to the Brazilian espresso, also an carefully crafted, fragrant, complex decaf. After having the Brazilian, I wanted more espresso! But decaf was the wise choice. Also nutty, floral, and complex. A top 3 Decaf espresso all-time for me.

Cupping Method:At Veintiuno in Zaragoza

Super fragrant and aromatic. Lime blackberry but not overwhelming. A very clean finish that lingers and changes like a fine wine lingering on the tongue. A pleasant nuttiness and perfect mouthfeel. One of the best espressos Ive ever had.

Cupping Method:Espresso at Veintiuno un Zaragoza

One of the best cafe roasts that I've had in Spain. Floral, complex. A little bit of sweetness like those pleasant European breakfast biscuits. A clean acidity. Medium crema with pleasant mouthfeel and a long linger makes you want more.

Don't know anything about this roaster and the website is pretty confusing, so I don't know if this is something you can really get outside of Lasarte/San Sebastian. But if you do see it, make sure you give it a try!

Cupping Method:At Plan B Cafe in Lasarte-Oria

Outstanding citrusy and smooth cold brew. Clean and floral, brown sugar sweetness.

Cupping Method:At Culture Coffee in Leon. Came with a lime which I didn't use but I thought the aroma complemented the coffee

Outstanding single origin florality. Blackberry, a bit of spice and toastiness. Clean citrus finish.

Cupping Method:At Culture Coffee in Leon

A trippy decaf that stands as one of the most delicious espresso Ive had. Complex and balanced with notes of spice, lemon, gingerbread, chocolate. Very clean finish and really wanted another! I have been very impressed with the quality of decaf in Spain!

Cupping Method:Decaf espresso at Madreamiga in Madrid

Outstanding espresso with major depth of flavor and complexity while staying well within the bounds of a cafe medium roast type roast. Floral and fruity, medium but enduring crema with ideal mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:At the F1 Expo (see photo)

Nomad is getting trippy for me. Had some cold brew at Santa Kafeina and was blown away. Peachy, nice acidity, just a touch nutty. Incredibly clean and smooth. Asked for the roast and was told it was this espresso. I cant remember an espresso roast being used for cold brew. Then I saw the bag and the characteristics matched the cold brew. Nomad is so good its trippy.

Incredible depth of flavor and complexity. Earthiness, florality, fine dark chocolate, spice, red wine. Perfect mouthfeel, clean finish with pleasant linger. Crema was medium. A lot of natural sweetness tied in with the acidity.

Cupping Method:Santa Kafeina Cafe in Madrid, pulled as a double on a Marzocco Strada

This is a really excellent espresso blend. It's very complex, with a massive burst of chocolate, fruit characteristics, especially blackberry towards the front of the palate. A complex, wine-like acidity is present throughout the palate but it mutes out to a caramel/cacao nibs flavor. A lush crema for a medium roast. Overall, excellent mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:Espresso, side-by-side with an Ethiopian single origin, at Dabov in Madrid

One of the best espressos I've had this year. A trip to Myanmar and back in a single sip. Very smooth with a lot of natural sweetness and insane complexity. Starts right off with a burst of red fruit, then a really deep and complex sweetness with some molasses character in addition to the usual espresso taste notes. A very nice crema and overall mouthfeel.

This espresso has an acidity profile comparable to great wines with softened tannins. Huge props to Osorio for even attempting a single-origin Myanmar espresso - it's my first one and all I have to say is wow!

Cupping Method:Side-by-side tasting vs a single-origin Colombia at La Deseada

These were the beans for maybe the best cold brew that I have ever had. Bright strawberry, natural sweetness like a maple syrup, and a touch of nuttiness and dried blueberry.

Cupping Method:Cold Brew at La Deseada, Calle Jose Abascal in Madrid (a specialty coffee shop that very much knows what it is doing)

An impeccably executed decaf single origin SWP decaf. The best decaf espresso Ive found. Very complex with a lingering acidity. Chocolate, hazelnut, caramel, brown sugar. Very clean and balanced.

Cupping Method:Infinito Cafe in Madrid