George Howell Reviews
Acton, Massachusetts
4.33(29)
All Reviews(29)
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
5.00 - Average
I checked and this is the Clover Food Labs house roast. So smooth and easy to drink. Not even the slightest hint of bitterness.Cupping Method:Many times as pourover, hot and iced at Clover Food Labs.
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Scott Greenaway169 roasts rated, avg score of 4.26
5.00 - Average
4.50 - Aroma
5.00 - Finish
5.00 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
5.00 - Balance
This roast is a treat for light roast lovers! Creamy, chocolatey/nutty mouthfeel with a surprising and subtle sweet tartness. Strong/bold coffee flavor, with a light and floral hint of lime.Cupping Method:Moka espresso, cream with no sweetener
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
5.00 - Average
5.00 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
5.00 - Balance
This one hits just right for me. Smooth and balanced, yet very fruity with nice natural sweetness. For me there is a strong chocolate character, paired with blueberry, the types of blueberries that are sweet but still a little bit tart. These might be too good given the level of caffeine buzz.Cupping Method:Snapchill can that I bought at Clover.
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
5.00 - Average
4.50 - Aroma
5.00 - Finish
5.00 - Flavor
5.00 - Acidity
5.00 - Balance
5.00 - Quality
This is one of the best coffees I've ever had. LOL, regrettably I could only afford 4 ounces of it. Aroma/nose is great, but it's magic in the cup. All sorts of spice, sweetness, and jammy fruit. Amazing. Great linger. You don't want it to come to an end. Sounds like a super small lot so might not be available frequently if at all.Cupping Method:Pourover, Chemex
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
5.00 - Average
5.00 - Aroma
4.00 - Value
4.50 - Finish
5.00 - Flavor
5.00 - Acidity
5.00 - Balance
5.00 - Quality
Outstandings. The original Gesha that blew my mind. Intensely complex and flora, with peach, tropical fruit, earl grey. Perfect balance and perfect acidity.Cupping Method:Pourover, Chemex, Natural Filter, 207 degrees F
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.00 - Aroma
3.00 - Value
4.00 - Finish
4.50 - Flavor
5.00 - Acidity
4.50 - Balance
An interesting Ethiopian that is cranberry forward with some bergamot, and then a bright acidity that evolves a bit like a pinor noir. It's both smooth and complex. It's pretty tart, and I don't think it's the Ethiopian I'd be looking to drink all the time, but I enjoyed it.Cupping Method:My wife ordered it for me at the Howell in the Godfrey in Downtown Crossing Boston. Pretty expensive at $12 for a pourover.
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.50 - Aroma
4.50 - Finish
4.00 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
4.50 - Balance
5.00 - Quality
An excellent decaf to have around the house. We use it for Decaf espresso. It's a medium-ish roast. Very clean, very easy to drink coffee with a nice crema that's wonderful for affogato. Has a nice fruitiness to it.Cupping Method:A53 Lucca Spaziale espresso machine. After dinner espresso, or used as affogato!
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.00 - Aroma
4.50 - Finish
4.50 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
4.50 - Balance
Balanced, clean, and smooth Ethiopian that basically tastes like a white peach black tea. Its easy to drink rather than complex, but quite enjoyable sipping.Cupping Method:Pourover at George Howell store in Newtonville, MA
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.00 - Finish
5.00 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
4.50 - Balance
La Encenada Snapchill is a fruity, tropical Snapchill coffee can that is very tasty and chuggable. Definitely towards light roast.
Notes I get include red berry with a lot of natural sweetness and some tropical notes. Drinks backwards and that impacts the mouthfeel a bit with the fruitiness first and then a cocoa/brown sugar finish.
Can descriptions includes fruit punch and I think this is apt!
Notably, caffeine level seems a bit above normal based on how I feel (thats a good thing!).Cupping Method:I purchased 2 Snapchill cans at the George Howell location in Downtown Crossing in the Godfrey Hotel (also see Worka Chelbesa review).
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.50 - Aroma
4.50 - Value
4.50 - Finish
4.50 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
5.00 - Balance
I cupped this multiple times, and it was between 4.5 and 5 stars when it came down to grading it.
I get the grape character and some tropical flavors, all in a nice acidity. There's some natural sweetness - bag says brown sugar, I get maple, but splitting hairs. It's very nicely balance and smooth - I really enjoyed this coffee.Cupping Method:Chemex 2x, Hario v60 once
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Victoria S-C581 roasts rated, avg score of 4.30
4.50 - Average
Delicious! Definitely get the grape, and some maple. Fruity and smooth. -
Scott Greenaway
169 roasts rated, avg score of 4.26
4.50 - Average
4.00 - Aroma
4.50 - Finish
4.50 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
5.00 - Balance
As a cold brew, this roast was almost perfection. Refreshingly sweet and smooth, it was remarkably well-balanced.Cupping Method:cold brew
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Victoria S-C
581 roasts rated, avg score of 4.30
4.50 - Average
4.50 - Value
4.50 - Finish
4.00 - Acidity
4.00 - Balance
I really enjoyed this light easy to drink cold brew snap chilled. It wasnt too bitter. Will have more of these!Cupping Method:From the can with ice
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.50 - Aroma
4.50 - Value
4.50 - Finish
4.50 - Flavor
4.00 - Acidity
4.50 - Balance
4.50 - Quality
An outstanding medium roast espresso with a medium crema, great balance. Works well with or without milk.Cupping Method:Spaziale Espresso machine, 94 degrees Celsius
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
This is a go-to for me at Clover, a local vegetarian restaurant. It's great iced there. It's smooth, balanced, and citrusy with chocolate and orange distinctly present.Cupping Method:Pourover at Clover, iced pourover at Clover
Traits: chocolate orange -
Victoria S-C
581 roasts rated, avg score of 4.30
4.50 - Average
5.00 - Aroma
4.50 - Value
4.00 - Finish
4.00 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
4.00 - Balance
5.00 - Quality
Reasonable price and at my local grocery store so I didnt have to order online. Smooth in every way I made it. No bitterness.Cupping Method:I really like it as a cold brew in my French press. Also worked well as pourover. Other Howells (the special ones!) better as pourover however.
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.50 - Aroma
4.50 - Finish
5.00 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
5.00 - Balance
5.00 - Quality
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
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.50 - Average
4.50 - Aroma
4.50 - Finish
4.50 - Flavor
4.50 - Acidity
4.50 - Balance
A really nice cup of French press coffee to go with desserts. Balanced and chocolately, but with a lovely cherry acidity. Smooth.Cupping Method:Decaf at Alden and Harlow in Cambridge, MA
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Emily Schadler93 roasts rated, avg score of 4.24
4.00 - Average
I didn't get the citrus flavors on the label at all, but I enjoyed the smoothness of this roast. It was light and easy.Cupping Method:Pour over
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Victoria S-C
581 roasts rated, avg score of 4.30
4.00 - Average
My lattes with this espresso were good. -
Emily Schadler
93 roasts rated, avg score of 4.24
4.00 - Average
3.50 - Aroma
4.00 - Finish
3.50 - Flavor
4.00 - Acidity
4.00 - Balance
I like the tartness and sweetness of this roast, and it was really smooth as cold brew. It ended with a nice light finish.Cupping Method:Cold brew
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
4.00 - Average
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.
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Victoria S-C
581 roasts rated, avg score of 4.30
4.00 - Average
4.00 - Aroma
4.00 - Value
4.00 - Acidity
4.00 - Balance
Not bitter. Easy to drink. A staple from George Howell and served at Clover. You can never go wrong.Cupping Method:Pourover hot and pourover iced.
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
3.50 - Average
4.00 - Aroma
3.00 - Flavor
Modest hint of overroast or bitterness mid palate and aftertaste. Caramel and dark chocolate. Strong raspberry fruitiness. Not the best Howell roast IMHO.Cupping Method:Pour over at George Howell Market location.
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
3.50 - Average
1.00 - Value
I really struggled with this one, trying 3 different extraction approaches and techniques. I have had some pretty incredible experiences with Howell's high-end microlots (Yemen, Gesha), so this one was a disappointment. I am still coming to terms with this - it happened a decent amount in exploring wine but actually less so in coffee for me.
First off, let's just say, it's not terrible or undrinkable. It's OK. You can definitely pick up some of the mint/wintergreen notes in both the aroma and cup. I think lavender as well. So it's very unique. I think it has a persistent herbaceous/woodiness that is hard to get to get past and overwhelms the stronger characteristics. My wife felt the same way.
I also think it may have been slightly overroasted as it plays much more like a medium roast.
The score here is based on the fact that it's still a pretty solid cup of coffee at the end of the day, but just not worth the high-end price (I paid $59 for a 4 oz bag).
You can't win them all and George Howell has delivered me some of the best coffee experiences of my life. Have to call it how it is though.Cupping Method:Hario v60, Chemex
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
3.50 - Average
4.00 - Aroma
3.00 - Value
3.50 - Finish
3.50 - Flavor
3.50 - Acidity
3.50 - Balance
This is an okay single-origin espresso I couldnt find a real winning characteristic in over many formats. Light medium crema, nice chocolate notes. Heavy hazelnut mid-palate without much fruitiness, complexity or acidity. Smooth, just a little bitter and not too hard to drink, so works well with milk.Cupping Method:Espresso and espresso drinks oh my home machine (Spaziale A53)
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Theo Chan, Managing Editor
1431 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29
3.50 - Average
4.00 - Aroma
3.50 - Finish
3.50 - Flavor
3.50 - Acidity
4.00 - Balance
I gave this one 4 tries.
It's smooth and easy to drink but missing a bright note of acidity. It's milk chocolate forward in the light roast sense, then a bit hoppy, and then a light version of the milk chocolate intro. Maybe a little bit of plum in background. Folks who like smooth, low-acidity coffee will like this (but the bag says tangerine and lime, which I don't get at all).Cupping Method:Best was at 196F in the Hario v60, 18:1. I tried a bit hotter once and it drew out more hoppiness but not more acidity.
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Victoria S-C
581 roasts rated, avg score of 4.30
3.50 - Average
Ive been very frustrated by Howell lattes recently, especially at the Godfrey location. Foam/milk is just not right.
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I didn't get the citrus flavors on the label at all, but I enjoyed the smoothness of this roast. It was light and easy.
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I thought this was just OK.
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I gave this one 4 tries. It's smooth and easy to drink but missing a bright note of acidity. It's milk chocolate forward in the light roast sense, then a bit hoppy, and then a light version of the milk chocolate intro. Maybe a little bit of plum in background. Folks who like smooth, low-acidity coffee will like this (but the bag says tangerine and lime, which I don't get at all).
