Island Coffees: Hawaii and the Caribbean

Sweet, deep-toned, balanced coffee. Chocolate, citrus, nut and a hint of flowers in the aroma. In the cup richly rounded acidity, buttery mouthfeel. The soft citrus notes are more prominent in the cup, with continued complications of chocolate, nut and a bare suggestion of flowers. The citrus in particular carries into a resonant finish.

Very sweet, complex coffee. In the aroma molasses, milk chocolate, aromatic wood, sweet tomato. In the cup rich acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, almost sugary sweetness, with continued notes of molasses, chocolate, and a richly tart tomato. Clean, long finish.

Intense aromatically; notes suggesting baking bread, blueberry, sour cherry, prune. In the cup tangy bright-toned acidity, silky mouthfeel and elegantly round, sugary sweet suggestions of flowers, complex fruit, honey, toast. The sweet toast note lingers long into the finish.

Sweetly and gently bright in aroma and cup. A soft, lemony citrus dominates the aroma. In the cup delicate floral-toned acidity, silky mouthfeel, continued lemony character complicated by flowers and a shadow chocolaty richness. Very sweet finish; the floral note in particular lingers.

Complications of fruit ferment are rich and complex in both aroma and cup: Deep, sweet, chocolaty molasses and moist pipe tobacco, a round apricot-like fruit, and a powerful suggestion of dusk flowers extend from aroma through a deeply flavor-saturated finish. The richness fades a bit as the cup cools, revealing a shadow composty edge to the ferment, but the main impression of opulence persists.

Soft, floral-toned aroma with round citrus notes and honey-like sweetness. In the cup, delicately silky mouthfeel and subtle yet complex flavors suggesting citrus, plum, nut, and more flowers with hints of caramel and toast that linger quietly into the long finish.

Sweet, richly roasty, cocoa-toned aroma. In the cup smooth mouthfeel, soft acidity and roasty pungency with suggestions of nut and toasted grain and, as the cup cools, black currant and butterscotch. The dominant flavor notes linger in a long, dry finish.

An agreeable, easy-drinking coffee. Hints of fruit and flowers in the aroma; the fruit develops an orangy character in the cup, supported by a caramel-like sweetness and balanced acidity. Simple, gently sweet short finish; a slightly distracting pungent tone develops in the long.

A difficult coffee to evaluate. On the upside deep-toned, rich, syrupy in mouthfeel, with a sweetly pungent fruit that suggests pineapple or butterscotch with perhaps a hint of dark chocolate. A very mild but distinct earthy mildew shadows and partly contributes to the richness.

Sweetly rounded aroma with hints of flowers, chocolate, nut. In the cup a low-toned, subdued acidity, medium body, continued sweet chocolate and nut notes, with a hint of malty mustiness. Clean, simple finish with some carryover of the chocolate nuance.

Tart, grapefruity pungency, hints of sweet cocoa and nut in both aroma and cup. Subdued acidity, lean but silky mouthfeel, good flavor persistence into the finish. A very slight salty astringency shadows an otherwise impressive cup.

Straightforward aroma with good intensity, exhibiting aromatic pine wood and a soft but pungent suggestion of smokiness. In the cup soft acidity, full body, smooth mouthfeel and round sweet flavors of toasted nut, mild roastiness and caramelized sugars. The roasty note turns toward pungency in the finish, distracting slightly from the sweetness.