Balanced and classic. The acidity is sweet and well integrated, the mouthfeel round and cleanly smooth, the flavor rich and straightforward with coffee fruit (the closest analogy is red cherry) that hints gently at milk chocolate. Long, resonant finish.
Chocolate and delicately intense lemon notes carry decisively from aroma through cup to finish. The cup is integrated and harmonious, with a softly sweet acidity and a slight herby twist to the lemon.
Sweet, rich, with an impressive balance of dry acidy notes and sweetness. A combination of slightly fermented fruit and musty earthiness reads here as a fine intrigue of papaya, raisins and chocolate.
Dry fragrance: lemon, flowers and freshly laundered linen. In the hot aroma dark molasses and licorice on the pour, rich ripe fruit and milk chocolate in the break. While the floral, citrus and deep-red fruit notes remain intact from first sip through last (a neat trick in such a dark roast) these flavors assemble themselves differently with each taste as the cup cools. Complex and beautifully structured cup (Lindsey Bolger).
Minty and fresh tobacco notes in the dry fragrance. In the hot aroma dry fruit notes of prune and wisps of spicy sweet chocolate. In the cup the dark roasting amplifies body, but mutes many of the attributes specific to this elegant origin. For me this coffee ultimately suggested a lovely old-master painting, sparkling with jewel-toned detail that centuries of darkened varnish have dulled. Nevertheless, it displays the depth and intensity of a well-crafted and classic French roast. (Lindsey Bolger)
Big, pungent, flame-born phenols boldly emerge in the dry fragrance. In the hot aroma, lush and mouth-watering double chocolate cake. A dense and chewy coffee with an elegant, silky velvet finish - surprisingly sweet for a coffee pushed to its limits during the roast. (Lindsey Bolger)
Intense aromatics of coffee blossom (imagine jasmine, gardenia and lime), laced with milk chocolate, dried orange peel, bees' wax and lemon. While many Yirgacheffes display flourishes of mint, here oregano is the more dominant herbal note. If this coffee is big and robust in fragrance and aroma, the cup is quiet and a bit timid - a contradiction that adds to the appeal of this delicately balanced coffee. (Lindsey Bolger)
A refreshingly medium roast delivers a dry fragrance of crisp linen scented with geranium that develops into wet aromas of spiced chocolate and browned sugar sweetness with wisps of burned match-like sulfur. Pleasing heft and complexity in the cup. A muscular coffee with a surprisingly crisp and clean finish.
In the aroma liquored and slightly fermented fruit are accompanied by dark chocolate notes, all of which mask hints of coffee oils going slightly rancid. A heavy body with gritty mouthfeel dominates the cup. Long, rather oily finish. (Lindsey Bolger)