Reviews for The WestBean Coffee Roasters

Crisply sweet, floral- and fruit-toned. Peach, narcissus, almond butter, nougat, cedar in aroma and cup. In structure sweetly and gently tart, with a balanced and roundly bright acidity. Satiny, lively mouthfeel. Peach and flowers linger in the finish.

Fruit-forward, delicate yet intense. Complex flowers (lily to lavendar), sandalwood, dark chocolate, plum, a hint of brandy in aroma and cup. Roundly and deeply crisp in structure; lightly satiny in mouthfeel. The finish is resonant and sweet with chocolate and a continuing hint of brandy.

Sweetly savory, layered. Rhododendron-like flowers, cinnamon, baker’s chocolate, cedar, red currant in aroma and cup. Round, savory-leaning structure; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The quiet finish centers on notes of vanilla-like florals and baker’s chocolate, with a hint of cinnamon.

: Richly pungent, low-toned but floral and chocolaty. Lush, complex flowers, baker’s chocolate, dried raspberry, smoky sandalwood, a hint of black pepper in aroma and cup. Bittersweet and savory in structure; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp flowers and chocolate carry into a drying finish.

Deeply and sweetly pungent. Ripe blueberry, dark chocolate, calla lily, orange zest, aromatic sandalwood in aroma and cup. Quiet, gentle acidity; silky mouthfeel. The ripe blueberry and dark chocolate notes carry with resonance into the short finish, while richly drying sandalwood tones dominate the long.

Brightly sweet, crisp. Grapefruit zest, lily, cinnamon, blackcurrant, vanilla in aroma and cup. Lively, juicy acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The rich, deep finish is alive with lily and vanilla suggestions; blackcurrant and grapefruit zest come forward in the long.

Sweetly nut-toned, original. Lavender, walnut, black peppercorn, date, cocoa powder in aroma and cup. Gentle, crisp acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Piquant, sweet lavender, cocoa powder and date are together supported by walnut in the rich, deeply layered finish.

Gently bright; discreetly exotic. Honeysuckle, mango, lemon curd, walnut, a hint of myrrh in aroma and cup. Brisk but juicy acidity; light, satiny mouthfeel. Fruit and walnut carry into a crisp, balanced finish.

Richly and deeply pungent. Honey, blood orange, blackberry, roasted cacao nib, lilac-like flowers, a hint of pungent wood (eucalyptus?) in aroma and cup. Big but gently expressed acidity; plush, buoyant mouthfeel. Flavor carries deep into a long, resonant finish.

Soft, subtle, distinctive. Dark chocolate, apricot, tangerine, honeysuckle, a savory hint of mace in aroma and cup. Softly resonant acidity; plush, silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a richly sweet short finish that turns mildly drying in the long.

Intense, elegant. Mint, lilac-like flowers, dark chocolate, pungent juniper berry in aroma and cup. Sweetly brisk, complexly expressed acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Chocolate in particular carries into a rich though drying finish.

Gentle, balanced, quietly complex. Honey, dark chocolate, pungent fir, orange zest in aroma and cup. Delicate, lively acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet, lightly flavor-saturated finish.

Spicy, delicate, complex. Orange, savory spice, honey, night flowers in aroma and cup. Gently lively acidity; very smooth, delicately syrupy mouthfeel. Orange in particular persists in a very sweet, long finish.

Delicate and meadowy sweet. Honey and molasses, flowering grasses, lemon in aroma and cup. Deepens and develops a chocolaty hint in the cup. Brisk, floral-toned acidity; light but silky mouthfeel. Despite the delicacy of the cup, rich-finishing, with a continuing hint of chocolate.

Crisply tart, dry berry and pungent grapefruit dominate in aroma and cup, with rounding hints of nut-toned cocoa and caramel. Intense, brightly balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rich, dry, flavor-saturated finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Elegantly sweet aroma and flavor in the short cup suggests evening flowers, almond-like nut, dark chocolate and a nectarine-like stone fruit. The stone fruit develops a bright, citrusy edge in the cup. Lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel; citrus and chocolate carry into the finish. Pronounced presence in two parts milk; the citrus and chocolate character show up with particular clarity.

Deep, resonant with dry fruit notes. Baker’s chocolate, ripe citrus, pungently tart berry in aroma and cup. Round, syrupy mouthfeel; rich, impressively flavor-saturated finish.

Bright with bergamot and bittersweet lemon, crisp baker's chocolate and fresh-cut fir, this dried-in-the-fruit coffee cupped more like a fine Ethiopia washed coffee than a natural, though a rounding hint of cherry-blueberry sweetness complicated the profile and appeared to confirm its processing method. Delicate acidity; light, silky mouthfeel; long, lemon-and-cocoa-saturated finish.

A big winner in four parts milk. Co-taster Andy Newbom (90) had it at 9 in milk while Ken (93) went to the limit at 10. Both keyed on a big, round, peachy fruit complexity and fine balance of milk and coffee. As straight espresso dominated by fruit as well: ripe, apricot-toned, a little wine-like, with a tart "sparkle" (Andy) of citrus. But the whole sensory package bloomed in milk with particular power and completeness.