Reviews for Simon Hsieh's Aroma Roast Coffees

Evaluated as espresso. Very rich and deeply sweet. Dark chocolate, dried cherry, singed cedar, lilac, candy cap mushroom with layered complexity in aroma and small cup. Very thick, syrupy mouthfeel; the finish consolidates to smoky cocoa and sweetly savory mushroom. In three parts milk, the cup is very chocolaty, sweet and floral with an umami throughline.

Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, rich-toned, floral. Jasmine, vanilla, pink grapefruit zest, cedar, dark chocolate in aroma and small cup. Delicate, lively mouthfeel; long, flavor-saturated finish. In cappuccino-scaled milk, notes of jasmine and vanilla take center stage, supported by dark chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply and richly sweet-savory. Blackberry, roasted cacao nib, tamarind, sandalwood, pistachio in aroma and small cup. Crisp but velvety-smooth mouthfeel; rich, resonant, flavor-laden finish. Berry and cocoa notes lead in cappuccino-scaled milk, followed by an intriguing hint of sandalwood.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep, richly chocolaty, sweetly tart. Dark chocolate, peach, candied almond, tangerine zest, magnolia-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Plush, satiny mouthfeel; resonant, long, bittersweet finish. In three parts milk, chocolate and magnolia-like flowers round and amplify.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp, deeply sweet, complex. Sandalwood, lychee, orange zest, narcissus, cumin in aroma and small cup. Full, creamy mouthfeel; floral-toned, chocolaty finish. Elegantly rich in three parts milk: sandalwood and lychee in the short finish and cocoa-toned floral notes with a hint of spice in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply rich, intricately aromatic. Sandalwood, tangerine zest, baker’s chocolate, ripe plum, wisteria in aroma and small cup. Delicate, silky mouthfeel; floral-toned, zesty, slightly drying finish. Softens and blooms with vast, flavor-saturated elegance in three parts milk: chocolate, plum, flowers, more.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, deep, roundly spicy. A particularly aromatic cedar plus caramel, almond butter, peach, rose-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around a cedar-toned chocolate in a resonant finish. Crisp and delicate in three parts milk: continued cedar and chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly rich, chocolaty. Chocolate fudge, myrrh, sandalwood, frangipane, lavender in aroma and small cup. Full, fudge-like body. The lavender- and sandalwood-inflected finish is also deeply chocolaty, resonant and sweet. Sweet and savory are enticingly balanced in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp, intensely sweet, balanced. Jasmine, tangerine, cedar, baker’s chocolate, almond in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy body. The richly drying, sweet finish consolidates to almond and fruit-toned chocolate. Both the almond and chocolate carry brightly into three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Exuberant, vibrantly composed. Buttery chocolate, wisteria, blood orange zest, almond, pineapple guava in aroma and small cup. Creamy, smooth mouthfeel. The rich finish is flower-forward and chocolaty, precise in its clarity. It continues to impress in three parts milk, which further sweetens the chocolate notes and rounds the bright fruit tones.

Evaluated as espresso. Massively rich, savory sweet, deeply complex. Dark chocolate, black currant, wisteria and lavender, tangerine-like citrus in aroma and small cup. Full, velvety mouthfeel; smooth, flavor-saturated finish. Chocolate turns fudgy and the flowers deepen in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Lush, sweet, musky. Lily, peach, guava, chocolate in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel. Very sweet finish with a slight drying edge. Fat and nicely nuanced in three parts milk: continued peach, guava, chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Floral-toned, sweetly brisk. Dark chocolate, raspberry, lilac-like flowers, incense-like cedar in aroma and small cup. Light, silky mouthfeel; richly drying, flavor-saturated finish. Briskly complex in three-parts milk: lilac, cedar, chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet, intricate, pungently floral. Baker’s chocolate, grapefruit, lavender, stone fruit in aroma and small cup. Lightly satiny, lively mouthfeel. A crisp, floral-toned chocolate dominates in the finish and carries with brisk elegance into three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep, resonant, savory-sweet. Black currant, dark chocolate, black sage, dusk-blooming flowers in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel; black currant and sage carry into a drying but rich finish. The sweet-savory fruit and chocolate character blooms pleasingly in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Distinctive but extraordinarily complete and balanced in structure. Dark chocolate, black cherry, violet, oak in aroma and small cup. Full, nectar-like mouthfeel; sweet, violet-toned finish. Big, rich presence in three parts milk: floral chocolate and a buttery nut note.

Evaluated as espresso. Profoundly floral-toned, delicately bright. Complex flowers (lilac, lily, honeysuckle), tangerine-like citrus, cedar, nut-toned chocolate in aroma and small cup. Lightish but velvety mouthfeel; chocolate and cedar in particular carry into a clean finish. In three parts milk delicate but authoritative: very sweet citrus, chocolate, flowers.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet, deep, balanced. Dark chocolate, grapefruit, fresh-cut cedar, crisp flowers – lavender, freesia – in aroma and small cup. Heavy, syrupy, almost chewy mouthfeel; dark chocolate and cedar in a rich though drying finish. Strong presence in three parts milk: dark chocolate, cedar, flowers, anise.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly tart, chocolaty. Black cherry, apricot, dark chocolate, narcissus and lily, hints of spice in aroma and small cup. Light, satiny mouthfeel; tartly fruit- and spice-toned finish. A pleasing, lively, fruit-nuanced chocolate dominates in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Tart, rich, complex. Dark chocolate, blood orange, sandalwood, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel; sandalwood, citrus and flowers carry into a dry but resonant finish. Softens yet retains its tart richness in three parts milk.