Memli Coffee Lab has built a strong reputation for high-quality, light-roasted specialty coffee in San Diego. Their lineup regularly features interesting single-origin coffees from producers and regions around the world, which made their Memli Coffee Tasting Set especially appealing.
The set includes five different coffees in smaller tasting vials, giving you the chance to explore several origins and flavor profiles without committing to full bags of each. I had been eyeing the set for a while and finally picked one up as a way to better understand which Memli coffees and flavor profiles I might want to explore further.
It also sounded like a fun opportunity to taste coffees from several origins side by side. Comparing them over a relatively short period made it much easier to notice differences in sweetness, acidity, processing, fruit character, and mouthfeel.
After brewing through all five coffees, here is my full review of the Memli Coffee Tasting Set.
Each vial contained roughly 45 to 50 grams of whole bean coffee. That may not sound like much, but it goes surprisingly far if you use a small-dose brewer.
I brewed these primarily with my Deep27 dripper, using doses of around 8 to 10 grams. At that size, each vial gave me roughly five brews, which was enough to make some adjustments and get a good feel for each coffee.
The presentation is also worth mentioning. Memli provides plenty of information alongside the coffees, and the individual vials make the experience feel more deliberate than simply receiving five sample bags.
More importantly, the format encourages comparison. Drinking coffees from Tanzania, Kenya, Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Bolivia within a relatively short period makes differences in sweetness, acidity, processing, and mouthfeel much easier to pick out.
Here is how each coffee tasted to me.
The Tanzania Acacia Hills immediately stood out for its sweetness.
Apple-like aromas were noticeable before drinking, while the brewed coffee brought out more floral character alongside hints of lemon. The acidity was present without dominating the cup, and the sweetness remained the main attraction.
This was a bright coffee, but not one where acidity overwhelmed everything else. I particularly enjoyed the balance between the fruit, florals, and sugary finish.
What I tasted: Apple, lemon, florals, sugary sweetness
The Kenya Karani AA was one of my favorites of the set, particularly because of its texture.
It had a noticeably buttery mouthfeel with a candy-like sweetness that became even more apparent as the coffee cooled. I found the floral character relatively restrained compared with some of the other coffees in the set.
The combination of sweetness and texture made this one especially enjoyable. Rather than being driven primarily by bright acidity, the cup felt rounded and almost confectionary.
What I tasted: Candy-like sweetness, buttery texture, light florals
The Pillcocaja Anaerobic from Ecuador was easily one of the more distinctive coffees in the lineup.
Strawberry was the dominant flavor for me, accompanied by a touch of fermentation-driven funk and some lighter floral notes. The finish also lingered noticeably longer than several of the other coffees.
Anaerobic coffees can sometimes push heavily into fermented flavors, but this one stayed relatively controlled. There was enough funk to make the processing noticeable without completely overpowering the coffee itself.
I am also a sucker for a good strawberry note in coffee, so this one was naturally right up my alley.
What I tasted: Strawberry, light florals, subtle funk, lingering sweetness
The Ethiopia Banko Gotiti Natural combined red fruit, strong florals, and a creamy mouthfeel.
What surprised me most was how clean it tasted.
Natural-process Ethiopian coffees can sometimes lean heavily into fermented or funky fruit characteristics, but this one was much more restrained. At times, it almost drank more like a washed Ethiopian coffee despite being naturally processed.
As the cup cooled, strawberry became increasingly prominent and paired nicely with the stronger floral character.
For someone who likes naturally processed Ethiopian coffees but does not necessarily want a heavily fermented cup, this could be a good middle ground.
What I tasted: Strawberry, red fruit, florals, creamy texture
The Bolivia Finca Mathias was probably the most approachable coffee of the five.
Maple syrup was easily the dominant flavor for me, followed by hints of chocolate and red apple. Compared with the brighter and more floral coffees in the set, this was a sweeter, more comforting cup.
The acidity and bitterness also felt particularly balanced.
If I were introducing someone to lighter-roasted specialty coffee who normally drinks more traditional coffee profiles, this is probably the coffee from the tasting set I would give them first. It still had plenty of character, but the maple, chocolate, and apple flavors made it familiar and easy to drink.
What I tasted: Maple syrup, chocolate, red apple, balanced sweetness
There was not really a bad coffee in the group, but a few stood out for different reasons.
The Kenya Karani AA had my favorite mouthfeel, with its buttery texture and persistent sweetness. The Pillcocaja Anaerobic and Banko Gotiti Natural were the standouts if you prefer more fruit-forward coffees, particularly if you enjoy strawberry notes.
Meanwhile, the Bolivia Finca Mathias was probably the easiest coffee to drink and the one I would recommend to someone who prefers sweetness and balance over pronounced acidity or florals.
That variety is ultimately what makes the tasting set worthwhile. There is enough contrast between the five coffees that you can start identifying not just which coffee you like best, but why you like it.
For me, the biggest value of the Memli Coffee Tasting Set is exploration.
You get to taste five different specialty coffees without buying five full-size bags, and you can compare them while the experience is still fresh in your mind. It is particularly useful if you are trying to better understand your coffee preferences or decide which types of Memli coffees you might want to purchase in the future.
It also makes a great gift for someone who is already interested in specialty coffee. The presentation is thoughtful, the coffees are varied, and there is an interactive element to brewing your way through the set that you do not get from simply handing someone another bag of coffee.
The tasting set was also a good example of why Memli stands out among San Diego specialty coffee roasters. The five coffees covered a surprisingly wide range of flavors while maintaining the clean, light-roasted style I have come to associate with Memli.
If you enjoy light-roasted specialty coffee and want to explore several different origins side by side, the Memli Coffee Tasting Set is an easy one to recommend.
You can find Memli Coffee Lab on the San Diego coffee map, or browse more tasting notes and cafe visits on the blog.