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Coffee

Dark Horse - Northern Dancer

Roasted by Detour Coffee Roasters

Smooth blend of Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia with chocolate and creamy texture.

Dark Horse - Northern Dancer — Detour Coffee Roasters
Image: courtesy of Detour Coffee Roasters
CreamyChocolateFruityBlack CurrantSyrupy Sweetness

From the roaster

Creamy   ·   Chocolate   ·   Fruity

Like the legendary Canadian racehorse, we’d put Northern Dancer up against the world’s best. This incredibly smooth coffee has a chocolate backbone, leading to a creamy texture, syrupy sweetness and notes of black currant. 

Origin: 50% Brazil · 20% Colombia · 30% Ethiopia

Detour Coffee Roasters x Dark Horse Espresso

What started in 2009 as a simple signature espresso blend between a burgeoning specialty coffee roaster and an independent cafe has now evolved into the first and longest-standing wholesale partnership. Today, this collaboration has evolved into a true sister company, working under one parent company to source, roast, and brew coffees with a focus on quality and relationships.

Note: This coffee is only roasted on Wednesdays.  All orders will be shipped out on Fridays.

— Detour Coffee Roasters

Context

This espresso blend from Detour Coffee Roasters brings together the roaster's expertise and Dark Horse Espresso's sourcing under the playful name Northern Dancer. The roaster emphasizes a creamy mouthfeel paired with chocolate and black currant notes, complemented by a syrupy sweetness that suggests careful roast calibration for body and sweetness development. The fruity character, particularly the black currant dimension, adds complexity beyond typical espresso profiles.

Natural-processed and experimental coffees often develop berry-forward characters; whether this blend leans into such origins or balances them with other processing methods remains roaster-specific. For tasters seeking to map these sensory impressions, Detour's tasting notes align with broader flavor categories on the flavor wheel—particularly in the chocolate and fruit families—offering a reference point for how creamy sweetness and dark fruit can coexist in espresso form.

Buy — $21 from Detour Coffee Roasters

In the Encyclopedia

Frequently asked questions

What does Dark Horse - Northern Dancer taste like?

Expect tasting notes of Creamy, Chocolate, Fruity, Black Currant, and Syrupy Sweetness.

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Last verified: June 29, 2026 · Browse all beans.