Blended coffee, optimized for Espresso Extraction
Ethopiques
Blend: Ethiopian beans Blended and optimized for Espresso Extraction
By standard cupping methods for brewed coffees, these ingredient coffees are mellow enough, but extracting this blend in an espresso machine produces something quite different, and very intense. The dry fragrance has citrus and tropical fruit suggestions, over chocolate notes. The wet aroma follows in the same footsteps, with more clarification of fruited notes, raisin and plum, with slight acacia floral hints. The espresso shot is surprisingly syrupy. The chocolate roast taste is pungent, aggressive, bittersweet, and long-lasting on the palate. But it is also very clean, succinct, not earthy or rustic. On top of this are intense florals - jasmine and sweet pea - lemon oil and rind, raisiny ripe fruit and red berries. The body seems bolstered by the intense cup flavors, and has the effect of satiny chocolate. It's fantastic! As usual I preferred longer pulls at around 202 initial brew head temperature. We are finding this also makes amazing Americano (espresso + water), as well as brewed coffee. These are all current-crop coffees folks, showing no age. And it can be used as the "bright" component in a blend that tones it down a bit. For example 2/3 Brazil or El Salvador with 1/3 Ethiopiques. The Roaster suggests you try the Full City roast as this roast preserves the qualities associated with Ethiopian coffees while allowing enough body to cut into any milk - espresso combination you so desire.
By standard cupping methods for brewed coffees, these ingredient coffees are mellow enough, but extracting this blend in an espresso machine produces something quite different, and very intense. The dry fragrance has citrus and tropical fruit suggestions, over chocolate notes. The wet aroma follows in the same footsteps, with more clarification of fruited notes, raisin and plum, with slight acacia floral hints. The espresso shot is surprisingly syrupy. The chocolate roast taste is pungent, aggressive, bittersweet, and long-lasting on the palate. But it is also very clean, succinct, not earthy or rustic. On top of this are intense florals - jasmine and sweet pea - lemon oil and rind, raisiny ripe fruit and red berries. The body seems bolstered by the intense cup flavors, and has the effect of satiny chocolate. It's fantastic! As usual I preferred longer pulls at around 202 initial brew head temperature. We are finding this also makes amazing Americano (espresso + water), as well as brewed coffee. These are all current-crop coffees folks, showing no age. And it can be used as the "bright" component in a blend that tones it down a bit. For example 2/3 Brazil or El Salvador with 1/3 Ethiopiques. The Roaster suggests you try the Full City roast as this roast preserves the qualities associated with Ethiopian coffees while allowing enough body to cut into any milk - espresso combination you so desire.
Classic Espresso Blend
This blend is especially for espresso extraction with sweet-bittersweet balance, body, crema, and finesse, the core definition of the espresso beverage. While this blend is designed primarily for a lighter roast, it also works well with a darker roast treatment. The cup has a balance between sweet and bittersweet flavors, moderate bright accent, soft traces of fruit, body and depth. The lighter roasts have a very sweet aromatic, fruited with plum and a hint of spice (cinnamon stick, cardamom). Darker roasts tend toward chocolate laced with dark fruit tones, in both aroma and cup flavor. Both have a firm, opaque body, with toasted almond roast notes as the espresso cools. In the aftertaste, peach tea flavor (and it light roasts a bit of jasmine tea) are evident. Of course, results vary with how the espresso machine and grinder are set up. We use 8.5 bars of pressure at the head, with 202 degrees water temperature (measured at the head) to start, dropping to about 198. At higher temperatures, it's a more aggressive espresso with a bittersweet edge and well-suited to milk drinks. The Roaster suggests you try the American roast as this roast is very flexible for use as a straight shot espresso or mixed into any milk - espresso combination you like!