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Fair enough. It was an anecdote about my espresso experience, not a recommendation. In fact I wouldn't recommend it. I have tried roasting and making MM espressos but none have matched that first cup and I've given up on it.
I also said "Personal tastes vary". Many might find Central Americans too acidic and espressos don't have to be made from single origins.
Good points Flynn, it all comes down to preferences, I dislike coffee grown in SE Asia, have yet to try one that does not taste earthy, a taste sensation I don't enjoy, obviously many disagree with me as beans grown in the area have a big following.
Have to agree with Matt. Having just bought home some maui yellow catura (maui coffee co, Lahaina) you Hawaiians are blessed with some sensational home grown beans. I'd be roasting at home... That yellow catura would be the smoothest long black I've roasted and drunk at home. I drunk it through my aeropress and espresso machine and loved every drip. Good luck with your search!
I'm sure your right Dale, however visitors to Hawaii have a difficult time finding a supplier of freshly roasted beans, unless they are prepared to make a bit of a pilgrimage, perhaps things have changed, its a couple of years since we visited.
Well like others said the taste to any espresso boils down to personal preference there is no one answer for the questions. However every bean would have their own taste, i.e. Monsoon Malabar have been mention here. I personally taste distinctive spicy note to MM on the first 3 days of roasting then after that the Spicy note fades and then hint of nutty taste. It has also plenty of crema. To me the MM is not full-body for me. it does not lingers on your tongue long.
Where as Costa Rica Terrazu for me has a chocolaty flavour to the drink and it is full bodied. Once milk is added it's like drinking choc milk.
Wow! This is really great guys(and gals) I love hearing about everyone's favorites. I will definitely visit the local coffee bean farm ask about their beans. Roasting beans myself sounds amazing. Another hobby of mine is brewing beer. I love the long process from start to finish. I never would have thought that coffee or espresso would be such a long process. I look forward to enjoying every step of it. Now its time to read "how to roast my own beans" thanks again all. Really good stuff
If you are a milk & sugar coffee drinker, then easing into an espresso is a good idea.
First find a place that uses freshly roasted beans (no more than 3 weeks old), and grinds freshly for each cup.
Ask for a double ristretto (the least bitter cousin of a full espresso) This will be about 20-30 ml only (1 oz).
Then add about an equal quantity of steamed milk (it should never get hotter than 70°C--about the max. temp. your finger can stand without "ouch") and a touch of sugar. This will allow you to *start* tasting the varieties of flavours of the coffee rather than the milk, sugar and flavoured syrups.
Then try the ristretto by itself.
Greg
Me, I've never got beyond the ristretto. I find the full espresso too bitter.
Haha! If that is a compliment then that is rather nice of you... Not sure what the OP can make of that though. Leading them towards kissing sisters is not a good place to start an espresso journey
Places that have a crap 'Cafe culture' often have a vibrant 'underground coffee scene' with lots of dissatisfied patrons buying their own machines, sourcing good green or brown beans, and doing it themselves.
The problem is hooking up with some of these people.
Equally, some folks buy a good Espresso Machine and find they can't adjust to the 'effort' required - and then want to sell the machine. If you can tap into where the locals are selling them it can be an opportunity to pick up some gear at the right price.
Sometimes local newspapers may be receptive to suggestions about 'feature articles' on interesting topics that could help put you in touch with other local coffee fanatics.
If Starbucks is going gangbusters then there must be somewhere that has recognised the need to cater to the real coffee lover. Local bean suppliers would be able to tell you who they are supplying.
As a drinker of shots, Macchiatos, long blacks & Piccolo Lattes (without sugar), I look for a kind of Cocoa intensity with suggestions of Dark Chocolate and minimal bitterness or acidity.
Good luck with your search.
This is the bit I'm a bit unsure of... It seems to me that there must be good bitter or perhaps normal bitter, and bad bitter taste....
A post a couple after Gregs says there should be minimal bitterness...
Perhaps I'll go down to one of the well regarded coffee shop / roasters down the road and have a couple of drinks there espresso, ristretto to see how a good one tastes and then buy the same beans and come home and have a go for comparisons sake.... perhaps it will give me an idea if I'm heading in the right direction or not...
Bitter is a characteristic that can be present but does not necessarily have to be. Yes there are different classifications of bitter.
E.g. An over extracted shot can result in a bitter espresso but that is not the only variable to consider. Brewing at an unstable or wrong temperature can also cause a bad bitterness.
Some beans may have a characteristic that can be more prone to bitterness if 'the stars don't align' when pulling the shot..,the processing method when the coffee cherries are pulped can also change the character of the bean... but until you try lots and lots of different varietals or get your brewing parameters correct for a particular bean or blend, you most likely won't be able to tell the difference when starting out. The varietal itself should not be associated with bitterness though because the roasting stage can have dramatic effects on the end result...but there are others here who can explain a lot more about that if you are interested.
There are so many variables that need to come together to make things just right. When you are first starting out all this may seem like a lot to process, but you will love it. It only increases your curiosity and passion to reach that 'god shot'..
keep experimenting and working on your technique. It ill help you identify subtle changes when pulling a shot. remember that taste is subjective too, some people like what many would consider 'bad bitterness'. If you're interested in seeing how the brewing stage can affect the results you might want to go to your local cafe (if it is decent) and ask them to pull you several good and bad shots and explain to you what you are getting as an end result and why. That will give you a little more knowledge to experiment with at home.. Enjoy!
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