Hi all.
I have at various times tried to bring myself to enjoy a straight espresso.
It is seen by some as the height of sophistication when it comes to drinking coffee (maybe others will disagree and say that a double ristretto takes the crown, but that is still an espresso).

When I was in Italy I drank an espresso daily at the bar, at the cost of 1 Euro. I felt like I was the bee's knees drinking an Italian espresso while scanning the football pages of the La Gazzetta dello Sport.
But to be really honest, I've never enjoyed the taste of it. It just tastes bitter and I feel like drinking water (or better still, milk) after finishing it.
Maybe I've never really had a good espresso. But I've tried espressos at some of the top rated cafes in Sydney, so I'm sure I must have had some decent espresso a few times along the way.
When I spoke to an espresso aficionado (the instructor at a barista course a few years ago), she said that she only drinks espresso as any milk based coffees taste just like milk to her.
The way I see it, the espresso is to coffee what whiskey is to alcohol. Drinkers often start out drinking light beers or lagers that are light on hops, which are easy drinking. Then often they seek out the hoppier beers like pale ales, then IPAs, maybe then try their hand at red wine, and some end up being single malt whiskey drinkers (like some end up being single origin espresso drinkers).
To me, a smooth foamed full cream milk balances out a good espresso perfectly, and separates out the strength and flavours of the espresso so you can actually taste and appreciate it. It's like watching an awesome lightning quick 10-second kung fu action in slow motion over 30 seconds, so you can actually see what the bloody hell is happening and appreciate it.

Maybe in a few years I'll see this post I made and laugh at how much of a n00b I was now. But aside from the bitterness, a 220-250mL flat white is much more able to be slowly sipped and enjoyed as a wake-up morning drink, than a 30mL espresso or a 20mL ristretto which is gone in 2-3 sips. So if I ever became an espresso drinker, I would lose something I love about drinking coffee - the 5 or so minutes where I scan the morning news with the rest of the family asleep.
So am I alone in this, in the "Coffee Snobs" forum, to declare I dislike espresso? Will this be like declaring I dislike straight whiskey on a whiskey forum and praising a watered down single malt?
I have at various times tried to bring myself to enjoy a straight espresso.
It is seen by some as the height of sophistication when it comes to drinking coffee (maybe others will disagree and say that a double ristretto takes the crown, but that is still an espresso).

When I was in Italy I drank an espresso daily at the bar, at the cost of 1 Euro. I felt like I was the bee's knees drinking an Italian espresso while scanning the football pages of the La Gazzetta dello Sport.
But to be really honest, I've never enjoyed the taste of it. It just tastes bitter and I feel like drinking water (or better still, milk) after finishing it.
Maybe I've never really had a good espresso. But I've tried espressos at some of the top rated cafes in Sydney, so I'm sure I must have had some decent espresso a few times along the way.
When I spoke to an espresso aficionado (the instructor at a barista course a few years ago), she said that she only drinks espresso as any milk based coffees taste just like milk to her.
The way I see it, the espresso is to coffee what whiskey is to alcohol. Drinkers often start out drinking light beers or lagers that are light on hops, which are easy drinking. Then often they seek out the hoppier beers like pale ales, then IPAs, maybe then try their hand at red wine, and some end up being single malt whiskey drinkers (like some end up being single origin espresso drinkers).
To me, a smooth foamed full cream milk balances out a good espresso perfectly, and separates out the strength and flavours of the espresso so you can actually taste and appreciate it. It's like watching an awesome lightning quick 10-second kung fu action in slow motion over 30 seconds, so you can actually see what the bloody hell is happening and appreciate it.

Maybe in a few years I'll see this post I made and laugh at how much of a n00b I was now. But aside from the bitterness, a 220-250mL flat white is much more able to be slowly sipped and enjoyed as a wake-up morning drink, than a 30mL espresso or a 20mL ristretto which is gone in 2-3 sips. So if I ever became an espresso drinker, I would lose something I love about drinking coffee - the 5 or so minutes where I scan the morning news with the rest of the family asleep.
So am I alone in this, in the "Coffee Snobs" forum, to declare I dislike espresso? Will this be like declaring I dislike straight whiskey on a whiskey forum and praising a watered down single malt?

. It really shouldn't be bitter like you say. They are intense and concentrated for sure, but it's overall a very pleasant experience if wellmade.
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