Hello everybody.

As some of you know from my first thread, I have recently gotten into this espresso malarky. I have a found a roaster/coffee shop in Tampa which I think is really quite good. I go there now several times a week, and have gone through a few pounds of their "Double Dog" espresso at home, and have been more than happy with the results. I have tried a few coffees from the "List of our favorite roasters" thread, and Buddy Brew compares favorably with them. Like I said, I am new to this stuff, so my palate is somewhat untrained, but if you guys want two try something different, I recommend ordering a bag.

You can order online at www.buddybrew.com

I haven't tried anything other than their Double Dog espresso yet, so no comments on anything else.


Just to be clear, I am in no way affiliated with this place, this is not spam, I am just genuinely impressed by their product. I searched here for any mention of it, and didn't find any, so thought some of you might be interested.

Have a go at describing the blend for us. Is it deep, dark and brooding? Milk chocolate? Cherry jam? A few descriptors can go a long way.

haha, I'm nowhere near experienced enough for a good description, but I will try. I would say that it is dark and strong, and has a lingering aftertaste. It is not particularly sweet, and it is not particularly zesty (I'm not sure that's the right word, but I would use "zesty" to describe the Metropolis Redline I got today, if that helps.)

It is also important to note that I am a cappuccino guy, not a shot guy. I tasted a shot of it yesterday (that I made) and I wasn't a fan, but I have never had a shot of espresso made by a good barista on good equipment, so at this point i'm not sure if I just don't like espresso, or I am just bad at making it.

It is delicious in a cappuccino, though.

From their website...

"A sweet fruitiness at the start with a hint of boldness accompanied by nutty creaminess on the tongue finishing with hints of dark chocolate and berries."

This seems like one of those places I would definitely check out, but with guarded enthusiasm. It looks like they know enough to source good beans, then roast and ship them fresh. But I'd have to hold out judgment about the roasting and blending unless I actually gave them a try. My guess would be "occasionally good, but inconsistent" which is probably true of 90% of above average cafes/roasters in this country. Just checking out their "Buddy's Picks" page you find a Sumatra, with a long paragraph description about where it came from (probably a good sign) and then descriptions of the flavor in the cup as "very rich with low acidity. Imparts such flavors as vanilla or chocolate, like some red wines." Which throws me off because it's a little weird to hear flavors described as vanilla or chocolate (which aren't terribly common in red wines). And then the roast level is... vienna.