Home roasted 5th day organic Yergh, full city + pulled on the Cremina. It is starting to get some flavor, now it is just sweet with a hint of tobacco.
-Richard

This thread is a great idea!

Today was 10th day old Bolivia El Parasio. The last batch I roasted were at their best after a week, I found. I took this batch around 30 seconds further towards 2nd than I perhaps should have. The sweetness is muted slightly, but the dark berry fruit flavour is there, giving a black-cherry effect with some blackcurrant thrown in.

Not too heavy, not super-sweet, but a really interesting espresso, which is what I aim for!

Actually, I have to take back my comment about how I don't really enjoy the La Semeuse Il Picere beans as a straight espresso. This morning I cut about 4 seconds of my rebound time (now around 16 seconds after a 4 second past water dance flush), and all of a sudden there was a sweet chocolate note that had been missing before. This is nice coffee!

Oh man. I must've done something right this time, finally. I've just spent the better part of February/March tweaking my stuff and techniques, making my MDF stepless, adding a Silvia wand to my Classic, cleaning everything and backflushing (for the first time in 4 years..!). I've improved my shots a lot but something's been missing between the taste I've had at my local roaster's and at home. Then last night I adjusted the brew pressure down from 11 bar to 9, but didn't have any beans left! So I ran this morning to get the nice Brazil I tasted the other day, which up until the stepless mod had been between steps on my grinder, and WHOA! BINGO! Just finished sipping and thought I'd share because it's mostly thanks to HB.

First espresso from the new batch of Blanche Dael Ristretto, 5 days past roast. First shot went into the sink, but the second was bang on target, with a tighter grind and one second extra past water dance. Hints of nutmeg and cinnamon with milk chocolate, just how I like it.

I am glad you asked. Today was a wonderful coffee day. I have not had anything worth drinking in two weeks as I have been packing/driving/unpacking/drying-a-flooded-basement-in-my-new-place (of course the espresso bar is in the now un-flooded basement).

Thanks to a shipment of PT's Gizmo and a great landlord (and his contractors) I have a dry basement and some good espresso today.

Great!

Hairbender, brought by my sister-in-law from the source, roasted 3-9-09. Bag opened yesterday. One of my favorite old standbys.

19g in Synesso 14g basket 1.25oz ristretti at 198.0F. Visually excellent extractions.

Sweet, complex sticky spro! Dark chocolate, bit of nuttiness, fruit present, but a bit ill-defined. Not godshots, but on par with most I have had in PDX. (Best ever still was at Stumptown on 3rd.)

Anyway... I had three.

The coffee needs one more day, and 0.3 to 0.5 more degrees I think.

I have friends coming on Monday, and I better roast, because this stuff is not going to survive the weekend!

Had my first espresso in 3 days, as we spent the weekend away with the in laws. Decided trying to dose about 16 grams instead of my usual 17.5 grams with my current favorite, Blanche Dael ristretto. Visually, the shot blonded a couple seconds earlier than usual, but the result in the cup was very pronounced: more clarity, with all the flavors intact, but more harmonious. A real improvement!

It was an on and off last few days as I wait for several bags of coffee to arrive (Barismo in the mail today!). But I revived some Stumptown Panama Carmen from the vacuumed freezer bags and brewed as a French Press. Even revived it was a pretty spectacular cup of coffee. It definitely made me happy to be alive.

This morning I had Ethiopia Organic Kemala "Korito Koran" aged six days. Wow..it really came into its own after the rest. I had some after 2 days and it was kind of bland. It's surprising how much it has perked up and started giving me the fruit.

brad

Today..I had year old "Pilao" brand vacuum packed coffee. Prepared in the manner "Cubano" from an electric Moka pot. I added microwaved hot milk that I frothed with a battery frother and I really enjoyed the whole thing! Not the most glamorous or flavorful...but hey a drink! Beats *$ at that!
-Richard

This morning, I started with Blue Blend in a latte. Blue Blend is one that I am starting to like a lot - especially as a straight espresso. It's from Batdorf and Bronson, but for whatever reason they don't offer it online. You have to get it from their shops.

Then, I tried the new Starbucks "Via" instant that I received as a sampler in the mail. I drank it black to get a good idea of how it actually tastes. You know, I was actually surprised - for instant, it wasn't bad. If I were going backpacking into the mountains or travelling somewhere by train, I would take it with me. Via does have a mild aftertaste that lets you know it isn't fresh-brewed, and it doesn't have as much body as brewed. Again - in a pinch, it's not too terribly bad.

It will be interesting to see if Via catches on in the market. I wouldn't be surprised if it does.

For the last week, my morning coffee was Illy pulled on a 2 group LaSpaziale commercial machine, ground on a Mazzer Major, at Grand Cayman's Cafe del Sol. The shots followed *some* rules: a standard double was pulled in 25 seconds, but unfortunately it had a volume of 4 ounces and quickly disappearing pale crema.

When I got back I needed to have some great espresso, so I went to downtown New Haven to Jojo's Coffee and Tea. Damn was that a delicious shot. It's amazing how a week without good espresso takes a delicious shot and transforms it into a REALLY delicious shot.

Dan

You were in Grand Cayman!! Don't complain about the espresso! It was still winter up here.

On another note - now that its spring I get up to New Haven every week for golf - today was a start. I've never bothered to look for espresso so I must ask if Jojo's is the best place around? It's only a couple of miles from the course so not too out of the way. ANy other recommendations?

I did a search and couldn't find New Haven mentioned. Thanks

I'm back in the fold. Today was a great Yergh at city plus from a local roaster. Fourth day and pulled from the Cremina it was a crema treat!
Cheers
-Richard

First espresso from a 4 day past roast Blanche Dael Brasil Bourbon Sunrise. First impressions: Very clean, citrus, apricot, nutmeg. Does not seem to clump which makes life easy.

This was a great morning. Updosed to 18g (which seems to help my channeling problem). Pulled a nice shot. Tiger striping, dark rusty crema, little brown flecks. Best shot I've pulled since I got my machine a month ago.

Got my microfoam much closer to the right consistency, and managed my best Latte Art attempt yet. Are they gonna put me on the Barista team at Artigiano? No. But this morning was a triumph, and one of the best Latte's I've ever had, let alone made.

Excellent! Pulled two shots of Klatch's USBC 2008 Competition Blend on the Caravel. Still experimenting with best results and temperature stability, both pulls were around 201°F with a 14gm dose in the Caravel basket (overfill and tamp to about 2mm from the top of the basket). Pulled the first as a 20ml ristretto, and the second as a 30ml double. Both tasty.