Reiss of Londinium Espresso roasters (in London surprisingly) has been trying to get a good 100% robusta for ages and I have been very evil in encouraging him in this since I occasionally get a bit of nostalgia for some of the better rich bitter syrupy not-quite-rubber tastes I remember from certain Italian blends.

Anyway he finally tracked down this Javan Sumeru and spent a month of sundays getting the roast right before he finally sent me some.

Talk about being taken by surprise....

IT'S INCREDIBLE!

It's certainly unlike anything I have ever previously associated with robusta.

You get a very clean cup with slightly spicy, almost effervescent peppery bitter notes, smooth deep dark chocolate and a strong undercurrent of sweet hazelnut, plus a dinky hazelnut aroma. Smooth, light mouthfeel. It all fades to a light but lingering aftertaste.

Stunning!

It surprises by being both strong and clean and relatively light in body. I very strongly recommend it, BUT....

A WORD OF WARNING: this stuff is really high in caffeine! More than a double or a couple of singles at a time and you are likely to spend the following hour in the small room

And this stuff can really keep you awake at night (don't ask me how I know! )

But if you ever wondered whether you can get a great SO espresso from a robusta, just try it. I'm ordering some more, having got through 250g in a just 3 days!

Cheers

Mike