Italian-like espresso blend from third wave roaster - Page 2

#11: Post by **hperry** » August 15th, 2013, 11:25 am

It's always a pleasure to host HB members.

Wouldn't judge the quality of Joe's coffee by the shot you had. He brews the way je believes it should be done, but the coffee is lots better than its brewed there ironically enough.

#12: Post by **drgary** » August 15th, 2013, 11:32 am

Hi Hal:

I made it at home too, but then who knows the sorry state of my barista skills back then? I'll take your word for it.

#13: Post by **aerojrp** » August 15th, 2013, 11:41 am

I've been really happy with Caffe D'arte in Seattle http://www.caffedarte.com/espressoblends.html. I've tried both the Taromina and the Capri blends. I really like the crema and taste of the Capri, it is very close to my favorite coffee found only in Napoli. I read some mixed reviews on Caffe D'arte, but I can't complain. The bags are dated, they were roasted less than a week before I get them, and it's 2 day shipping all the way to Maryland! The cost can't be beat either, and they sell full pounds instead of 12oz.

I tried Vivace's Dolce, but wasn't impressed. Too fruity to be a real Italian blend. Did have lots of Crema, though.

Jim

#14: Post by ds » August 15th, 2013, 11:49 am

One of the very good Italian style blends I found is Caffe Umbria Gusto Crema Blend.

#15: Post by **hperry** » August 15th, 2013, 1:48 pm

Part of the problem is that it's temperature sensitive and typically likes to brew at lower temps than most blends. Also requires a tighter grind. One reason I don't use it now is that most other roasters require quite different settings for temp, grind and quantity.

#16: Post by **peacecup** » August 15th, 2013, 2:32 pm

I'll second Cafe D"arte and Caffe Umbria. I liked them both.

August 17th, 2013, 12:09 am

Thank you all for your suggestions.
It's a very good base, I'll start to try some of these blends...
To summarize, your suggestions are (those available online):
Haiku Espresso from Barefoot Coffee roasters (San Jose, CA)
Espresso blends (e.g. Espresso Di Carlo) from Mr Espresso (Oakland, CA)
Handlebar Espresso Blend from Compass Coffee Roasting (Vancouver, WA)
Gusto Crema Blend from Caffe Umbria (Seattle, WA)
Espresso blends (e.g. Capri) from Caffe D'Arte (Seattle, WA)
Espresso blends (e.g. Dolce) from Espresso Vivace Roasteria (Seattle, WA)
Espresso blends (e.g. Toscano or Number 46) from Counter Culture (Durham, NC)
I also found these other options on the forum:
Italian Style Espresso Blend from Our Coffee Barn (Minneapolis, MN)
Ambrosia Espresso from Caffe Fresco (Port Griffith, PA)
Any comment on these 2?

@drgary, I could not find the Toscano from Mr Espresso. Did you mean Toscano from Counter Culture? I know Cafe Trieste in North Beach and I already tried their espresso, it is a good one but I'd like something a bit more complex and a bit smoother. Would Haiku Espresso fill the bill on that matter?

Vincent

#18: Post by **drgary** » August 17th, 2013, 2:00 am

That's an oops on Mr. Espresso "Toscano." Espresso Neapolitan is the one, and it's not typically dark Neapolitan but is in the direction you're seeking. With your question about Haiku, yes, milder and more complex than Cafe Trieste. When H-B members gathered at my house recently that bag got fairly emptied out and it's definitely not Third Wave lemonade.

#19: Post by **aerojrp** » September 7th, 2013, 2:31 pm

I've been following this thread, and ordered up some of Mr. Espresso's Neopolitan blend as a result. It just came, and I have to admit it's not exactly what I expected. As to taste, it's very much like Vivace's Dolce, but with a lot less crema. Not really an Italian taste, and definitely not Neopolitan, which is surprising based on Mr Espresso's advertising. There was a roast date on the bag, but it was 2 weeks before I ordered and 3 weeks before I got it (they shipped UPS ground from CA, which didn't make much sense). I had to tighten up the grind a LOT to prevent gushers, which could be from the time delay, or from the roast that is definitely lighter than I have been using. So far, my vote is still for Caffe D'Arte's Capri, which is the closest thing I have found to a really good Neopolitan Espresso. There shipping is a lot faster too!

I just ordered some of Dark Matter's Unicorn Blood to see what that one is like. We'll see!

Jim

#20: Post by **aerojrp** » September 14th, 2013, 4:14 pm

Been using the Unicorn blood for a few days now. It too is not very Italian, but I like it a little better than that from Mr Espresso and Vivace. It is still more third wave fruity than I prefer... it has some robusta, but not as much as Vivace uses. Bag was dated and it was less than a week old when shipped. It's a light roast, and I had to tighten up the grinder even more than I did with that from Mr. Espresso.

Jim