Rob, I do consider Caffe D'Arte's six espresso blends and CCM's one to be prima facie evidence that CD'A is more deeply engaged in the business of artisan-roasted espresso than CCM is. But I would not say and did not imply that CCM has "no merit".

Timmo...what you say is true. CCM's is not my style, per se...I go for the Northern style a little bit more. Again, I was offering an inexpensive alternative. I'm glad I had a chance to try it, if only for the experience of pulling shots with very dark espresso. The surprise was that, while not especially complex, it was sweeter than I would have expected. It did very well with milk. They seem to be nice folks as well.
Though I mostly home roast, I love to sample what the professionals have to offer, as they are my true guide as to how I'm doing and how I can improve.

IMAWriter wrote:I would recommend Klatch's "Belle Espresso", and Velton Coffee Roaster's "Bonsai" blend...also Toscano, from Counter Culture.

Hey Rob, thanks for the lead to Velton! I'm halfway thru a bag of Bonsai Blend and it definitely has the character and depth to fit in with the other two, which are favorites of mine. It strikes me as being closer to some of the Toscanos that I've had than it is to Belle. It is great as espresso, I'd say the the chocolate is a touch milder than the Belle, its probably a case of the floral and fruit notes being brighter than the cherry in Belle's, no? It holds well with milk, though the Belle with milk has a bigger front. Admittedly, my abilities to detect the subtleties of flavors within a shot are limited so this is the best I can do for describing what I tasted.

Thanks again.

Yes (lol..a private joke)...I used Belle as a point of comparison. Both wonderful, different.
Velton is a great guy, loves home roasters and their questions, and will willingly disclose Bonsai's components.
I don't want to know, as I would assuredly TRY to do it myself, and also assuredly come in 2nd best.
It would not be roasters fault, but THE ROASTER-man.