I've been meaning to try this coffee for a long time. I was turned on to it by some of the Counter Culture staff at the Charlotte, NC training facility. They described this as one of their favorite espresso blends from a "friendly roaster".


The Roasterie, Super Tuscan Espresso Blend

The Roasterie is in Kansas City, MO and they air roast, rather than traditional drum roast. They advertise pretty heavily in Barista magazine and they look to be a big supporter of the coffee community (they are selling tickets for a Mid West Barista Jam, Dec. 6th, link).

Right now, the Super Tuscan blend is 10% off and this is not very well publicized, but if you spend $40+ while ordering from the Roasterie and select UPS Ground, shipping costs are removed when you checkout. I ordered 5 lbs on a Friday and received it on the following Tuesday. The guys at work have been enjoying it, and it performs very well in the Saeco superautomatic.

This is a sweet caramel blend, heavy on the chocolates and strong in milk.... in other words, it is a comfort "candy bar" blend but a very good one at that. I get a hint of fruit and had a wonderful shot an hour ago that had a slight pepper smoke finish (from a traditional espresso machine).

The Roasterie website, link.
Their Super Tuscan website with many links to reviews, link.

Coincidence ... I just ordered this coffee for the first time a couple weeks ago, and just finished it up. Here are the notes I took:

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Thick, rich, pecan colored crema
Aroma: Smokey and caramelly
Body: Medium body with a lingering finish
Milk: Mixes well with milk. I think the sweetness of the steamed milk balances out the bitterness in the espresso very nicely. While this espresso is quite bold as a straight shot, it melts into quite a nuanced cappuccino, with chocolate and fruity flavors present.

Score: 86, 88, 90, 89, 89, 90, 88

Profile & Flavors: Talk about a good description-- this espresso truly did peak between 6-8 days for me. The earliest pulls-- those being in the first 2-3 days --were quite spicy to my palate. Peppery and bitter on the finish, with a very big flavor upfront that I could not quite specify. Over the next couple days, a definite smoky element emerged. Still spicy, but think toasted white pepper as opposed to black pepper. As the espresso peaked on days 6-8, that enigmatic flavor became more identifiable. I taste dark caramel. There were also hints of sweetness to the pulls. All the pulls had a definite bitter element to them. At first it was a little too much I think -- like a shot of Campari. But as the caramel elements began to come through, the shots seemed to balance better. I also noticed that a touch of sugar can benefit this espresso. I typically do not use sugar in my pulls, but the bitterness of the blend along with how well it worked with milk made me try a couple pulls with sugar. Interestingly, fruity elements came forth and combined with the smoky flavors to create a unique shot. Think of grilled fruit. Extending the alcohol metaphor, these pulls reminded me more of Anisette than Campari. The best shot I had was a straight ristretto: smoke, spice, and caramel -- in that order. The most unique shot I had was a regular shot with a dash of sugar in it. A completely inconsequential note is the striking red color of the coffee itself. It really almost looked like red food coloring had been added, which I have never seen before.
Pairings: I think this espresso would work great after a hefty meal, and it will definitely please all your guests, whether they prefer milk drinks or a straight shot.

Buy Again? Not yet. I like this espresso because it has unique flavors to it, but I would like to sample other espresso blends - even the other blends at The Roasterie before revisiting this.

Bob Yellin of CoffeeCuppers.com just reviewed the Super Tuscan. You can find it here, link. The coffee scores an 88.3 and Bob says...

Bob at CoffeeCuppers.com wrote:The Super Tuscan blend produces a very sweet, slightly spicy shot with adequate, persistent crema, bitter-sweet chocolate, maple syrup, and roasted chestnut flavors. It seems well-balanced enough despite the medium low acidity and absense of high-toned fruit in the profile. Above all, there is a peat-like smoky quality that reminds one of single malt scotch.

These flavors cut though milk (cappuccino) with no problem and the basic sweetness of the blend together with the steamed milk's natural sweetness precludes the need for any additional sweeteners. In the cup (as a brewed beverage), it is a clean, flavorful, full-bodied coffee with medium low acidity and a long, smoky finish.

I was asked to review this coffee some time ago.

They sent me a pound with a nifty little "The Roasterie" demitasse.

They didn't like what I had to say (I never published the review. I sent it for them to see before publishing.)

They did not include brew parameters with the batch. (I wish they had)

After a bunch of emails tossed around (and internal to TR people), someone was very upset by the fact that I didn't find much favor with the blend.

I had found it rather boring, honestly. It hit the middle notes, and nothing else. The flavor was.. well.. pretty bland.

I had apparently hit a nerve. Eventually I was given brew parameters, and it made all the difference.

My semi-detailed review was posted on my blog. Click here to read it. (it's not long)