And in case the format strikes you as familiar, we stole it from Check Please!.

If you watch some of the videos, you'll see the strength of the format. The person who nominated the blend can say why they like the blend; while the two others, who may have different tastes, can say what they liked and disliked about it. This three way discussion will be the format for all the three coffees nominated by the three people (i.e. one each). So we hope this might lead to a more spirited discussion of all the coffees we order.

BTW, don't be concerned about nominating something we've reviewed before or even an old standby - having a discussion about these is good too.

Also, we are very cheap .. so if you take part, you will have to pay for the three nominated coffees.

Although I don't see why I would need to pay and ship the coffee I suggest to the other HBer's and/or moderator, I'll go ahead and suggest one I would be willing to try and do my best to review.
It's from Venia

Our signature espresso blend. As coffee is an agricultural crop, the coffees that go into Square Peg change throughout the year, but our goal is always the same: to bring you a beautifully sweet and balanced espresso that not only blends well with milk, but is also outstanding as a straight espresso shot.

I suggest it because it is from a sponsoring roaster, whose coffee I have never tried. I am intrigued that the bean is from Uganda, also an origin I can't remember having tried.

Moderators, if I'm not working the format correctly, or if I would be obliged to cover cost and shipping for the other reviewers, feel free to erase this entry and I may try again later.

EDIT: This recommendation is retracted; see clarifications below.

Chert wrote:I suggest it because it is from a sponsoring roaster, whose coffee I have never tried. I am intrigued that the bean is from Uganda, also an origin I can't remember having tried.

The idea is to nominate a coffee you love, normally order, and want to share with others.

Thanks for the clarification on what is being proposed and how it would work.

I've got 5 beans on my all-time favorite list but they've all been reviewed in previous "Favorite Espresso Blends"; so I'm assuming they shouldn't be used in the new format?

The only beans that I really fell heads over heels about, and weren't previously reviewed, were the Out of Africa Espresso that Klatch had a while back but those beans have been "currently unavailable" for at least a year. Their description was, which I always wonder if it's a load of propaganda, was:

"Out of Africa is certainly a complex single origin espresso blend created by barista champion Heather Perry with three distinctive natural process beans from Ethiopia. Heather describes this espresso blend as "pure awesomeness." This espresso delivers astounding undertones of chocolate and tobacco, heighten by brighter notes of slight lemon citrus and berry fruit. Holding greats amounts of crema. At the bottom of the shot the berry attributes pursue with added flavors of cherry and peach."

All of which I remarkably found to be spot on and the price was extremely reasonable. So I've got it bookmarked and every time I order any beans, I always check to see if they now have it in stock but alas to no avail.

Keith

It would actually be more interesting to see how this format works with coffees that have been reviewed before. Our old reviews are done blind, or with as few preconceptions as possible; this format is more like one person sharing with others. The other two reviewers would know what the nominating reviewer likes about the blend; and they can agree, disagree, or head off in their own direction. That might generate insights we don;t normally see.

One thing you don't see a lot on Check, Please! is one-upmanship; no "You call that a deli? Let me show you a real deli." So maybe we can avoid that here.

I'd like to propose reviewing Espresso Dolce. http://www.espressovivace.com/blends.html

Call it sacrilege but I actually like some milk based drinks; especially when their made with Dolce. The only drawback to this bean is that it's kind of finicky to work with and you need to be able to control the temperatures pretty closely. Since my machine does a good job in that regard I've been able to pull shots, at various temps and other parameters, that most of our friends really like.

Normally I use: 18.5 grams, @ 199f, ground for a shot time of 26 seconds, an extraction weight of 1.5 ounces, for a Macchiato.