What should good espresso taste like? - Page 3

Want to talk espresso but not sure which forum? If so, this is the right one.
Sakae
Posts: 101
Joined: 13 years ago

#21: Post by Sakae »

malachi wrote:Or - another way to look at it - just because everyone says a shot is "good" doesn't mean you'll like it.
That's the way I am looking at. I read various articles found in here, but ultimately I am a home barista only, and I am preparing cup that I like to drink, regardless if it is great one or not, if judged by others. I do of course realize that I would have to lose that attitude quickly should I make a living at professional bar. Occasionally I make a trip into a reputable establishment to try something new, and if I do like it, than I experiment along lines found on pages of H-B to emulate the cup and its taste. I love Jim's articles and advice, but it beats me how to relate various feedbacks I am receiving from my sensory system to his chemical scale. I guess that's one of those moments when you need someone experienced next to you to sample the same drink, and simply tell you how acidic it is. Finally, I love it in here, learned a lot in the sense that forum opened my eyes to the new world which I always liked, but knew nothing about. Thanks all.

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UltramaticOrange
Posts: 655
Joined: 12 years ago

#22: Post by UltramaticOrange »

I'm still fairly new to the espresso world, so maybe I'm about to show some degree of ignorance here, but because it seems like there are fewer flavors involved, I feel it's much easier to talk about how espresso shouldn't taste.

The worst espresso shot I've ever had was overly astringent and acidic at the top (we're talking stomach-acid flavors) and nearly beef-jerky like at the bottom. Granted this is the extreme, but these flavors still peek out at me in all but the best shots.

Granted likes and dislikes are all subjective (hey! I like beef jerky!), but it's the benchmark that works for me.
If your tiny coffee is so great, then why don't you drink more of it?

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