I've only tried it so far as espresso using a Ponte Vecchio Export. It's delicious that way, as described. I filled the basket to the brim with my grinder doser, leveled and tamped. I used paper above the coffee and below it and double pulled. Past experience with other machines tells me the paper below it can make it only slightly more mellow.

drgary wrote:Compass Coffee offers a Figley's Legacy blend during the holidays to honor a gentleman who was a community activist, the local Santa Claus and spirit of Christmas. Mike donates $2 from each 12 oz bag to the Vancouver Children's Fund. This is such a lovely and mild comfort blend I would like to be able to get it all year round, donation included.

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Something to consider. FWIW it's a melange roasted 3 bean blend of 50% washed Ethiopia Yirg' Adado 420f and 50% (25% each) Mexico Altura Chiapas Santa Teresa | Guatemala Huehuetenango Rio Azul roasted together 430f. Pulls great shots on the Vesuvius, no papers needed.

What really wowed me today was some Panama Esmeralda Bouquette Vesuvius shots!

Mountain Air Roasting EXC Grade 1 DP is just exceptional. Technivorm brew 60g/1L. So clean you won't believe it's a natural and the fruit and florals will make you think you're sitting in the midst of a giant blooming orchard sipping a combination of juice from everything they grow. Superb!

I've picked up a few coffees to try while learning my new grinder (a Ceado E37S). I've just been dialing in Mountain Air's Heirloom Espresso, which is a nicely-roasted Yirgacheffe that yields a fairly bright, slightly acidic brew with layered flavors of light citrus, grape, tobacco, and caramel. I may tweak it further, but right now a 30 sec pull of 19 gm (about 45% extraction) at 200 F works pretty well. And it just clicks in a macchiato where the long caramel finish is really nice.

http://mtnairroasting.com/product/heirloom-espresso/

I'm ordinarily a comfortable chocolaty kind of guy but this will be a nice change of pace. Will be interesting to compare this with the Nom De Plume Ethiopian (roasted a tad lighter) I just picked up.

EDIT: Just tweaked the grind finer but upped the dosage time to keep the yield at 19 gm, and extraction quality/flavor got even better. Very satisfying SO espresso.

New Harvest Coffee Roasters Guatemala El Naranjo Kikiya - a very lightly roasted sweet, nutty, chocolate single origin bomb. 15grs, 94c, 3 sec preinfusion for a double is working well for me. Stands up to milk really well. Nice amount of complexity. Not the most complex but certainly not a 3 note piano either. Plenty enough going on to make me want to drink it everyday.

JBC has an Ethiopian that placed 3rd in Kenneth Davids' cups for 2014. I kept time at the Big Central barista competition and JBC brought this coffee that Johnson sourced directly in Ethiopian. It is stellar; I snuck a cup. Grab some, it's that good.

http://www.coffeereview.com/review/gelg ... l-process/

Slate's Under Pressure espresso - blend of a Brazilian washed yellow Caturra, a natural Ethiopian and a washed Ethiopian - has been producing delicious shots and both the Faemina and Caravel the past few days. Highly recommended.

I went out to dinner in Chicago, a 1 michelin star joint called Longman & Eagle. They were serving Dark Matter coffee. Unicorn Blood for espresso and Chocolate City for iced coffee. My brother and I split a french press, the blend I guess rotates monthly. I totally spaced on asking what it was, but I can say it was amazing. Chocolatey and floral, with smooth undertones of orange pith. I truly wonderful pairing with our Black Sesame Thai Donuts, cocnut ice cream and lemon sorbet.

Having enjoyed coffees from Intelligentsia and Metropolis, this is one from Chicago that I haven't really explored yet, along with Bow Truss.

Gaslight Coffee Roasters - Ethiopia Sidamo Sasaba

Considering Gaslight does not believe in blends and roasts all of their coffee for pourover, this coffee is stellar as espresso.

JerDGold wrote:Having enjoyed coffees from Intelligentsia and Metropolis, this is one from Chicago that I haven't really explored yet, along with Bow Truss.

The best roaster in Chicago, IMO, is gaslight and its very close to Longman and Eagle.

Espresso Motoretta by CQ coffee roasters in Bedford, NH.