Sherman was pulling these shots in the 80% range 21g - that's about one sip, maybe two. How common is it for you all to pull such high ratio shots? Isn't difficult to distinguish flavors at such high ratio?

I usually brew in the 50-60% range, 16g:30g or so, and I thought these were high.

If one is using something like the Strega, with a dose or 16-18g, wouldn't the shot volume be closer to 45-60 ml with a full piston stroke? Does one pull the cup halfway to get a 50% shot?

Since I'm a comfort food blend guy I kinda wish I could get a kilo shipped overseas for a reasonable price, but then there is a 25% tax on top here in Sweden. Fun reading anyway,

PC

peacecup wrote:How common is it for you all to pull such high ratio shots?

Generally speaking, I prefer espressos around 70% brew ratio as a reasonable tradeoff between body and taste delineation. In the case of this particular espresso, the best espressos were hovering around 50% on a La Marzocco (normale range). Sherman is our designated lever guy; reading his writeup, he increased the brew ratio to maximize sweetness ("There was no surprise here with the slightly-higher ratio neatly cleaving the flavors. The grapefruit turned into tangerine, syrupy and sweet with just a hint of acid, while applewood and hickory do-si-do-ed across the cup.").

PC - I started with a 70% on the HX and played with ratios, going down to 56%. At that point the flavors were present but muted. Raising dose while maintaining ratio did the trick for my palate.

On the lever, I started over with a 14g 60% shot, but ran into similar issues. I want espresso to be an amplified coffee experience, and the lower (50%) ratios were just not doing it.

Comparing this to my experience with Scout's Honor:

Total shot time, 40 seconds - including 10 seconds' preinfusion. The reward for these efforts? A demitasse of lemon curd, silky and just-this-side-of-sour.

Temperature: Impossibly high
Preinfusion: 10s
Dose: 19g
Output: 31.7g
Ratio: 61%
Time: 40s

I found a lower (61%) ratio to work best, providing sufficient amplification.

peacecup wrote:I usually brew in the 50-60% range, 16g:30g or so, and I thought these were high.

Andy Schecter's brew ratios are widely accepted standards for defining espresso beverages. 50% falls right in the middle of Andy's normale range. I have suggested that a 2:3 brew ratio (67%) is also typical for a normale. Certainly 80% is a ristretto, but it's nothing extreme.

peacecup wrote:If one is using something like the Strega, with a dose or 16-18g, wouldn't the shot volume be closer to 45-60 ml with a full piston stroke? Does one pull the cup halfway to get a 50% shot?

Keep in mind that brew ratio is calculated by weight, not volume. 60ml volume might weigh 30-35g, for a resulting brew ratio of 50%.

peacecup wrote:If one is using something like the Strega, with a dose or 16-18g, wouldn't the shot volume be closer to 45-60 ml with a full piston stroke? Does one pull the cup halfway to get a 50% shot?

I have used the Strega for the last few reviews, and intend to continue with it, since it does a better job individualizing the coffees for my tired tastebuds. After a lot of consideration, I give machine relative dose, temperature, flow and ristretto/lungo instructions; but I won't give absolute measures anymore, because I think they are machine dependent.

On the Strega, the same grind in the same basket requires a dose that is 4.5 grams more than on my Semi to produce a shot with the same flow and texture characteristics. The resulting exact brew ratio is a lot higher too. I believe that these differences are somewhat illusory. The Strega uses a column of water as wide as the puck, not coffee delivered through twisty little banjo tubes and fine holed dispersion disks. A half ounce to an ounce of coffee flows after I remove the cup. I'm guessing that a lot of the added dose is flavoring the waste water (before it pushes through the puck), so that exact dose and brew ratio figures are not transferable to other machines.

However, I know the relative instructions do transfer: that is, if a medium hot, high dose, ristretto shot works on the Strega, chances are the same relative parameters will work on other machines

Mike here from Klatch,

I'll post here for those who want to try the seasonal WBC Espresso. To my surprise, we are blowing through the Konga, so that means the seasonal WBC Espresso is almost gone. If you want to try before we go back to our regular WBC, try today. The good news is our Worka has arrived and will be available soon.....and its awesome!

mike

I haven't got quite dialed in yet, but I'm really enjoying Klatch's Belle Espresso. It's darker, richer, sings louder than most espressos I've tried lately and it stands up beautifully in milk.

Redline Espresso and "Yellowline" by Metropolis Coffee

After the summer break, we're back to reviews. This time around there are two mystery blends. The only clue given by the roaster was that one blend was sold commercially, the other is a "curveball" blend for us to puzzle over. No idea what they meant by that...

UPDATED 11/06/2012 Revealed Favorite Espresso Blend 5A and 5B identities:

Metropolis Coffee wrote:Redline Espresso (5A) is a truly distinctive and rewarding blend. Its richness runs down the center like a racing stripe, leaving a trail of cocoa, honey, lavender, and a mild merlot-like fruit in the finish. The flavors translate perfectly in milk and are even amplified in sweetness making for a marvelous latte or cappuccino.

The curveball blend was 5B; it's a custom blend Tony Dreyfuss threw into the mix that isn't part of their online offerings (they nicknamed it "Yelllowline" for reference). It's composition is:

45% Guatemala Finca El Culpan
San Marcos Region
Caturra, Bourbon, Catuai

55% El Salvador Finca El Carmen
Apaneca, EL Salvador
Bourbon

Careful observers may recall that Redline was also reviewed in 2011; I thought it would be interesting to see how last year's (unblinded) results compared to this year's (blinded) results.

Blend 5A is a clear winner in my book as a classic "comfort" espresso blend: mild, balanced, sweet, nice sour cherry acidity, almond extract overtones. I ran brew temperature tests from 88-93C in 1C increments, using a 15g dose, ~67% brew ratio, and 30 second pulls. The best temperature setting on my Spaz S1 was 91-92C, but this blend is drinkable across a wide range of brew temps. There are hints of chocolate at higher brew temperatures. The blend works well with smaller amounts of milk, although flavors get lost in big gulp lattes. A great choice for beginners (but not for those seeking the cutting edge of espresso).


Pretty pours, too.

Blend 5B has more bitter notes than 5A, and prefers significantly lower brew temperatures. I'm getting best results at 88-89C on my Spaz S1. At higher brew temps I would recommend milk drinks.

Like Blend 5A, this is an old school espresso blend, definitely not third wave. You can extract some nice generic fruitiness at lower brew temps, hints of dark chocolate at higher temps, and hazelnut liquor overtones throughout.

I have a decided preference for Blend 5A, but I am more sensitive to bitters than most.

Here's my review: I labelled them 5A and 5B; but will change to 5 and 6 if that is how we are going.

INTRODUCTION Two more excellent blends for people who prefer lower acid shots. Both are roasted to a medium color, use very clean coffees, and have tightly focused flavors: blend A is mostly mid range, while blend B is mostly bass.

OVERALL TASTE Brewed neither blend has any prominent acidity; there is enough to keep them from tasting flat, but no more than that.

Blend A is medium bodied, with strong cinnamon and almond tastes and sweet honey and caramel aromatics. As it aged, the honey and caramel aromatics diminished, and with the loss or perceived sweetness, the taste became more assertive. It is at its best in the first week after roasting. The blend makes a light and clean cappa with nut flavors

Blend B is heavy bodied with a large proportion of Sumatra. The woody/forest tastes of the Sumatra predominate in the first few days. But after about three days, the taste becomes more profound, with deep cola nut and kenya reminiscent clove notes coming to the fore. It is at its best about 5 to 14 days after roasting. In cappas, the blend has very good depth and a lingering cola nut aftertaste

DIALING IN Both blends have a large sweet spots and are easy dial ins. The temperature may be best low to medium. For blend A, fine to medium grinds work best, while blend B does better with medium to coarse grinds.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT Blend A will appeal to people who enjoy the traditional Italian style mild and low acid espresso. In this respect it is far better than the staler offerings we get in the Americas from Italian roasters. Blend B is more challenging, what Starbucks would like to be: a traditional Seattle style, Sumatra based bomb with nothing bass and baritone notes only. These are great entry level shots; and a nice change of pace for the experienced hobbyist. If you like deep and powerful Sumatra/East Africa blends, B should be in your rotation