Favorite Espressos 2015 - Page 2

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HB (original poster)
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#11: Post by HB (original poster) »

drgary wrote:Coffee #1 is Full Cycle, Nossa Familia's signature espresso blend. The components of this blend change as the roastmaster works to keep its taste consistent. The version we tried has Brazil as a major component. And that's Nossa's other signature. From its inception Nossa has sourced exceptional Brazilian greens from farms owned by the family of its founder, Augusto Diaz.
Thanks Gary for arranging review #1 and thanks to Nossa Coffee for the samples! HB members should note that Nossa Coffee is offering a discount to members (enter coupon code HBDEAL20 for 20% off!). The thread is unlocked for comments/question, then we'll move onto review #2.
Dan Kehn

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Balthazar_B
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#12: Post by Balthazar_B »

HB wrote:If you would like a simple mild mannered espresso with rich body, you'll definitely like this coffee. Fans of bright crisp flavor profiles will likely appreciate this espresso, but may find it a little too mild mannered.
Dan, did you run any test shots through your Elektra? I'm wondering how it would show up on a traditional lever machine.

EDIT#1: I forgot that DrGary used his leverage during the review. :oops:

EDIT#2: Thinking about it more, it would be helpful for the reviewers to mention what kind of hardware they used (especially the machine). I'm curious as to whether some of the test coffees will show up much differently with a pump vs. a lever, and if there's a pattern. I'm seriously considering trying a lever machine as my next and am trying to understand the in-the-cup tradeoffs. Some are quite passionate about the different olfactory results, and which they prefer. My first machine, many decades ago, was a Europiccola, but I moved on to a different machine before I really knew what I was doing.
- John

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HB (original poster)
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#13: Post by HB (original poster) »

Thanks for the reminder to mention the equipment. Unless stated otherwise, I use a 2-group La Marzocco Strada for coffee reviews.
Dan Kehn

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TomC
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#14: Post by TomC »

Mine was done on a slightly modified Strega. The Strega is off the bar for the first time in 2 years, now replaced with a Izzo Leva, which I just pulled the most mind-blowing shot of this wonderful blend with.
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#15: Post by NossaCoffee »

Thanks so much to all the reviewers for spending time with our coffee! And a big thanks to Gary for arranging everything. Full Cycle is currently a 30% washed Nicaraguan (to become a Guatemalan in the next 2-3 months), 70% pulped-natural Brazil, which aligns well with most reviewers' notes--not a super complex blend, should be fairly easy to work with (unless you're Shadowfax! :) ).

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#16: Post by Balthazar_B replying to NossaCoffee »

Just received a package of Full Cycle. Will try it in a couple days on my HX machine and see how quickly I can zero in on the right mix of variables.
- John

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#17: Post by TomC replying to Balthazar_B »

It's been found to be a very forgiving, easy to dial in blend.
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#18: Post by HB (original poster) »

And now the reviews for coffee #2...
Dan Kehn

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#19: Post by shadowfax »

NossaCoffee wrote:not a super complex blend, should be fairly easy to work with (unless you're Shadowfax! :) ).
:oops: I must just be rusty-I clearly don't try a wide enough variety of roast styles these days.
Balthazar_B wrote:it would be helpful for the reviewers to mention what kind of hardware they used (especially the machine).
For me, all my reviews are done on the Slayer. I try to post comments about how I use pre-brew with the coffee, if I find it particularly relevant.
Nicholas Lundgaard

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#20: Post by shadowfax »

#2 Review

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This coffee has a visually medium-light roast and an inviting aroma dominated by dark, dried tart berries. When ground, I found a hint of savoriness as well.

As an espresso, the best shots are juicy and acid-forward, with a sweet orange peel acidity with an occasional hint of berry. The mid-tones are caramel-driven, and the low notes are mostly "background noise" chocolate to my palate.

I found this coffee pretty easy to dial in. It needs a high dose (19-20g in a large-ish basket) to accommodate a medium-coarse grind, and works well with a medium temperature-the roaster specified 199°F, but I found this slightly too cool, preferring 200°F. The roaster's specified 50% brew ratio also worked best for me. Shots with too low a dose taste dull, with a generic brightness that leaves a lot to be desired. Shots that are too hot or run too long tend to have a harsh, somewhat pithy bitterness to them. Shots pulled too cool taste unbalanced-sour, and shots pulled too fast (or too short) have a slight sourness to them, but particularly have a weird, lingering astringent finish. On the Slayer, I found that this coffee favored a short pre-brew time, and also worked very nicely with a higher pre-brew flow rate-both accentuating that somewhat coarser grind.

Cappuccinos work pretty nicely with this coffee, bringing out the caramels and chocolate well. They tend to be very mild and sweet; the flavor would likely be lost in a much larger drink. I also noticed that they were occasionally, though not consistently, a little salty-perhaps an incarnation of the brothy aromatics I noticed.
Nicholas Lundgaard