Here is a summary because my post is too long: If you like Redbird Espresso, if you are looking for a Comfort Food espresso, if you are new and looking for something inexpensive that tastes like a "traditional espresso" but without being overly bitter Just Buy It.


I have seen a few references to this espresso on here so I bought a pound to try myself. Another member said it was a good alternative to Redbird Espresso.

I confess, I really like RBE. When I first started out, I bought it because it was cheap n' cheerful. I needed a coffee that I liked and that was reasonable in 5lb bags. At that time, I had just spent, for my household, a lot of money on a coffee grinder and espresso machine. Buying 5lbs of beans at $100 a pop every 2 weeks so I could learn would not have been great for domestic tranquility. So Redbird. I also really liked it

Last year I left the comfort of the Bird's nest and purposefully "played the feild." After a year's touring, I came to learn that I really liked RBE and that I should stop trying to find something that was better and that it was OK to like it. I also like something more exotic from time-to-time and so I keep RBE and a fruity / berry option in the freezer now.

Moonshot. Again, another poster had described this as a good alternative to Redbird Espresso and I have to agree. Redbird is chocolate and nuts; very little to no acidity; and a slight edge that is hard for me not to taste and hard for me pull in such a way as to make it disappear. Moonshot is the same amount of chocolate, less nuts, acidity that I could dial in or out and no edge. It is good if you like Redbird, Lusso GMC, etc. - comfort blends. It is roasted a tad lighter than Redbird's espresso which I happen to have on hand.

I started pulling it too young. At 4 days it was erratic and had some lemony sourness. It probably hit its peak and leveled out at 7 days. Since then It has been chocolate coffee flavor and easy living. I pull at 197, 18 in, 29 out in 25 - 30 seconds, just like they say.

With basket-prep, I have to be a little more careful with this than I do with Redbird. It spritzes more and is harder to get a nice even bottomless pour. It is not Hard to get a nice looking bottomless shot from it, it just requires a little more attention than RBE does for me. YMMV

I feel dubious giving advice on this but I will try my best. Maybe someone else can help out too.
Tough question to answer. I think spritzing depends a lot on the coffee and your equipment. With my equipment, I have some tricks I can do to avoid spritzing. With any coffee, I try to get a decent pour with the least amount of tricks / futzing.
Here's my most conservative method:
- 1) Rotate the portafilter in the hooks while the coffee grinds into the portafilter
- 2) WDT
- 3) Wedge grooming tool
- 4) Tamp
- 5) Use 7.5 -8 bar pump pressure instead of 9
- 6) Use preinfusion in the espresso machine

When I have a new coffee, I always do 1,2,3,4 & 5. I dial in that way.
If I still can't get consistently good shots, I will add #6 too.
However, in most cases, after dialing in, I try to see if I can get away with 1,3,4 & 5.

For the coffee, I find lighter roasts are more temperamental to spritzing than darker.
I also find that coffees are more temperamental in the first 1-7 days off roast. In my experience, many will settle down after day 7 or so.

Good Luck!