Charles, I'm enjoying the Mekico Plus quite a bit. It really takes me back to Napoli. I believe it is the darkest roast I have tried thus far, but I wouldn't call the taste burnt or bitter whatsoever. I only enjoy my espresso senza zucchero, but this is one I'm sure would be quite enjoyable with a t...

Great discussion! The first one that comes to my mind is Vivace Dolce. After sampling several Italian blends, with Passalacqua Mekico Plus being the most recent, I opened a jar of Vivace I had in the freezer. Incredible how sweet (yes, of course, it's right in the name!) it is

Thanks Jim, that is a good idea. I have a lot of the Prestige here, which I didn't particularly care for (it was ok, just sort of... blah), but perhaps I'll see about mixing it with some Miscela d'Oro or another stronger blend. Hate to waste so many beans!

I was using 14g in my stock Londinium basket, but AJ said something which caused me to pull out my 15g VST. I'm now dosing 13.6, experimenting with pours between 20-28g, and of all the things I've tasted, ash is not one of the flavors. I feel the most enjoyable shots have been pulled tight. After di...

I think people could benefit by ignoring the Robusta percentage and just taking a chance

I completely agree with this sentiment. We all have different tastes, and in truth spending a month in Italy changed mine a bit. (Sort of how I used to hate the heat, but after living in enough warm places for extended periods of time, now I'm freezing if it drops below 65 degrees.) That said, I am ...

AJ, I'm using the stock basket. Normally, with most light to medium roasted beans, my starting dose is in the neighborhood of 15g. I've been simultaneously enjoying some Heart and Linea beans, and both of these are right at 15g. In addition, I've been pulling singles using the Kimbo and Segafredo in...

I received my Kimbo Extra Cream today, as well, and the roast date is the same. I immediately pulled a few shots and was quite surprised. I don't know why, but I expected it to be harsh with all the robusta. Instead, I ended up with cherry-brandy sweetness giving way to dark chocolate. Very smooth a...

This thread has been very interesting for me, because after spending an entire month in Italy this winter, my wife and I had been missing the flavors we had grown accustomed to. I recently picked up some Segafredo Massimo and I enjoy it quite a bit. I had also grabbed some Essse Masini, and unfortun...

You mean Gwilym Davies??