Have you purchased "ultra premium" priced coffees for espresso? - Page 2

[poison]

I'm considering blending Jamaica Blue Mt, Esmeralda, and Blue Batak for an ultra premium espresso and calling it 'Money'.

[TimEggers]

Bob and I try every coffee in all the various brewing forms. In a perfect world, if three coffees ranked A, B, & C in the cup, they'd rate ABC as shots. We are closer to that today, having gotten cleverer about dosing and temperature management, but I don't know enough to have any idea whether it will ever be true. For now, ABC in the cup can turn out to be BCA as shots; you just have to try whether the monster coffee in the cup will work as espresso or have you running to the sink.

One discrepancy that's rarely talked about is between cappas and straight shots. This is at least as great as between straight shots and brewed coffee. After my coffeecuppers experience, I feel so strongly about this that if I were to compete in barista competition, I would have my two blends for straight shots and cappas, and use whichever worked best for the specialty.

Here's a few differences:

-- Ultra light and ultra dark roasts can make great cappas, but rarely great shots. Ashy dark espressos can resolve into something tasty in milk; and ultra acidic light roasts can turn into the banana-strawberry milkshake.
-- Washed Centrals and Kenyas are usually too intense as shots, but roasted Full City or Vienna they can make magical nut and spice cappas.
-- I've never had a melange roast (very light and dark) that works as espresso, but they sometimes are perfect for cappas.

Given that most shots outside the Italian-Latin world are made for milk, the whole process of blend formulation (i.e. even worrying whether they make palatable straight shots) may be slightly whacked.

Amen. Very well said. Thank you!