Need 2 beans for Italian style espresso

#1: Post by **bang4dabuck** » December 4th, 2020, 8:04 am

Stuck in the Philippines until things calm down. I didn't know about this supplier so got stuck with 10kg of Brazilian Padrao to use as my base for dopios figuring 40-45%, 10% robusta. Looking for 2 other coffees to make up the other 40-45% of hopefully a very Italian style espresso. The prices are in local currency so figure a little less in cents per pound. Wish they had some monsooned malabar. Which 2 and what percent if you would ?

Costa Rica El Tarrazu El Jaguar 800
Brazil Dutra Jatoba 790
Mexico Sta. Elena Chiapas 710
Brazil Ipanema 700
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe G1 Misty Valley 1k
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Konga 960
Ethiopia Masha G1 1k
Burundi Butemba 810
Kenya AB Tamu 870
Mbeya, Tanzania 750
Mt. Apo 725
Mt. Kalatungan, Bukidnon 900
Sablan, Benguet 800
Atok, Benguet 800
Bali Kintamani 820
Sumatra Mandheling 810

Excelsa 510
Vietnam Robusta 500
Vietnam Arabica 550
Guatemala SHB 630
Brazil Santos 620
Colombia Supremo 630
Honduras 650
Ethiopia Sidamo FAQ 600
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe G2 850

Thanks

#2: Post by **another_jim** » December 4th, 2020, 12:51 pm

If you are blending with Brazils and Robustas, there's not much point in getting other high end coffees. Use one of the basic DP Sidamos for aroma and one the indonesian coffees for heft. Cup them first if you can. Do use the best Robusta you can find, and a clean, sweet Brazil.

Italian Robusta/Brazil based blends have to shine in this regard, they have to start out as a sweet, basic coffee flavor from the brazil, with a brandy or whisky note from the Robusta, with no rubbery or acrid flavors. The Ethiopian (or Central) is there to add aroma, not so much acidity; and the Indo (or Indian) coffee is there to add mouthfeel.

December 4th, 2020, 1:43 pm

That sounds like a great suggestion but it gives me food for thought. Recently blending I've felt the Brasil was giving the sweet caramel but also adding a lot to the mouthfeel while the Indonesians coffee adding a dimension of bass cedar-leather-forest type flavor. I had not considered them so much for mouthfeel aspect.

#4: Post by **another_jim** » December 4th, 2020, 4:02 pm

It is a crapshoot. You're describing how many of them do at medium roasts. For a big mouthfeel, you need to take them into second crack territory. It may also have to do with the varietals. Many of the Indos have been crossed with Robustas, and they are heavier bodied. The purer Arabicas may be lighter bodied.

#5: Post by **Almico** » December 5th, 2020, 12:05 pm

I use Brazil 50,
Sumatra 20,
Costa Rica 20,
Natural ethiopia 10
for my espresso. Pre-blend roasted medium+.

Probably not what you would consider "Italian", though I'm not sure what they means. Different areas of Italy serve very different coffees.

#6: Post by **DavidTCC** » December 5th, 2020, 1:06 pm

Sumatra mand 30%
Guat 30%
Brazil 30%
Natty Ethiopia 10% is my go to Hybrid (Italian and west coast).

For straight Italian,
Brazil 50%
Any washed American coffee 40%
Natty Ethiopian 10% (or robusta since you have it)

December 8th, 2020, 2:30 am

Unfortunate or not, I already pulled the trigger on the Brazil Padrao and as far as robusta there is only Vietnamese and Filipino available. I opt for the VN but in the US the Indian Cherry if Burmans is offering. What are a few robustas that you consider of quality for future reference ?

Indo/Sumatran is always at least a FC+ while the Ethiopian is Full City or less ?

I keep hearing about Huehue and was considering that instead of the Sumatran but maybe thats best left for single origin ???

#8: Post by **DavidTCC** » December 9th, 2020, 2:44 pm

I don't have a ton of experience with Robustas, others who do should be the ones to weigh in. I know they're popular in certain blends, particularly Italian style, but I personally think they're overrated.

As to the roast levels, I blend my....blends pre-roast so they all come out about the same, though there is much debate on this. If roasted single origin, I would indeed use the roast levels you mentioned, though probably no darker than city+ for the Ethiopia.

I love Huehue and Sumatra together! This is the baseline for my West Coast style espresso blend. Too much complexity and spice for a pure Italian style in my opinion.

December 10th, 2020, 2:05 am

Yeah, not much experience with Indo stuff. I know probably frowned upon but I bought a 2lb bag from Safeway that they had on clearance of some roasted Sumatran. It just tasted like burnt coffee. I am currently using Sinabung at FC+ at about 20% of my blend. Hard to source beans here, as like most of Asia they love the middleman, no Sweet Marias, Burmans or the many other sellers popping out with a simple search on Google. I've been asked what I'm looking for tastewise from my java and I'm like I dunno, a good coffee flavor, a little bitter and with some funk. I guess thats an Italian espresso. To be honest before I came here I'd drink an extra strong cup of Kirkland Colombian Supremo out of my Cuisinart mini with a little cream and sweetner. That would have happened here except for lack of half n' half, not really available. Now 2 Gaggia, 1 here and 1 in the US for when I visit, cheap enough off Ebay. I do have some nitrogen packed cans of Honduran I bought from Costco hanging around but think I will keep around in case of emergency. Viet robusta green less than $3 US to my door while the same guys selling Yemeni green for $260 a lb