9.05.2023

Looking for a 'house espresso'

I love experimenting with new coffees - but I also appreciate having a standard, go-to espresso for everyday use. Something I've got really dialed in so that on those 4:45am mornings I don't have to fuck about and can just pull a shot and go to work.


I've had a number of standard 'house espresso" options over the years - but it's time for something new. And I've been trying to find the right coffee - but have been failing.


So I'd love your suggestions.


Now... of course... I have some requirements and I'm more than a little bit picky. So let me first lay out the requirements and criteria and if any of you have ideas for a coffee that might be a good fit, please let me know. Please keep in mind that these are requirements. None are optional.


Requirements

  1. It must produce good tasting espresso. I know, this seems obvious but a huge percentage of coffees I've had in the last 10 years produce at best "interesting" tasting espresso. 
  2. The espresso must be balanced. And this is where most "interesting" espresso falls down for me. I want an espresso that has a balanced profile - where the acidity is balanced with sweetness and (yes) bitterness. 
  3. It must have great mouthfeel. I don't want an espresso that has the mouthfeel of concentrated brewed coffee. It should be slightly viscous. It should be coating. It should linger in the mouth for a half hour.
  4. It must give one the experience of espresso. This sums up the prior three points. I am not at all interested in an espresso that is merely a very concentrated brewed coffee in flavor, texture, or experience. I am looking for espresso (the drink) in its classic form.
  5. It must be well roasted. I'm less concerned about roast degree (although, given some of the points above, a medium roast is probably the most likely fit). But it cannot be poorly roasted. The beans must be fully developed. They cannot be scorched or tipped. No roast defects... please. They make me sad.
  6. It must be a quality green or a blend of quality green coffee. Nothing makes me more depressed that tasting defect in my espresso. I'm tired of baggy, flat, coffee that tastes of damp cardboard. I cannot take any more funky ferment that combines over-ripe blueberry and baby diaper. I don't want commodity coffee that's being "disposed of" in your blend.
  7. It must be consistent. I'm perfectly happy tweaking the brew temp 0.3f batch to batch. I'm perfectly happy tweaking dose a few percentage points. But if each batch is like a brand new voyage of discovery, then it's not what I'm looking for. I need the sort of thing a former barista like myself would find easy to work with.
  8. It must work well as straight espresso, and in short milk drinks. I make an espresso and a cappuccino every morning. The coffee must work for both. I don't need it to work for a latte, or an americano. But it has to work for an espresso, a cappuccino, and ideally a macchiato as well.

And... ideally, it won't cost an absurd amount of money to have it shipped to Hawai'i. Big shout out to the roasters who ship flat-rate USPS Priority Mail. 


If you read this and think, "Oh I have the espresso for you!" please drop me a comment or send me an email or text message with your suggestion. I would really appreciate it!