2020 Biden Victory Coffee Project

Until Morale Improves, The Caffeination Will Continue

Cortez Coffee Co.

1030 E Vista del Cerro Dr
Tempe, AZ 85260
Visit
Espresso Apex
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/13
Roasted: 2020/12/14
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 34 grams out
  • in 29 seconds
  • at 198F (cool)
Tasting Notes
Wild, funky, occasionally sweet, rewarding, complex and challenging. Great as drip. Very far out of the ordinary, in a good way.
Primo
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/13
Roasted: 2020/12/14
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 35 grams out
  • in 35 seconds
  • at 198F (cool)
Tasting Notes
Complex, interesting, occasaionally sweet, unusual, slightly bizarre, finicky and difficult. Wonderfully weird. A new favorite.
Back

Devout Coffee

37323 Niles Blvd.
Fremont, CA 94536
Visit
DAMBI UDDO // ETHIOPIA
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/01/27
Roasted: 2021/01/26
Tasting Notes
Best roaster of Ethiopian coffee I have found. Berries on top of chocolate. As good as it gets. Layered, delicate, robust, complex, and delicious. All the good qualities at once.
LOS ALPES // HONDURAS
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/01/27
Roasted: 2021/01/26
Tasting Notes
Classic Central American chocolate and honey. Delicious.
Back

Linea Caffe

3417 18th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Visit
Espresso Linea Blend
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/02
Roasted: 2020/12/03
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 28-32 grams out
  • in 40 seconds
  • at 198F (cool)
Tasting Notes
Melted milk chocolate velvet. An eternal favorite. Top notch shots over a wide range of yields. Delicious.
Back

Timeless Coffee

4252 Piedmont Ave.
Oakland, CA 94611
Visit
The Tide
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2020/11/11
Roasted: 2020/11/11
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 28 grams out
  • in 40 seconds
  • at 198F (cool)
Tasting Notes
At relatively cool 198F and relatively low 1:1.5 ratio, heavy body, burnt sugar sweetness, velvety chocolatey finish. Adjust parameters to find the crème brûlée, it's in there (usually). Ages gracefully into a less-complex chocolatey treat.

One of my all time favorite espresso coffees so far.
Back

Verve Coffee Roasters

1540 Pacific Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Visit
Sermon
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/04/18
Roasted: 2021/04/19
Espresso Recipe
  • 17 grams in
  • 28 grams out
  • in 35 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Claim: Blueberries. Verdict: BLUEBERRIES. I don't like-like bright espresso, but I can often appreciate it. Sermon is the exception. Exquisitely balanced to delight whether you prefer bright berry-forward shots or syrupy chocolate. It's got both, which is rare in my experience. Other espressos this bright trend sour and thin if you don't nail the parameters, but Sermon is delicious and full bodied across a wide range of parameters/mistakes. I used to think I didn't like Verve. I'm glad I gave them another try, this is now among my favorite espressos.
Back

Huckleberry Roasters

4301 Pecos Street
Denver, CO 80211
Visit
Ethiopia Raro Nansebo Natural
Medium-Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/04/20
Roasted: 2021/04/22
Tasting Notes
Great Ethiopian. Satisfyingly bright. Sweet, complex. Coconuts, berries, tea.
Brazil Sitio Santo Antonio
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/04/20
Roasted: 2021/04/22
Tasting Notes
Solid classic coffee flavors. Notes of coffee with hints of coffee. You want a coffee? This is coffee. Put it in your diner mug and do your best Agent Cooper impression. Flawlessly unexciting, vaguely sweet, mildly chocolatey.
Back

Craftsman Cliff Roasters

34 Broadway
Norwich, CT 06360
Visit
Cool Dude (Colombia)
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/01/21
Roasted: 2021/01/21
Tasting Notes
Darker than I expected, darker than I prefer. Fine for cold brew, pretty good for an old school ristretto. Not what I'm looking for in drip.
Goodie (Guatemala)
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/01/21
Roasted: 2021/01/21
Tasting Notes
Darker than I expected, darker than I prefer. Fine for cold brew, pretty good for an old school ristretto. Not what I'm looking for in drip.
Back

Dua Coffee

4923 15th St. NW
Washington DC, 20005,
Visit
Sunda Aromanis - Natural
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2022/01/30
Roasted: 2022/01/26
Tasting Notes
Classic Indonesian funk, bright ripe cherries, and a hint of roasty darkness. A three legged stool of deliciousness. Thick body, complex triple-axis of flavor, satisfying. Roaster's notes say "floral". Yeah, that too. White wine notes. Wonderful! Dua outsources their roasting to Mayorga Organics.
Tolu Batak
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2022/01/30
Roasted: 2022/01/18
Tasting Notes
Rich, syrupy mouthfeel, subtly sweet, subtly tart. Baking spice aroma. Earthy indonesian character. balanced, big. Sweet/tart cherry aftertaste. No roast character but doesn't taste too light. Extremely drinkable. Dua outsources their roasting to Mayorga Organics.
Bali Dewata
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2022/01/30
Roasted: 2022/01/26
Tasting Notes
Toasted raisin. Burnt caramel. Brown sugar aroma. My favorite of the three from this roaster. Thick, syrupy raisiny body, thickest of the three. Not chocolatey, but juicy raisiny. Good thing I like raisins. I love this coffee! Dua outsources their roasting to Mayorga Organics.
Back

Brandywine Coffee Roasters

1400 N. Dupont St.
Wilmington, DE 19806
Visit
Coffee For A Cause: S.O.S Colombia
Medium-Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/09/05
Roasted: 2021/09/06
Tasting Notes
Dizzying depths of flavor, astonishing complexity all biased toward _delicious_. Rewarding of careful tasting, but so delicious it's easy to forget about being a snob and just enjoy the beverage. Taste the cherries. Taste the baking spice. Taste the chocolate. From farmer to roaster, there's incredible skill on display here. Good luck finding a better roaster than Brandywine.
Sumatra - Mandheling - Bukit Barisan
Medium-Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/09/05
Roasted: 2021/09/06
Tasting Notes
Incredibly satisfying flawless Sumatra. Billed as their 'beginner' coffee, it nonetheless has layers of complexity and depth. Nutty delicacy over a rich, full bodied chocolate base. I'm very excited to have discovered this roaster!
Back

Portrait Coffee

Atlanta, Georgia
Visit
STACEY
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/05/29
Roasted: 2021/06/01
Tasting Notes
Delicious all-day drinker. Chocolatey, nice round acidity, satisfying body, dark but not burnt. Perfectly roasted to bring out caramel without char. Plus, it's named after Georgia's own Stacey Abrams, without whom this website would not exist.
Ethiopian Guji
Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/05/29
Roasted: 2021/06/01
Tasting Notes
Classic berry-forward Ethiopian. Just what you're expecting. Clean finish, light body, great cup.
Back

Big Island Coffee Roasters

161193 Uhini Ana Rd, Mountain View, HI 96771
Visit
100% Ka'u Morning Glory
Medium-Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/12/06
Roasted: 2021/12/08
Tasting Notes
Deliciously sweet, with a surprising roasty backbone. Honeyed body. Light chocolate. "U shaped" flavor profile, highs and lows with a muted middle. Extremely delicious. Roaster's tasting notes say "buttery". Yes!
Kona Peaberry
Medium-Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/12/06
Roasted: 2021/12/09
Tasting Notes
Raisiny, intense. Full bodied. Almost impenetrably coffee-like. Not chocolate, not berries, not bitter, not sour, a little sweet, a little caramelly. Mostly just pure "coffee flavor" with a body nearly as thick as espresso. Lusciously delicious.
Big Island Maui Mellow 100% Maui Coffee
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/12/06
Roasted: No Date but Obviously Fresh
Tasting Notes
Full body. Nice toasty, nutty roast notes. Intense "coffee" flavor, soft mellow sweetness. Caramel aroma. Raisiny aftertaste, just like the roaster's notes say. Very tasty, very mellow. Darker roast than I prefer but skillfully done to preserve, not destroy, flavor. I want to say this isn't my favorite because it's too dark, but I keep tasting the raisins and they're enchanting.
100% Hawaiian Coffee Hawaiian Harmony
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/12/06
Roasted: 2021/12/06
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 36 grams out
  • in 25 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Magical! Syrupy/honeyed thick, sweet, milk chocolatey. A mouthfeel so velvety and lush I almost forgot to taste it. Lasting enticing finish. Excellent on its own terms, not reminiscent of my favorite burnt-caramel style, not like the currently fashionable South American/African blends. I didn't imagine 100% Hawaiian coffee could make decent espresso. Now I know it can make outstanding espresso, with the right roaster!
Back

Kindred Coffee Roasters

148 W Washington St, Ste 200
West Chicago, Illinois 60185
Visit
Papua New Guinea Sigri Estate
Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/10/21
Roasted: 2021/10/19
Tasting Notes
understated classic PNG funk, more citrus than berries, more baking spice than chocolate. good stuff. i like this roaster. competent but not flashy. unusual origins made approachble. accessible drinkability. what PNG coffees are all about, without being off-putting.
Uganda Rwenzori Natural
Medium-Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/10/21
Roasted: 2021/10/19
Tasting Notes
light touch of delicious fermenty sweetness, solid body, nice chocolate character, subtle smooth caramel. wonderful balance. not overbearing, not boring. a little of everything including the modern fascination with natural processing, without going overboard. extremely drinkable.
Back

Barrington Coffee Roasting Company

165 Quarry Hill Road
Lee, MA 01238
Visit
Kalle Peaberry
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2022/02/14
Roasted: 2022/02/14
Tasting Notes
Nutty, caramel. Full body. Sweet tea aftertaste, caramel crunch. Cookie spice aroma. Cery deliicous. So nutty. So sweet. Not so chocolatey. Drinkable.
(413) Espresso
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2022/02/14
Roasted: 2022/02/16
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 30 grams out
  • in 45 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Lightly fruity, with chocolate finish. Bright, lively, but not sour. Some nuttiness, some butter. Coffee grounds finish. Great contrast to the Gold. New-school-ish but not overblown. I like this roaster a lot!
Gold Espresso
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2022/02/14
Roasted: 2022/02/16
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 28 grams out
  • in 35 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Medium body, long milk chocolatey finish, bright, nutty, caramel Monsooned Malabar flavors. Savory, peppery, clean. Not as similar to Josuma's "Malabar Gold" as I expected from the naming and origins. More like "what if Josuma, but a lighter roast?" I think I like (413) and Josuma better, but I wouldn't turn down a shot. Skillfully roasted. Barrington has impressed me.
Back

Vigilante Coffee Company

4327 Gallatin Street
Hyattsville, MD 20781
Visit
Tin Lizzie Espresso Blend
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/06/30
Roasted: 2021/07/01
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 32 grams out
  • in 46 seconds
  • at 201F
Tasting Notes
Chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate. Heavy body, chewy coffee grounds flavor. Bullseye for my desired style of espresso. Forgiving across a range of extractions. Well balanced secondary flavors hididng beneath the chocolate. I dig it.
The South American Cold Breezy Blend
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/06/30
Roasted: 2021/07/01
Tasting Notes
Designed for cold brew, I used it for pourover drip. Tasty, balanced, chocolate and rounded sweetness. Like cold brew, but hot.
Back

Tandem Coffee Roasters

122 Anderson Street
Portland, Maine 04101
Visit
Time & Temperature Espresso
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/31
Roasted: 2021/01/04
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 39.5 grams out
  • in 37 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Sweet, fruity, tart cherries, not so much chocolate. Not really my style, but looking forward to playing more with this.

Tandem calls it "Effervescent, electric, and just plain cool."

I totally agree.
Stoker
Kinda Dark Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/31
Roasted: 2021/01/04
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 38 grams out
  • in 27 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Espresso: Balanced, sweet, delicate, pleasantly coffee grounds/chocolate, but lighter bodied. Tastes "darker" than it looks. Delicious.

Drip: Outstanding! Fruity, chocolatey, full bodied. Perfect.
Back

Higher Grounds Coffee

806 Red Drive, Ste. 150
Traverse City, MI 49684
Visit
Mayan Magic Espresso
Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/08/26
Roasted: 2021/08/24
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 36 grams out
  • in 45 seconds
  • at 201F (hot)
Tasting Notes
Roasters call this a Dark roast, but it is far short of the oily ashiness that I would call Dark. In other words, it's the perfect roast level for modern espresso. Complex and mysterious, silky, heavy body. Jolting berries and somewhat sharp acidity up front, revealing a delightfully unexpected long-lasting chocolate aftertaste. A wonderfully interesting espresso, endlessly variable with something new to discover in every shot. Where does that chocolate come from? It sticks around.
Mexican Maya Vinic
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/08/24
Roasted: 2021/08/19
Tasting Notes
Perfect Mexican coffee. Chocolate, baking spices, gentle, round sweetness. If you've had good Mexican coffee before, this is like that, only better. Approachable and also deeply layered.
Back

Dogwood Coffee

1209 Tyler Street NE, #150
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Visit
Bear Hug // Peru + Costa Rica
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/11/19
Roasted: 2020/11/23
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 40 grams out
  • in 40 seconds
  • at 201F (hot)
Tasting Notes
Sweet, not dry, chocolate finish. Rewards good technique. Cooler temperature reveals juicy dried cherries.

Makes effortlessly excellent pourover, less easy to make excellent espresso.
Panorama // Ethiopia + Colombia
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/11/19
Roasted: 2020/11/23
Tasting Notes
As pourover, caramel sweetness over a chocolatey classic "coffee" backbone. I liked it a lot. Easy to brew a great cup.
Back

Reboot Roasting

Omaha NE
Visit
El Salvador Finca Calera
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/11
Roasted: 2020/12/14
Tasting Notes
Delightful. Candy sweet, chocolate backbone, could not ask for a better cup of pour over.
Papua New Guinea Kindeng
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/11
Roasted: 2020/12/14
Tasting Notes
Subtle, subdued and laid back charmer. Ripe cherries on a dark coffee (but not chocolatey) background. Took 10 days off roast to really shine.
Espresso Blend
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/03/23
Roasted: 2021/03/23
Espresso Recipe
  • 17 grams in
  • 32 grams out
  • in 40 seconds
  • at 202F (hot)
Tasting Notes
Chocolate finish, restrained 3rd wave espresso flavor, thick body, low acidity, gentle sweetness. Easy to pull a good shot with various parameters. Brew hotter for some tart cherries. Difficult to make sour. Excellent unique balance!
Back

Flight Coffee Co.

209 NH-101
Bedford, NH 03110
Visit
Guatemala Santa Rosa
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/09/29
Roasted: 2021/09/30
Tasting Notes
classic guat flavor. deeply sugared toasted caramel. maybe a little over the roast line for my taste. not-fruity old-school sweetness with a lot of crunchy, woodsy origin character.
Space Dog Blend
A Fetching Medium Roast Roast
Ordered: 2021/09/29
Roasted: 2021/09/30
Tasting Notes
pleasant, drinkable, a little too far over the roast line for my taste. great if you want to caffeinate while focusing on something other than your beverage.
Back

Revolution Coffee Roasters

809 Haddon Avenue
Collingswood, NJ 08108
Visit
India Monsoon Malabar
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/29
Roasted: Not Stated
Tasting Notes
Disappointingly, no roast date on any of the 3 bags. Seems fresh-ish. Monsooned Malabar is a unique bean with unique properties, so it's tricky to guess freshness by eyeballing the brew. For some reason it's rare to find delicious Monsooned Malabar at a coffee shop. In my experience, anybody who sells it has it in stock mainly for their Vivace-style epresso blend, and if so, I will like their espresso blend. This one has a bitter attack that vanishes after a few sips, giving way to a dense, funky/nutty chocolate smoothness. Nice dense body, a hint of round sweetness, and plenty of complexity. It's roasted a little lighter than I expected but it's still darker than 'medium', as advertised. Some roasters char their Monsooned Malabar, this roaster didn't. I dig it!
Espresso Blend
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/29
Roasted: Not Stated
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 32 grams out
  • in 45 seconds
  • at 198F (cool)
Tasting Notes
Disappointingly, no roast date on any of the 3 bags. Seems fresh. Savory complexity, nutty, bitter, peppery, lightly velvety - viscous but not syrupy. Successfully in the style of Espresso Vivace. Darker than most, but skillfully blended to produce a tasty beverage with a pleasant body. Low acidity but it turns out there's lots of complexity to be presented even without fruity, sour, or sweet notes. I like it a lot. Easy to pull a tasty shot. Delicious over a wide range of parameters.
Ethiopian Natural Sidamo
Light Roast
Ordered: 2020/12/29
Roasted: Not Stated
Tasting Notes
Disappointingly, no roast date on any of the 3 bags. Seems fresh. Medium body, plenty of fruit, nice clean coffee finish. A good cup of coffee. Not my favorite origin, I think. The roast is skillfully done and brings out the unique character of the bean, which I happen not to prefer!
Back

Picacho Coffee Roasters

200 Conway Ave. Unit: A
Las Cruces, NM 88005
Visit
Espresso Spadafora
Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/03/23
Roasted: unmarked
Tasting Notes
Tasty classic ristretto. Buttery, chocolate, thick.
Colombia Supremo Bucaramanga Santander
Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/03/23
Roasted: 2021/03/24
Tasting Notes
Darker than I expected, but not outside the advertised roast level. Too dark for my taste in drip, but makes an interesting single origin espresso. As espresso, buttery, roasty, heavy and peppery.
Back

Old World Coffee Lab

104 California Ave
Reno, Nevada 89509, US
Visit
Firefly Espresso Blend
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/01/07
Roasted: 2021/01/08
Tasting Notes
Delicious as drip, complex, sweet and chocolatey, perfectly balanced, delicate but assertive. Subtle tart cherries in the best cups. Nice as espresso but I prefer it as drip.
Mexico - Chiapas - Mayan Harvest
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/01/07
Roasted: 2021/01/08
Tasting Notes
A perfect Mexican coffee. Chocolatey, sweet, round, syrupy body. Delightful. What is Mexican coffee supposed to taste like? This.
Back

Coffee Labs Roasters

7 Main Street
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Visit
Brazil Fazenda Bananal, Burundi Style Fermentation
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2022/01/12
Roasted: 2022/01/13
Tasting Notes
Solid chocolatey, sweet, full bodied cup of coffee. I wasn't blown away, but I was blown away by Circus Dog Espresso. This review is the same as the other Brazil in this order. That's intentional.
Circus Dog Espresso
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2022/01/12
Roasted: 2022/01/13
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 32 grams out
  • in 35 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Fantastic medium-dark espresso. Luxurious velvety texture, mild, balanced, savory flavor. Sugary sweet finish quickly gives way to a lasting milk chocolaty aftertaste. Not flashy or excessively bright, not boring, not deep-dark or smokey. Just nice and satisfying, shot after shot. Before finishing the bag I ordered another one.
Brazil Morada da Prata Yeast Control
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2022/01/12
Roasted: 2022/01/13
Tasting Notes
Solid chocolatey, sweet, full bodied cup of coffee. I wasn't blown away, but I was blown away by Circus Dog Espresso. This review is the same as the other Brazil in this order. That's intentional.
Back

Trailhead Coffee Roasters

118 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Portland, OR 97232
Visit
Provisions
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/02/24
Roasted: 2021/02/24
Tasting Notes
smooth, delicious, relaxing, spot-hitter. not really "exciting" but in a good way. excellent thermos coffee. chocolatey and gets more so as it cools, essential characteristic for thermos coffee. spot hitter! mulled wine aroma!
Provisions Black Label
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/02/24
Roasted: 2021/02/24
Tasting Notes
really good but prefer Provisions or All Day, and so many other blends to try. would not buy again but ONLY because Trailhead has so many other tempting choices to explore.
All Day
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/02/24
Roasted: 2021/02/24
Tasting Notes
does what it says on the tin. toasty, chocolatey, fruity, perfectly balanced. could definitely drink this all day!
Baylee Roaster's Reserve D.R. of Congo: Virunga National Park
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/03/28
Roasted: 2021/03/29
Tasting Notes
Earthy, raisiny, winey, full body, deliciously complex. Change the ratios to experience chocolate or red wine. Trailhead is one of my most exciting discoveries though the BVCP!
Back

Square One Coffee Roasters

Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Visit
Thaddeus Espresso
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/11/29
Roasted: 2021/12/01
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 33 grams out
  • in 35 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Velvety texture, full bodied, smooth, sweet, mild chocolate, hints of Indonesian earth - or is that my imagination? Lacking the burnt caramel of a darker roasdt that would make it my Favorite Ever, it is nonetheless a great coffee at a wide range of extraction parameters. A great option for when I'm tired of my Favorite Style.
Java Frinsa Collective
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/11/29
Roasted: 2021/12/01
Tasting Notes
Solid boomy bass noted Java. Earthy, chocolatey, rasisiny: heavy duty. No-nonsense great coffee. Great for drinking While Doing Something. A+
Zambia Northern Lights
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/11/29
Roasted: 2021/12/01
Tasting Notes
Bright but balanced. Not as juice-forward as I was expecting, and that's fine! The juice is in the finish, a pleasant reminder that I just downed a mouthful of full bodied, expertly roasted deliciousness.
Back

New Harvest Coffee Roasters

999 Main Street, Unit 108
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Visit
Igale Songwe, Tanzania
Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/04/30
Roasted: 2021/04/29
Tasting Notes
To my eye, it looks a lot darker than "light". But it's definitely a light roast in the sense of Not Burning Away The Flavors, so who cares what color I think it is? In the cup, this is possibly the best coffee I've had all year. There's a burnt caramel pointedness - honestly the rest doesn’t matter since the burnt caramel is so compelling to me. But the rest is also wonderful: floral, surprisingly delightful heavy body, clean sweet finish that evaporates to a chocolate presence. Over delivers. My new favorite roaster.
Whisper Espresso Blend
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/04/30
Roasted: 2021/04/28
Espresso Recipe
  • 20 grams in
  • 32 grams out
  • in 45 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
My first shot was bursting with potential, and even not dialed in yet, deliciously satisfying and already a favorite. After one shot! Savory at first, muddled flavor (my fault: not dialed in yet), syrupy thick, giving way to a sweetness that informs me what "sweetness" is supposed to mean in coffee. Long, delightful chocolate finish. I didn't get the fruit/berries. I will keep looking! Reminds me of my West Coast favorite Timeless. Looking forward to my next shot.
Back

Three Ships Coffee

607 19th St, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Visit
First Landing
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/02/09
Roasted: 2021/02/17
Espresso Recipe
  • 17 grams in
  • 36 grams out
  • in 40 seconds
  • at 202F (hot)
Tasting Notes
Tart! Sweet, fruity, satisfying milk chocolate long finish. Complex cherry attack with a mild chocolate finish. Great contrast after weeks of darker rosdted chocolate bombs.
Kanzu Lot 7, Rwanda
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/02/09
Roasted: 2021/02/17
Tasting Notes
outstanding, could not be better. sweet honey, graham crackers, toast. baking spices. incredibly satisfying.
Back

Kestrel Coffee Roasters

530 Community Dr
South Burlington, VT 05403
Visit
Faster Than Light - Espresso Blend
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2021/04/10
Roasted: 2021/04/12
Espresso Recipe
  • 17 grams in
  • 32 grams out
  • in 35 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
I enjoyed it most when it was very fresh, less so as it aged. When fresh, pleasently tart cherries, smooth, lingering chocolate finish. With a 20g dose, significantly more chocolate and less tart. In fact, 20g dose is a different (better) coffee altogether.
Candelilla, Tarrazu, Costa Rica
Medium-Light Roast
Ordered: 2021/04/10
Roasted: 2021/04/12
Tasting Notes
First cup provoked a "Wow!". Sugar cane sweetness, milk chocolate, edgy brightness that doesn't cross the line. Delicious and impressive.
Back

Caffe Vita

813 5th Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Visit
Caffe Del Sol
Medium Roast
Ordered: 2020/11/30
Roasted: 2020/12/03
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 28 grams out
  • in 40 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Thick and velvety, chocolate and delicious, hints of berries. Elusive honeyed sweetness. Comfortable and easy to brew very good shots.
Queen City
Dark Roast
Ordered: 2020/11/30
Roasted: 2020/12/03
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 22 grams out
  • in 40 seconds
  • at 196F (very cool)
Tasting Notes
At very low temps (196F), produces a balanced “old school” espresso. Assertive but not overbearing roast character, thick body, best shots feature burnt raisin sweetness. Satisfying ristretto.
Back

Espresso Vicace

532 Broadway Ave East
Seattle WA 98102
Visit
Dolce Blend
Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/01/16
Roasted: 2021/01/19
Espresso Recipe
  • 0 grams in
  • 0 grams out
  • in 0 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
The Ultimate. The GOAT. The reason I own an espresso machine. The reason I drink espresso at all. Like the Dread Pirate Roberts, I have never seen its equal.

Tastes good, man.
Back

Valentine Coffee Roasters

5918 W Vliet St
Milwaukee WI 53208
Visit
Espresso Dolce
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/07/15
Roasted: not stated
Espresso Recipe
  • 18 grams in
  • 28 grams out
  • in 26-46 seconds
  • at 200F
Tasting Notes
Shamelessly borrowing the name of a famous West Coast blend but shipping for half the price, and not stamped with a roast date, I was skeptical. But this is outstanding old-school espresso. Not fruity, not sour, but instead velvety thick, sweet, savory, chocolatey, with just enough complexity and cup-to-cup variance to keep things interesting. Occasional blueberry hints. Obviously quite fresh despite no roast date label. Am I harping on the lack of roast date? I sure am. It's unusual. But this espresso is a bullseye to my preferences, and it ships at an unbelievably low price. I will defintely get more and if it's as chocolate-and-crema laden and fresh as this was I will overlook the lack of a roast date. In conclusion, Wisconsin is a land of contrasts.
Bali Kintamani
Medium-Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/07/15
Roasted: not stated
Tasting Notes
Again, no roast date. Weird, but obviously fresh coffee. Darker than a lot of modern fancy coffee, it manages to present tasty origin characteristics without any possibility of sourness. Tasty roast characteristics perrectly balanced by gently presented origin notes. Hard to beat at any price, but also very cheap.
Papua New Guinea
Dark Roast
Ordered: 2021/07/15
Roasted: not stated
Tasting Notes
Again, no roast date. Weird, but obviously fresh coffee. Too dark for my tastes. I didn't get much origin flavor, and too much roast flavor. The other two coffees from this roaster were excellent and great, so no regerts. Did I mention what a bargain the prices are here? Even shipping is cheap. I've paid a lot more to other roasters for coffee I didn't like - the low price soothes the sting of defeat. Next order I'll steer towards their lighter roasts.
Back