||ESPRESSO|| The Roasterie - Super Tuscan Espresso

Coffee: THE ROASTERIE – SUPER TUSCAN ESPRESSO
Price: $9.11/12oz. + Shipping = $1.02/oz.
Year: 2007 (October)
Blend/Roast: Secret Blend; Medium – French roast. The Roasterie air roasts all their coffees.
What they say at The Roasterie: “Super Tuscan Espresso recently received a 90 on CoffeeReview.com. We are proud to say that this is one of the most complex and tasty espressos on the market. Like the famous wine of Tuscany, this top-secret recipe delivers a buttery-sweet, soft and mellow, full-bodied flavor that simply melts in your mouth. Connoisseurs may note hints of cocoa and a unique nuttiness, it peaks six days after roasting. Absolutely perfect for after dinner with sweets or cheese.” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Thick, rich, pecan colored crema
Aroma: Smokey and caramelly
Body: Medium body with a lingering finish
Milk: Mixes well with milk. I think the sweetness of the steamed milk balances out the bitterness in the espresso very nicely. While this espresso is quite bold as a straight shot, it melts into quite a nuanced cappuccino, with chocolate and fruity flavors present.

Score: 86, 88, 89, 87, 87

Profile & Flavors: Talk about a good description – this espresso truly did peak between 6-8 days for me. The earliest pulls – those being in the first 2-3 days – were quite spicy to my palate. Peppery and bitter on the finish, with a very big flavor upfront that I could not quite specify. Over the next couple days, a definite smoky element emerged. Still spicy, but think toasted white pepper as opposed to black pepper. As the espresso peaked on days 6-8, that enigmatic flavor became more identifiable. I taste dark caramel. There were also hints of sweetness to the pulls. All the pulls had a definite bitter element to them. At first it was a little too much I think – like a shot of Campari. But as the caramel elements began to come through, the shots seemed to balance better. I also noticed that a touch of sugar can benefit this espresso. I typically do not use sugar in my pulls, but the bitterness of the blend along with how well it worked with milk made me try a couple pulls with sugar. Interestingly, fruity elements came forth and combined with the smoky flavors to create a unique shot. Think of grilled fruit. Extending the alchohol metaphor, these pulls reminded me more of Anisette than Campari. The best shot I had was a straight ristretto: smoke, spice, and caramel – in that order. The most unique shot I had was a regular shot with a dash of sugar in it. A completely inconsequential note is the striking red color of the coffee itself. It really almost looked like red food coloring had been added, which I have never seen before.
Parings: I think this espresso would work great after a hefty meal, and it will definitely please all your guests, whether they prefer milk drinks or a straight shot.

Buy Again? Not yet. I like this espresso because it has unique flavors to it, but I would like to sample other espresso blends - even the other blends at The Roasterie before revisiting this.