||ESPRESSO|| Paradise Roasters - Espresso Havana Reserve 2007

Coffee: PARADISE ROASTERS – ESPRESSO HAVANA RESERVE
Price: $20.95/14oz. + Shipping = $1.75/oz.
Year: 2007 (November)
Blend/Roast: Sumatra Lake Tawar + Panama Esmerelda Special. Roasted quite dark
Paradise says: “Working with our Espresso Havana as a starting point, we set out to create a top shelf and more refined version of this coffee's profile. Our Espresso Havana was designed to pair well with a fine cigar as well as offer the heavy mouthfeel and smoky tobacco-like tastes for those enjoying this blend without the aforementioned cigar. The results were even better than we had hoped for. This espresso pairs marvelously with cigars. It mixes well with milk but truly shines on its own. Intense and perfectly balanced body, acidity, and sweetness provide a wonderful backdrop for the complexity of flavors layered on that invites exploration. Cherry, brandy, tobacco, white pepper, chocolate, orange, and vanilla are all present. Enjoy espresso perfection while it lasts. Only 250 bags available.” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Relatively thin, medium color, tastes earthy
Aroma: Lovely peppery and smoky aroma
Body: Full bodied, though not syrupy
Milk: Works admirably in milk for a unique cap or macc. I think it gets lost in a latte. A definite dual layered milk drink is made as opposed to a single new flavor. The chocolate and vanilla are still apparent, and make for a quality milk drink. But as the roaster says, it works better left to stand for itself.

Scores: 86, 88, 85, 86, 87

Profile & Flavors: Overall, this is a unique and complex espresso. Consistent flavors throughout: unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, with a smokiness in the aftertaste. Fleeting/changing flavors include: orange zest, tobacco, earth, brown sugar. The design of this espresso in indeed unique, and it comes through in the shots. Pretty finicky to pull overall. Considering the description, I was surprised to find that the tobacco and the smoky elements did not overpower the shot. It was actually a lot sweeter than I expected it to be. Though it is not apparent with each sip, one of the stronger flavors – when it is present - is actually orange zest. The tobacco and smoke are indeed there, but as I said, they seemed to be a basal flavor upon which other layers are added, and the “cigar” qualities rarely come to the forefront. The overall feeling is a bold espresso that has been tamed with sweetness. Almost like adding sugar without actually needing to do so.

Pairing: Given the specific mention of cigars by the roaster, I did indeed try the pairing. Before delving into that experiment, I want to briefly mention a couple pairings. Pieces of dark chocolate were the best compliment to this espresso. A solid combo. Another food to try is caramel popcorn. Pairings that did not go well: citrus fruit, pears, and cheese.
As for cigars: I decided to try both cigars and shisha with this espresso. Of course, choices in cigar are more varied than choice in espresso. I used a Padron 5000, mostly because I have always found these cigars to have a smooth smoke texture that shouldn't overpower espresso. The most predominant flavors I taste in this cigar are chocolate and coffee, which seemed good for this experiment. Of course, the 5000s are also one of my go-to cheap cigars (they cost about $4-5). I also tried smoking some home-made orange shisha in an attempt to pair flavors. On to the coffee itself. I think the underlying bold qualities of the espresso would stand up to most quality cigars, though the potent tobacco used at the end of many cigars is likely too strong for even the boldest of espressos. It was in this case. The flavors worked well with the shisha, likely due to the sweetness and smoother smoke. While the flavors worked in both cases, I am not sure the overall experience does ... at least not as well as the picture on the front of the bag of coffee beans would imply. I think next time I need to try wearing a better hat. But I digress. Espresso enjoyment is best but in terms of minutes. Cigar enjoyment is meant to be in terms of hours. And I am not convinced that a hot espresso will ever pair with cigars. Regardless, I certainly applaud the effort.

Buy Again? Well, considering they only sold 250 bags, this question is likely a moot point. I was excited to see them incorporate some of the Esmeralda into an espresso ... no it wasn't the record breaking auction lot, but it was an interesting blend. Again, it is obvious that Paradise sources their beans well. I enjoyed the experiment, but think I will veer toward their other espresso blends when re-ordering from Paradise.