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TMCCARTN

Milford,

About me:

Newbie!

My Equipment:

Espresso machine & grinder

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MY LATEST REVIEWS

  • SHINES THROUGH FOR LATTES

    tmccartn | Tue, 07/06/2010 - 08:56

    A great dark roast that allows the coffee to shine through any milk based coffee. I tend to like a darker roast for this specific reason; while the chocolate undertones are not as strong as other beans I am starting to prefer this over Lavazza Dek (a much lighter roast). This one is probably my new favorite bean, just ranking below Dean and Deluca's espresso decaf roast.

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  • LACK OF BODY, BITTER, BUT GOOD AROMA

    tmccartn | Mon, 05/03/2010 - 13:08

    I was excited to try this bean, hoping it would be a nice dark roast for my caps' and lattes.. The coffee as an espresso is good, its not deep in flavor but ends very bitter. In a cap or latte the entire flavor is lost, no body, no flavor; almost like warm milk with a bitter aftertaste. The bitterness I didn't care for; leaving me to add in a bit of chocolate for a cafe mocha. Take it or leave it, but I'll opt for something else.

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  • I'M A FAN OF DEAN AND

    tmccartn | Sat, 04/03/2010 - 19:42

    I'm a fan of Dean and Deluca's espresso roast due to the intense chocolate taste. This is a lighter version of that, great overall taste but not too bitter. The bean is a bit oily; actually some beans look dry others have oil leaking out of them. Some super automatics may have trouble with the oil. I would buy again!

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  • INTERESTING UN-ROASTED AROMA; BUT CHANGES ONCE BREWED

    tmccartn | Sat, 04/03/2010 - 19:39

    My wife, my sister in law, and myself all thought the smell of this bean when opening the bag was a bit odd. Normal aromas were not there so we were hesitant to think what may lurk once brewed. A more oily looking bean, almost a "polished" look. Our super automatic usually doesn't do too well with oily beans but these seem to go down the chute just fine. A straight shot of espresso is quite strong and does yield a bitter flavor, however I find this coffee is an excellent pairing for latte where you want the coffee to shine through the milk. Overall not as many chocolate tones that I like in a bean, but much more complex than simpler beans such as Lavazza Dek.

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  • TOP NOTCH, EVEN FOR A NOVICE LIKE ME!

    tmccartn | Mon, 12/28/2009 - 14:24

    This is my 2nd espresso machine and I went from a junk Krups to a Talea Touch. Quite the jump! The fine range of controls allows the user to dial in the grind, amount of coffee, pre-brewing, temperature and volume of water. In other words you can tune the shots to your liking. The SBS helps in forming more crema but I didn't notice that much of a difference in taste, possibly a bit stronger. The steam wand is a Pannellero and works very well; I'd consider it a mid-range wand. While not automatic and not a prosumer wand, it does have pin hole to assist with aeration. The result, fine microfoam; if of course your technique is correct. Haven't tried the Milk Island yet; best for larger amounts of milk. Hot water from the wand is great for quick tea, and the machine heats up very very fast. Robotic tray does stick a bit from time to time. Brew group comes out for easy rinse!

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MY RECENT PURCHASES