Espresso (London Grade Coffee)

When specialty roasters want to share their own interpretation of what an espresso blend ought to be they often try to come up with a mix of what they think is the best mix of notes not found in trade espresso blends. The results are often a surprising, sometimes challenging concoction of fruity acids that remind you of that dentist appointment you missed for the second year in a row.

Simply named, but by no means simple, the Espresso blend from London Grade Coffee is a very good starting point on your journey from trade to specialty coffee.

LGC’s Espresso takes a different route. It’s restrained and limits itself to two notes: dark chocolate and caramel. If that puts you on guard, relax. Caramel can distract from other notes, but not here. The star of this blend is a deep, elegant note of dark chocolate that can claim to be amongst the best interpretations of what dark chocolate in an espresso ought to taste like.

It is a very linear coffee, works best at the grind setting 1. If you find the taste of chocolate too overpowering, try grinding at setting 2. Going up to setting 3 is perhaps a waste of very good beans.

Espresso from LGC can easily become a dependable daily driver. It is a rare thing to go against the fruity notes trend and it doesn't always work, but it does in this case. A pleasant break from the opinionated, fruity coffees and a gentle reminder to the trade coffee roasters of what simple (but not simplistic) blends can taste like.

MIXING WITH MILK

Being all about dark chocolate, Espresso works very well with milk and milk substitutes.

WHERE TO BUY

Espresso is available from the London Grade Coffee website.

EQUIPMENT

• Coffee grinder: Sage (Breville) Smart Grinder Pro

• Espresso machine: Sage (Breville) Bambino Plus