Last year we made a promise to name an espresso blend after the winner of our neighborhood “beauty" pageant and charity fundraiser: the Mr. Mission Competition. Winner Cody Frost struck a poetic chord reminiscent of Robert Frost with our blend-naming team. Frost, the poet, famously said of his life, “I had a lover's quarrel with the world.” Thus, we present to you Lovers’ Quarrel ...
read more Seasonal Espresso. Because crafting an espresso blend is an oft-frustrating labor of love. Because though we love the Mission, we also have our misgivings. Because the best part of breaking up is when you’re making up.
This winter we have the pleasure of showcasing two pulped-natural Yellow Bourbons as the backbone of our new Seasonal Espresso: Do Serrado and Santa Lúcia. Each coffee is blended in equal parts with the two-farm collaboration, La Amistad, from Colombia. Do Serrado kicks off the shot with a Coca-Cola sweetness that, when combined with the distinct juniper taste and wintergreen cooling finish of the Santa Lucia, creates a pleasant root beer flavor. While this profile offers the warmth and sweetness expected from a predominantly Brasilian blend, the addition of La Amistad introduces a vibrant acidity reminiscent of grapefruit marmalade.
Altogether, this espresso has a warm, sweet, and spicy profile with flavors of root beer, cinnamon toast, grapefruit marmalade, and brown sugar.
We recommend starting with the following brew parameters:
Dose: 17-18 grams in a "18g" VST or "17g" Strada basket.
Temp: 198-200 degrees at the group.
Time: 28-32 seconds.
Brewing Ratio: 50-60% or 30-34g of liquid.
Pump Pressure: 8.5-9 Bar or 105-110psi at the group.
Days Rested: 7-12.
About the parameters:
Dose: The term we use to describe the amount of freshly ground espresso in grams to be delivered to a double espresso sized portafilter basket.
Temperature: The temperature of the water in contact with the ground coffee in the portafilter. Note that on PID espresso machines (those with digital temperature regulatory devices), the temperature of the water on the PID display can actually read much higher than the temperature of the water that is at the "group" or group head. We recommend using a specially designed thermocouple, such as a Scace device, for checking temperature at the group accurately.
Time: The time in which the brewing water is in contact with the ground espresso.
Brewing Ratio: The ratio of coffee to water. Maintaining the brew ratio is the best way to make sure you are achieving the strength of espresso we are intending. All of our espressos are roasted and/or blended to perform their best at this brewing ratio, so use of a gram scale to measure dose and beverage mass are highly recommended. Brew ratio percentages are achieved by performing the following calculation: DOSE (g) / BEVERAGE MASS (g) = BREW RATIO
Pressure: The pressure being used to brew the espresso. Pressure in BARS is given to coincide with most machine pressure gauges. Pressure in PSI is given to coincide with the Scace 2 device, and is a measure of pressure at the group.
Days Rested: The number of days after roasting before we recommend using our coffee as espresso. We find that after this recommended amount of rest, the espresso will perform at its best. Pulling the espresso before this time will likely result in espresso that is sharp and unbalanced due to overly gassy, under-extracted coffee. Pulling the espresso more than 5 days after this time will likely result in one-noted espresso, lacking aroma.
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| Roast: |
Medium Light |
| Body: |
Medium |
| Acidity: |
Vibrant grapefruit marmalade acidity |
| Notes: |
Root beer, cinnamon toast, grapefruit marmalade, and brown sugar |
| Farm: |
Two-farm collaboration, La Amistad, from Colombia |
| Location: |
Brazil |
| Varietal: |
Two pulped-natural Yellow Bourbons |
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