This bag came from a trip to our local Whole Foods. I continue to be really grateful that they feature freshly roasted beans from local and local-ish roasters like Cuvée.
Whole bean: These beans were roasted very evenly and I’d classify it as a light-to-medium roast. I sometimes get questions regarding espresso roasts, as if it’s a particular roast level (usually very dark in people’s minds). The truth is, you can pull espresso with any sort of bean – light to dark and anywhere in between, blends, single-origins… you’ll get different results depending on what you use, but tasty results can be had with all sorts of beans!
Espresso: These beans had a wide variety of flavors in them depending on the temperature level. The lower end (198-202 degrees Fahrenheit) included floral, cherry, citrus, and hibiscus flavors. Strong perfume notes made the shot seem to be a bit sour. The higher end (205-208 degrees Fahrenheit) was more deep in flavor, with notes of milk chocolate-covered cherries, but still contained the floral notes. Overall, these shots were sweeter.
Favorite parameters for this blend: 19 grams in, 206 degrees Fahrenheit, 42 grams out, 30-second pour.
With milk: With the above shot that I labeled as my favorite, I added about 4 oz of milk and the resulting drink tasted like caramel. Pretty nice.
AeroPress: Brewed this way, these beans came out smooth and sweet. Perky, with a bit of fruit in the cup but not sour. Pleasant to drink.
Summary: These beans proved pretty complex to enjoy as straight espresso because they had so many possibilities in flavor, but they’re more approachable brewed in an AeroPress or pulled as shots with steamed milk.
From the roaster: Complex and sweet
Cuvée Coffee Stella Cometa Espresso Blend
Review conducted 7-9 days post-roast.