Review: 2% Jazz Coffee Espresso Blend (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)

When I started this blog back in 2015, my intent was for it to simply be my coffee diary. I never expected anyone else to be interested in what I had to say, so it was flattering when I started getting traffic to this site from people other than my friends and family, and it really started blowing my mind when I started getting regular visitors from outside the United States. Hi, everyone! I appreciate you all and thank you for reading. Hope you enjoy your time in my little corner of the Internet!

The lovely folks at 2% Jazz Coffee reached out to me about trying their coffee and I was super excited, as I had never tried coffee from a Canadian roaster before. As fate would have it though, I had to ask 2% Jazz to delay their shipment because I was about to leave for my trip to Vancouver, BC, so sadly, 2% Jazz wasn’t to be my first Canadian coffee roaster.

Spoiler alert: They may not have been the first, but based on the samples they sent me, I think they are definitely one of the best! Keep reading.

Note: I usually try and remember to take a photo of each coffee bag/canister I get before embarking on a tasting, but in the case of this espresso, I forgot, and in the craziness of my kitchen I must have thrown it out. However, 2% Jazz Coffee uses the same bag design for all their coffees, and this is the back of the other bag they sent me.

Whole bean: These beans were roasted to a perfect medium (in my opinion). No oily sheen on the beans, and a gorgeous evenly colored roast. It had a sweet and chocolaty aroma with a nice depth.

Espresso: I lucked out and had a great result on my first shot, straight out of the gate. Toasty and super smooth with no sourness or bitterness whatsoever! It was a very promising beginning. I did some tweaking just to see what would happen, and this blend does seem to taste the best pulled at a relatively high temperature. My first shot was at 208 degrees Fahrenheit; I tried it at 204 and 200 as well, and the shot at 200 was a bit sour. Stick with at least 204 for syrupy deliciousness if you can, but go higher if your machine is able for the best flavor.

Favorite parameters: 19 grams in, 34.5 grams out, 208 degrees Fahrenheit, 25 second pull.

With milk: With an espresso this smooth and delicious, you really don’t need milk, but if you choose to have it as part of a milk drink, I’d go with something like a flat white to really let the espresso flavor shine. The flavor will stand up just fine in a latte, but I think it’s more enjoyable with less milk in the equation.

AeroPress: Brewed this way, there was an excellent smoothness in the cup. Delicious!

Summary: I’m a sucker for any coffee company that uses musical references, so of course 2% Jazz would pique my interest… but they’ve really earned my respect with this classic and delicious espresso blend. I enjoyed every single shot I made out of this bag and I was sorry when it was empty! Just the fact that I ran out at all is noteworthy, because I generally have so much coffee around my house that bags rarely get finished in their peak freshness window… I will use leftover beans for stuff like cold-brew coffee. For me to actually finish this entire bag from 2% Jazz, it is a sign that the coffee is really exceptional.

From the roaster: No tasting notes provided

2% Jazz Coffee Espresso

Review conducted 12 days post-roast.

Disclaimer: I received this product gratis in exchange for a fair and honest review. Even though I received this for free, I treat and test it the same way as if I had paid for it out of my own pocket.

2 Replies to “Review: 2% Jazz Coffee Espresso Blend (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)”

  1. Hi Margret,

    Thanks for the great review. The 25 second pull, was that from first drop or from turning on the pump?

    Regards,
    Dave

    1. Hi Dave, that was from first drip! Thanks for visiting! 🙂

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