Strike it Rich Coffee Set

I decided to try something new, and after a great deal of research, I landed on Crown Point. I use a Profitec Pro 800 machine (I own La Pavoni, Elektra lever and love the control). I now use a single dose conical grinder as it produce better espresso than I ever experienced from flat burrs with very minimal retention. Seeing this was a lighter roast than I normally use, I used the PID to turn up the brew temperature a bit. Initially, I was experiencing strong tart notes, and the tart lingered on the palate quite awhile. I decided to turn up the brew temperature further.... higher than I ever have before, about 1.3-1.4 bar, and there it was....the smooth butterscotch sweetness, and delicate spices. I also made sure to pre-infuse a full 10 seconds before letting the lever group work its magic, and the pour was limited to 13-14 seconds....so a total exposure to brew water of 23-24 seconds ( I focus on exposure time to avoid over extraction and could care less about the output volume). The only thing lingering on my palate now was a pleasing reminder of what I had just enjoyed in my cup. I do not like truly dark roasts for espresso, but I also do not care for light roasts. I prefer roasts that are on the darker side of medium, and this Crown Point, while a tad lighter than I prefer (hence 4 vs 5 stars), can put a smile on your face when you dial in your gear. Glad I tried it, and will probably purchase more later. Appreciate so much the roast and ship approach. I never…

After decades of pulling shot with Seattles Espresso Vivace and Chris Coffee of NY, which included their main espresso blends and single origins, I tried this Crown Point. It said medium dark roast but it seem barely medium. It seems undercooked, under ripe, where whatever flavor potential that could be achieved was not. I use a big lever machine which pulls amazing espresso, and also have a rotary pump. I set the temp a bit higher for this roast but on any case, it is tart, sour notes linger on the palate. It reminds me of what a roaster friend told me years ago when the light roast trend started. He said that roasting lighter means your beans weigh more, so you can sell more beans for less. This combined with creative marketing prowess in terms of flowery descriptions of tasting notes etc, madd it possible to distract from the fact these coffee wasn’t roasted adequately. But to be fair, this trend captured many coffee lovers, including new roasters who operate with every good motivation with great dedication. This roaster seems to be this latter category. I would love to see what Sightglass could produce in a traditional espresso roast.