The Supreme Bean
Espresso (ESE pod)
| Roaster Location: | North Hollywood, California |
| Coffee Origin: | Not disclosed. |
| Roast Level: | Very Dark |
| Agtron: | 0/65 |
| Review Date: | January 2009 |
| Aroma: | 8 |
| Body: | 7 |
| Flavor: | 8 |
| Aftertaste: | 8 |
| With Milk: | 8 |
Blind Assessment
Produced from an ESE pod on a FrancisFrancis! pod brewer. Aromatic wood, leather, tartly cherryish chocolate and delicate floral top notes carry from aroma through demitasse to finish. Leanish mouthfeel. In two parts milk caramelly dark chocolate and a continued suggestion of cherry-toned fruit.
Notes
ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods are wafer-like single-serving sized portions of ground espresso coffee compressed and enclosed in filter paper. Any coffee company that has access to the proper machinery can produce them. Although "pod adaptors" are available for many home espresso machines, ESE pods seem to produce best results when used on home machines exclusively designed for them. We tested this set of sample pods on the pod-only FrancisFrancis! X6 Trio home espresso machine, which allows for some control of extraction rate by how firmly the pod-bearing portafilter is tightened into the machine. This blend seemed to show best at a rather short 18-second extraction time, with longer extractions encouraging rougher body and a more limited, wood-toned aromatic. At this writing about 60 cents per pod on the at the Supreme Bean website when purchased in 100-pod quantities. The Supreme Bean is a Los Angeles-area wholesale roaster specializing in high-end roasted-to-order espresso blends and single origins. Visit
Who Should Drink It
A bit tart and lean in the small cup, but complex in aromatics and expressively present in milk.
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This review originally appeared in the January, 2009 tasting report: Convenience First: Espresso Pods and Capsules
