Blind Assessment: Restrained but elegant nose; in the demitasse sharply rich but lacks sweetness. The aftertaste is distinctly astringent. Masters milk nicely, but even in dairy not quite enough sweetness and nuance for my palate.

Notes: A restrained but elegant nose, sharply rich in taste, but lacks sweetness. The aftertaste is astringent. Masters milk nicely. I want to attribute the sharpness in this assertive espresso blend to the high-grown arabicas and the flattened nuance on the robustas, but I suppose that the Brazil component could contribute to both as well. Robustas are not added to blends like this o

Who Should Drink It: Should prevail over any amount of milk in a caffe latte, where nuance is nil and sweetness often comes in white spoonfuls and syrup dollops.