Gran Bar Oro (ESE Pod)

Blind Assessment: Sampled as an ESE pod on a FrancisFrancis! pod brewer. In both aroma and flavor roasted nut, aromatic wood and milk chocolate with hints of flowers, fruit and honey. Full body with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is rich and sweet in the short but heavy in the long. In two parts milk deeply bittersweet with continued chocolate and aromatic wood notes.

Notes: ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods are wafer-like single-serving sized portions of ground espresso coffee compressed and enclosed in filter paper. Any company that has access to the appropriate machinery can produce them. Although "pod adaptors" are available for many home espresso machines, ESE pods appear 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. We evaluated this espresso at a 35-second extraction for a one-ounce serving. The blend includes 10% Robusta, with the balance made up of coffees of the Arabica species. For more information visit www.manaresicaffe.com. Florida-based Italian Bean Delight is the sole importer of the Manaresi brand in the United States. Visit www.italianbeandelight.com or call 239-243-9686 for more information.

Who Should Drink It : Those pod-brewer owners who enjoy a syrupy-bodied, aromatically complex short shot in a balanced Italian style.