SqM spring blend

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SqM spring blend

Postby jossy » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:30 pm

Has anyone tried the SquareMile spring blend? This is a bombshell:

- obscenely under-roasted, never seen an espresso blend with such a light roast

- if anyone had told me that I would enjoy such an acidic espresso I would have laughed at their face

and yet... one of the best espressos I've ever tasted!! I had one at the Espresso Room the other day and it blew my mind. Very sweet, mellow fruit, and the acidity is very broad and stable and doesn't turn into staleness as acidity often does in espresso. I bought some to take home. Surprisingly, it doesn't appear to be available on the SqM website. Is this an Espresso Room exclusive? It's also very good on my Gaggia although I think the choice of tiny shot-glasses at the Espresso Room amplified the taste in a way that I have not been able to reproduce. Ben, where did you get these shot glasses???
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Postby Rujir » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:42 pm

I'm going to London on Friday so I'm REALLY looking forward to tasting it! 8)
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Postby kingseven » Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:31 am

Light roasted doesn't have to mean under-roasted. Under-roasted generally tastes very grassy and bad - which I hope this didn't! Glad you enjoyed it though!

Will be available in the shop in a couple of days I think.
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Postby triptogenetica » Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:56 pm

Have yet to try it.

Tried the polar opposite, perhaps, today - some of Whittard's Nicaraguan "Strong Roast". Easy to grind, not so easy to drink. (whole beans, at least :) ). Was prompted to buy some by James' suggestion to try awful coffee once in a while - couldn't bear the thought of instant tho.

(I don't remember when i last saw such shiny beans - maybe one of my earlier home roasts).

Sure enough, when i ground them in the hand grinder, they offered almost no resistance. Quiet, easy to grind - i must admit i wish my usual roasts were so easy!

In the aeropress - tastes like smoke. And coffee. To go by the bloom it's about 2-3weeks old already - might practise pulling shots with it :|
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Postby Tristan » Thu Apr 15, 2010 6:16 pm

Tried it in Relish today, very very nice indeed.

I had the winter a couple of days ago, so very easy to compare and I like this one better. The Spring doesn't have quite so much dark chocolate characteristics to it, little bit more zingy and nice and full in the mouth.
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Postby Chris » Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:36 am

Has anyone noticed how sweet the finish is? Had a double today and it was incredible. At first I thought sugar had been added... no joke. Will look forward to tasting more of this one when it becomes available in the shop and also interested to find out what is in the blend, it was very different to anything I've tried before.
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Postby Tristan » Sat Apr 17, 2010 10:24 pm

Tried it in a flat white today, one word for you - FLAPJACK.
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Postby Hugo » Sun Apr 18, 2010 9:18 pm

Jack put a whole flapjack in your coffee... well spotted, great palate. :wink:
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Postby Tristan » Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:47 am

There was one time that Hugo served me a milk based drink of a new blend and it tasted very strongly of cinnamon. After about 5 minutes of bemused contemplation he realised that he had made the drink with cinnamon flavoured milk...
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Postby Hugo » Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:17 pm

Guilty as charged... dirty chai latte jug not thrown in the sink, just grabbed and filled. Oops.

Thats why I want one of them there jug rinsers when I refurb.

I hear you were put on the train to the big smoke, sent away to make your fortune! Best of luck.
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Postby jossy » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:52 am

Sorry for calling your coffee "under-roasted". I meant light roast of course.

Just to point out that I've been back to the Espresso Room and found the coffee still good but not as bright.... When I asked Ben whether SqM had changed the roast he told me that the blend was too bright for his regular customers and he's been "throwing heat at it" to take the edge off. So beware discerning TMC readers: if you go to the ER to taste the blend, identify yourself as a coffee geek so they can take the temperature a notch down before making your espresso.

I have now noted the composition of the blend (I hope I am not infringing SqM copyright by announcing this before they have it on their website... otherwise let me know and I'll edit my post):

- 50% El Meridiano, Tolima, Colombia, Fully Washed
- 50% Ipanema, Capoeirnha, Conquista & Rio Verde, Brazil, Pulped Natural

(I have just rumbled through the remaining samples of green I received from Annette a few months ago but couldn't find these two... it would have been fun to try to imitate the roast with my Quest M3 home roaster...)
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Postby dunkster » Fri Apr 30, 2010 3:20 pm

jossy wrote:Just to point out that I've been back to the Espresso Room and found the coffee still good but not as bright.... When I asked Ben whether SqM had changed the roast he told me that the blend was too bright for his regular customers and he's been "throwing heat at it" to take the edge off. So beware discerning TMC readers: if you go to the ER to taste the blend, identify yourself as a coffee geek so they can take the temperature a notch down before making your espresso.


Had my first visit to Ben today who I have to say was one of the nicest people I've met.

I mentioned about the temp and he told me they were brewing as intended and had not hiked the temp up to take off the brightness. To prove he brewed me a single at the standard temp and then another a notch up. While both were great the first and lower/standard temp espresso was more balanced and rounded than the second which had more acidity, although more of a lingering cocoa taste.

I'm not saying what he told you wasnt true, but I just want folk to know that hes making a cracking espresso as it is.
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Postby Viernes » Fri Apr 30, 2010 4:24 pm

dunkster wrote:
jossy wrote:Just to point out that I've been back to the Espresso Room and found the coffee still good but not as bright.... When I asked Ben whether SqM had changed the roast he told me that the blend was too bright for his regular customers and he's been "throwing heat at it" to take the edge off. So beware discerning TMC readers: if you go to the ER to taste the blend, identify yourself as a coffee geek so they can take the temperature a notch down before making your espresso.


Had my first visit to Ben today who I have to say was one of the nicest people I've met.

I mentioned about the temp and he told me they were brewing as intended and had not hiked the temp up to take off the brightness. To prove he brewed me a single at the standard temp and then another a notch up. While both were great the first and lower/standard temp espresso was more balanced and rounded than the second which had more acidity, although more of a lingering cocoa taste.

I'm not saying what he told you wasnt true, but I just want folk to know that hes making a cracking espresso as it is.


Is not supposed that rising the temperature decrease the acidity?
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Postby jossy » Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:25 pm

Had my first visit to Ben today who I have to say was one of the nicest people I've met.



I fully agree! I don't know why he told me that he had hiked the temperature and then told you something else. Perhaps just confusion with lots of customers around when I was there. His espressos are always wonderful and I've never had a disappointing coffee there (the last one was just a touch less bright than previously but still excellent.)
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Postby awlred » Sat May 01, 2010 6:14 am

I have to agree, I popped into a few shops when I was down in the City this week, it makes a mind blowing flat white, going to be grabbing myself a bag of that for sure.
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