Sweet Maria's Polar Expresso Holiday Blend

After roasting to a few different levels we found Full City to be the optimal starting point for espresso extraction, though I imagine some will enjoy the brighter shots at City+ (it's a nice level for brewing too!). Even at Full City, we tasted hints of plump fruit that bring lively accents to the resonant bittersweet base flavors. The shots pull beautifully, producing a thick, velvety cap. While not an indicator of quality, it certainly looks attractive! The aroma is peppered with bittersweet chocolate notes, along with accents of toasted sugar and spices that brought to mind holiday spice cookies. My initial Full City shot was on the short side, 18 grams of coffee to 26 grams of water over 28 seconds. The mouthfeel was dense, complimenting the distilled bittersweet flavors, dark chocolate torte, creamy ganache, with ribbons of red berry and burnt caramel. It had a velvety texture, layered with hints of cherry cordials, lingonberry, spiced cocoa and a deep-toned finish. Longer shots draw out some citrus that compliments the bittersweetness like dark chocolate orange (think "Terry's Chocolate Orange"), with traces of toasted graham cracker, smoked dark chocolate and lingering berry tonal aspects. Full City+ shots leaned more heavily into chocolate roast intensity, leaving just enough room for hints of dried berry and salted plum to peek through. The cocoa notes carry a pleasantly sharp bittering aspect, like toasted nibs with hints of baking cocoa, and will pair quite well with a pillow of steamed milk. It's just the kind of bittersweetness that will warm you up on a cold, wintry day!