Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Don Francisco's | Gavina Gourmet Coffee | Old Havana Espresso Coffee Pods | Coffee Notes



Good day sippers!
Today I will be sharing with you some coffee notes from a coffee company by the name of Don Francisco's. I will share with you my personal findings of their Gavina gourmet coffee line. These notes are specific to the ESE pods, also know as Easy Serving Espresso. The particular cafe we will report on is their own personal family blend "Old Havana" espresso.

This is what Gavina says about their espresso

Old Havana Espresso was created by our master roaster in the old country, following our family's 135 year tradition of roasting authentic Cuban espresso. Sip it rich, short and strong — add a cube of sugar to sip it Cuban style. Packed airtight for freshness

I tested this espresso over a three month span. Shows how rigorous and serious our test are here at #BODY bean development & @CushCoffee Labs. The purpose of these tests were for 1st and foremost,quality, then for consistency.Of course it would have been harder to test had the espresso been in regular bean packaging. Each espresso pod is packed individually for maximum freshness. That's what the product promises to deliver.

Inspection of the packaging

The packs are sealed airtight, no degas valve of any sort.The pack also has some play in it, where it's not completely flat there is gas from the ground coffee within the pod.There was no indication on their website that they packed the pods with other gas to stabilize or maximize the freshness or shelf life. Coffee can give off gases weeks after it has been roasted. Before I get too technical, let me get to my coffee notes. Let's talk delivery and taste.

Upon opening each pod pack I did an inspection for aroma consistency. I picked up light spice aroma, as well as citrus and heavy cherry on the fragrance. These notes were consistent throughout my three month testings. It's safe to say in the fragrance/aroma department the espresso delivery was consistent, time after time.

Appearance
Everyone in the coffee world says the perfect espresso should be a balance of creama and taste.
For those unfamiliar, creama is the actual top layer of foam created in the espresso brewing cycle. Also this is to be the mark of what espresso is, so no creama, no espresso or bad espresso. I'm no espresso expert, just saying what the professionals say. With that being said all of the shots I pulled delivered a smooth velvety well textured bronze creama. It is also safe to say that this espresso passed in the delivery of appearance.It looked like an espresso. Personally I'm about the taste. Let's get down to the sip!

Taste
The cup aroma mimicked the dry pod smell test, only a bit more intensified. The fragrance held that citrus smell, as well as the cherry and light spice, even got a bit of caramel in the nose.
The sip was very alive - a nice citrus zing that makes you get goose bumps upon sipping it. Not to mention it has a mouth watering element when combine with the cherry flavor. It really makes you think. Cherry, lemon yes a sweet, cherry, lemon, light spice with hidden caramel complexities. A nice balance of flavor contrasts that compliment the cup. This is not your "standard" dark roasted, burnt, smokey espresso. This one has character and is packed conveniently in an ESE pod for your travelling or just for an easy clean up at home.

Recommends
I would highly recommend this espresso for someone who is looking for something different,or change in taste profile from your "standard normal" espresso. You can't beat the quality and convenience of this espresso pod. Trust me, I know my stuff, take my word. I only mention this, because I know there are critics out there who challenge the science of ESE technology. It's as consistent as it gets - never over or under extract again. I also challenge anyone that has a home espresso machine that is ESE compliant to try them. I'll even send you a couple for free to try and comment back here with your results. Lastly, I would like to say I smoke a cigar occasionally and love pairing with a variety of coffees. I recommend this espresso blend to my cigar lovers. This pairs great with medium cigars, add a dash of sugar and you'll be transported back to "Old Havana" Best of all, it does come in whole bean form as well!

Anyone wishing to take the Gavina taste test challenge, leave a comment below indicating your interest or contact me via twitter @BaristaOnDutY. Espresso pod packs are limited, so its a 1st come 1st serve. Remember you must have a home or professional espresso machine that is ESE compliant to use these pods. Thanks guys! Until next time, stay sipping! Peace & Love Ur #BODY

Special Note: This review exercises the capabilities of #BODY. We offer roasted coffee, green coffee evaluations, equipment evaluations as well as consulting services. For product evaluations send products to contact info below or contact us directly for inquiry or other needs via website Thanks!


MiltonMade #BODY-CushCoffee
158 Milton St
Folkston, GA 31537