Last night I dropped into Tullys on the way home and ordered a double shot of espresso (or a doppio as they quaintly call it – I felt like screaming at the teenage countergirl: "if you are going to pretend to be Italian at least make your coffee like one). Their grinding machine automatically ground the coffee beans, their tamping machine tamped the coffee, their barista (I use the term loosely), took the portafilter from the grinder/tamper over to the brewing device and hit a button. The machine then poured for a present period of time – oblivious to the colour of the actual coffee. This was my ‘control’ espresso. Needless to say: it tasted like burning liquid dogshit. What makes me mad about this: it’s the same price as a proper coffee shop. This isn’t a $5 vs $500 bottle of wine. Unbelievable. Disclaimer: I do own SBUX (sometimes it doesn’t hurt to profit from the poor choices of others).
Then today I went to Vivace. My intention was to decide the Ritual vs Vivace question. Which, for a straight shot, is better. I think Vivace’s blend has a more complex flavour. If I was to drink it every day (which only proximity prevents me) Vivace’s dolce roast is a clear winner. However Ritual’s sweet to the last drop’s roast was amazing. It’s the kind of shot I’d like my child to try before any other coffee: to teach them that coffee doesn’t have to bitter. However I think that Vivace’s subtle complexity is more attractive than Ritual’s overt sexy sweetness.
Verdict: Vivace by a nose.
BTW: This is my first post with Windows Live Writer. I don’t mind it. I tried the earlier betas and they were ‘of similar quality to Tully’s doppio espresso’.
