My first encounter with fresh roasted coffee was at my first job in the food and beverage industry in London, England. There was a brand new, fully automatic coffee machine and beans were delivered fresh, every three weeks. The aroma was remarkable and the drinks were so rich in flavour.
I’ve been fortunate to experience the beautiful espresso culture in Italy, and it was only natural that espresso would feature in the Roastel lineup. This was also fueled by most café and dining experiences in Trinidad, where there is top priority on the food, but a mediocre espresso is served (to put it mildly). Aside from a lack of equipment, untrained staff and general laziness toward coffee, the main culprit is stale beans and the use of pods, even with well-known brands of Italian origin. The Roastel espresso would have to pack a punch while maintaining a moderate amount of sweetness.
It’s a bit of a roaster’s secret that some Robusta beans are used in espresso blends. That was an immediate win for Roastel, as we strive to promote our local, Trinidadian coffee as much as possible and we don’t subscribe to the narrow-minded notion that Robusta has no place in specialty coffee. These beans not only increase the caffeine content of the espresso shot, but they also help to create fantastic crema with an emulsification of oils to help deliver the multi-layered, creamy taste of a successful espresso blend.
We imagine that cafés and restaurants will slowly adapt as the local coffee culture grows toward quality, but in the mean time, the coffee drinkers who have experienced proper espresso have fiercely latched on to our Classic Italian blend. It’s also regularly served as a pour-over coffee at events that we attend. Although designed for mokapot (stove top) and espresso machine use, this blend shines with every brew method we’ve tried.
– Hanson Harribans (Roastel Roaster)
View/purchase the Classic Italian Blend here