Uplift Espresso

Love this coffee. Gives me the boost I need! I look forward to it every morning as soon as I get up!

I have enjoyed this coffee, both using a hand grinder and drip cup, and a bean to cup machine. It has a nice smooth taste and good flavour, but for my tastes, i prefer a stronger flavour. I accept that it’s a medium roast so can understand it being milder. I could brew it stronger, but am already using a double shot on the machine, so don’t want to use three. The drip cup flavour was a little better and worked well. Fair price for the quality. Recommended.

Great tasting coffee, pleasant flavour. Quality product, Recommended.

I must preface this review by saying I'm not particularly knowledgeable or experienced with making Espresso. I bought a Sage integrated manual machine a few years ago (mostly because it looked cool) and have barely used it since; drinking mostly Nespresso and instant on a daily basis.

I dusted it off recently and this coffee appeared on Vine the same day, which seemed fortuitous.

I've previously ordered various freshly roasted beans from online specialists and had mixed results. While I did learn how to use the machine, I struggled to find flavours I enjoyed.

This Single Estate Espresso is the first roast I've tried that produced a pleasing flavour right away.

It took a few attempts to dial in the settings. I had to go for a fairly coarse grind and the minimum grind volume on the machine to achieve the desired pressure range; however the end result is very pleasant.

I get the claimed hazelnut flavour, but not the chocolate. It's not bitter or sour and is pleasant with or without milk. I didn't get as much Crema with these beans as with others, which suggests to me it's not quite as fresh as claimed; but I'm pleased with the results so cannot be too critical.

Previously all freshly roasted beans I've received have been date-stamped. These are not. I'm not sure why they haven't if they're claiming this is 'freshly roasted'.

I’m finding it hard to fault these beans. I’ve tried them in a cafetiere after grinding in a burr grinder and also a Sage bean-to-cup machine. The coffees they produce are different, of course, in flavour and body, but both are excellent. The taste is round and mellow, with no harshness or bitterness. The crema from the bean-to-cup machine is just about perfect. My favourite wife tells me milky coffees are equally successful.

I’m not sure I’d have detected hazelnut or chocolate without being prompted by the label, but on further tasting I wouldn’t argue. Strength? To me, it’s fairly middling, although of course that depends partly on the quantity you use.

These are not cheap beans but the price reflects the quality on offer. If you’re looking for a premium, Rainforest Alliance Certified product from Brazil, this should be at or near the top of your list. It's nicely packaged and labelled, so is suitable for gifting too.