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Friday, August 11, 2006

Do Aromas die at high temps?

I was thinking about this. For a multitude of reasons, key aromatics disappear at high temps. Anything pushing over 201F and after that you are probably killing it. Obviously there is the roast issue. Roasting it dark for higher temps kills those jasmine clover floral notes.

So you are saying no, that can't be right... Rethink it though. Yeah, you can still get your blueberry ferment and earthy spicy dirt coming through... but what about those delicate notes. What happened there? Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating we all start pulling at low temps the home user can't achieve(except for experimenting!). Just think about where are the aromas in your espresso today. Why can't we have an espresso that has all the complexity and character of a Sao Benedito? Espresso shouldn't be elitist or intense strong coffee. It should be an experience... the essence of coffee under pressure. Think about those aromatics trapped in that crema and rolling over your tongue. Clovers on the nose and on the tongue... Put a little thought into your espresso and get back to me.



-Jaime