Spanish House Blend - Cafe Hernandez
Welcome to the Espresso Idiot's review of the Spanish Blend served at Cafe Hernandez as the house blend. This espresso blend is normally available in bean or ground form to take home, as well as being the blend that is served in house unless you request something different. Note that it wont be free if you are taking beans home, the Idiot was charged full price for beans and shots on visiting Cafe Hernandez. At $2.80 per shot, this espresso comes at a price that is slightly above average.
"This espresso will be enjoyed by those who appreciate coffees made for the Arabic and African palate. This blend is full bodied, sharp, and richly flavoured. There is a lingering bitterness that is a little too sharp and unpleasant, but this is an interesting espresso that can be enjoyed."
Espresso Idiot, 1 November 2006.
Summary Information
Overall Score: An interesting full bodied, but ultimately too sharp and bitter to settle well on the palate. It has some high points, but the power of sharpness and bitterness blots the impression of this espresso. 7 out of 10.
Presentation: Unusually the beans were not freshyl ground for my shot and appeared to be stored for the barista in ground form. Some spillage on the saucer, and espresso cup a little on the large side. 5 out of 10.
Bean Type: 100% arabica. A range of bean types included in this blend giving an interesting taste - perhaps a little less of the sharp and bitter beans would be an improvement. 7 out of 10.
Crema: An evenly, but unfortunately also quickly, dispersed crema. Brown to yellowish colour, no oily sheen. A bit disappointing. 5 out of 10.
Aroma: Strong aroma promising a tasty espresso. Aromatic full bodied smell to the shot. 7 out of 10.
Taste: A powerful full bodied espresso. A little over the top, and the impression of sharpness and bitterness is what lasts. This is overpowering and does cover up the undoubtedly interesting flavours underlying this espresso. 7 out of 10.
Review
Cafe Hernandez has selected a richly flavoured, full bodied, and aromatic blend as the in house coffee blend with the Spanish Blend. Unless you request one of the other types of espresso that the friendly and helpful staff will make for you, this is the blend that you will get. Being open 24 hours might have something to do with selecting this powerful blend as the house blend, I am sure that this has saved many people on those late nights that the cross is so famous for.
In a marked departure from most fine epsresso houses, the beans for my shot were not freshly ground before me. The beans appeared to be stored in ground form, somewhat unusual when most aficionados agree that the beans ought to be ground as near as possible to the brewing of the shot. The espresso machine is centrally placed on the counter so you cannot miss the preparation of your shot and can keep an eye on things if you like. I did notice that there was a bucket that appeared to have the overfill from the group head hand swept into it before the shot was made, and I am not sure what part this bucket plays in the preparation process. The barista was skilled and was very happy to discuss the various blends that were available, and to sugget various types of blends that I could consider sampling. Friendly and helpful, but perhaps not quite as top notch as some other outfits. I still liked it, but could not believe such fine espresso was kept ground.
The shot had a very strong armoa coming from it that made quite an impact on the senses with its power. The aroma promised a full bodied espresso to follow, with very strong prnounced coffee smells eminating from the espresso shot. At first there was a hint of an earthy smell to the aroma, but it was quickly overpowered by the rest of the aroma. Aside from power, there was not much else indicated to the palate from the aroma that one could expect.
This crema on the shot was yellow and brown, beingunevenly coloured and while plentiful, never gave the impression that it would last very long on top of the shot. It dissipated through the drinking of the shot quite quickly and overall was a little disappointing. There was no oily sheen, and the consistency did not invite one to sample the crema. The crema possibly would mix well with milk, however you would want to be quick getting the textured milk into the shot for any milky coffee that you wish to prepare.
The taste of this espresso is definitely full bodied. On reaching the palate, the flavour sensations are absent from the tip of the tongue, making their presence known to the sides and rear of the tongue and mouth. There is a sharp taste that is very powerful and a little too strong for my liking. The bitterness sets in and is the lasting impression over any flavours trying to assert themselves, and over the top of any aftertaste that the espresso may have in it. This is clearly a blend that has incorporated a wide variety of beans, however the sharp and bitter aspects have been over done at the expense of taste and flavour. This is an espresso that could serve as a pick me up late at night, but doesn't really cut the mustard in terms of allowing flavours to come onto and impress the palate.
If you are on the lookout for a full boided espresso, then this is worth a shot. As the house blend you are likely to be trying this at some stage, and Cafe Hernandez is a place that you should check out on the Sydney Espresso scene. However, I would not suggest that you do so just for this house blend unless you are looking for a sharp, bitter, overpowering espresso shot. Possibly best consumed with milk, but next time I am back, I will be sampling from the selection of fine beans listed on the wall..