Brazilian - Toby's Estate
Welcome to the Espresso Idiot's review of Toby's Brazilian Blend. This is one of the espresso blends featured at Toby's, and is usually available from the espresso wall at Toby's premises in bean or ground form to take home. This review concerns Tobys Brazilian Blend made and served in house. At $2.00 per shot, this compares favourably with other espresso houses on the Sydney espresso scene. If you are buying beans to take home, note that you can normally sample brews for free from the beans on sale.
"Toby's Estate Brazilian blend is a magnificent medium bodied espresso. It is very well done, again. This place is by far the best espresso house on the scene in Sydney today. This is the benchmark, and the Brazil blend is part of setting the mark for the rest of the field to catch up to."
Espresso Idiot, 23 October 2006.
Summary Information
Overall Score: Another superb espresso blend from Toby's. This place consistantly produces class espresso. A must try. 8 out of 10.
Presentation: Very good, no spillage on the cup or saucer. Beans freshly ground and espresso delivered promptly to the table. Very well made by skilled barista. 8 out of 10.
Bean Type: 100% arabica. Well selected, blended, and roasted. This man knows Brazilian coffee. 8 out of 10.
Crema: An even thick crema. Caramel coloured, very inviting. Tasty and thick enough to handle mixing with milk. 8 out of 10.
Aroma: Strong aroma promising a tasty espresso. Pungent aromatic full bodied smell. Nice. 8 out of 10.
Taste: Very mellow medium bodied espresso. Acidic taste to begin with, a very smooth aftertaste building and rounding this one out. 8 out of 10.
Review
Toby's Estate has produced yet another superb blend available as an inhouse espresso. The brazilian blend is also avaialble as a take home in both bean or ground form. This is a fine espresso blend, made in house the baristas can work their magic on it, and at home you can prepare it on your own equipment in exactly the manner that you want it. This review is concerned only with the espresso that I had in house at Toby's from this blend.
Thhe beans were, as always, freshly ground for my shot. I watched the preparation of the shot, and saw the careful attention that it got from the barista during the brewing phase. The machine appeared to be calibrated correctly for the duration of the shot, and there was no spillage or spray from the shot at all.
The first thing that I noticed about this shot was the splendid crema that totally covered the surface of the shot. It was a lovely golden colour and although thick, was not overly so indicating that it had been freshyl made, and the coffee beans were freshly roasted. It was subperb, and I should imagine it would mix extremely well with any added milk.
Next up the aroma struck me as I was admiring the crema. The first hit of the aroma from the shot indicated that this was a medium bodied espresso, possibly on the light side as the armoa was very mellow. The smell was understaed, and there was nothing to indicate that a strong full doied espresso shot was awaiting me. However, there was plenty of that delicious coffee aroma to go around and keep the nose interested in what was going on. This would be a good espresso to start the day, although if you really need a kick in the pants you'd probably want a stronger blend than this.
The strenght of this shot is in the velvety smoothness that wraps around your tongue and delights the taste buds. The shot is exceedingly smooth, even, and a delight to drink. The flavours roll over the tongue, and draw the response from the palate while holding the espresso in the mouth. It is a wonderful espresso, not bold but deep with many falvours and creates a great impression. I think this is best consumed as a shot, mixing this with milk would be likely to drown out the falvous and the subtelties of the taste that can be enjoyed with the shot being consumed on its own.
This espresso is very much worth sampling at Toby's. It is extracted to perfection, and the flavours and tastes in the espresso really come to life. Toby's for good reason enjoys a great reputation about town, and this is yet another reason why that is the case. If you are keen to try espresso in Sydney, Toby's is a must, and you could do a lot worse than sampling this Brazilian espresso.