Background
Almanac Coffee is a family-owned micro-roastery out of Duluth, Minnesota. They love coffee and make it abundantly clear that they want to bring single-origin beans to everyone. They have a philosophy focused on seasonality, single-origin beans, diverse espresso flavor lineups that change throughout the year, and are community-building minded. Currently, they make seasonal espresso blends for their partners at Dovetail Cafe and other local partners. They are expanding into releasing some of these famed local blends online in the near future.
The Review
It is essential to know that everyone prefers certain flavors. I do my best to avoid bias in reviews, read the “flavors” section on our about page.
I felt they were very welcoming and professional with my short contact with Justin. Justin is a roaster and operator at Almanac Coffee. He let me know that I reached out just as they are about to release an espresso seasonal blend mix on their website for the first time. The blend is called “Dovetail Espresso Blend.” Availability is looking to be around the end of March of 2022. The blend is a mix of their Honduras, Guatemala, and Ethiopian roasts that will change in the summer. Justin sent me this unreleased blend along with a bunch of single-origin beans. This review will be of the blend, but the other single-origin roasts packed some individuality in espresso flavors that I would recommend trying out.
Espresso and Beans
It took me about three tries to get dialed in, reinforcing the idea of darker roasts being a little more forgiving for at-home espresso. This espresso blend is primarily a dark roast. The blend smells deeply of earth and hazelnut. These beans land somewhere in the middle of terms of bitterness. The main profile is citrus and berry. The sweetness profile can be described as nutty brown sugar.
Price: $18/8oz
Score: 9.1
Final Thoughts and Verdict
Justin’s excitement was contagious, and it was difficult not to get excited about reviewing this seasonal espresso blend. Anyhow the seasonal blend was delicious and right on par with my preferred flavor profile and espresso favorites. I would recommend this to anyone who prefers a darker roast as it was excellent in both straight espresso and my morning lattes. Espresso Bear is cheering for you at Almanac Coffee, and we wish you success in your launch of this seasonal blend.
We are looking forward to trying more of your blends in the future!
All the best,
Espresso Bear
If are interested in learning more about Almanac Coffee or want to purchase some coffee, click here.