Blind Assessment

Produced from an ESE pod on a FrancisFrancis! pod brewer. Chocolate-toned fruit and leather in the aroma. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The leather turns toward aromatic wood and the chocolate and cherry fruit notes deepen in the cup. Simple, slightly astringent finish. Sweetens but maintains crisp presence in two parts milk.

Notes

ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods are wafer-like single-serving sized portions of ground espresso coffee compressed and enclosed in filter paper. Any company that has access to the proper machinery can produce them. Although "pod adaptors" are available for many home espresso machines, ESE pods seem to produce best results when used on home machines exclusively designed for them. We tested this set of sample pods on the pod-only FrancisFrancis! X6 Trio home espresso machine, which allows for some control of extraction rate by how firmly the pod-bearing portafilter is tightened into the machine. We evaluated this espresso at a 35-second extraction for a one-ounce serving. At this writing about 75 cents per pod on the IllyCaffe website. Illy, among the world's most technically sophisticated coffee roasters, has successfully positioned its name and its quietly graceful, rather expensive espresso blends as a worldwide prestige brand. Visit www.illyusa.com or call 800-872-4559 for more information.

Who Should Drink It

The typically delicate but gently authoritative medium-roasted Illy blend brews well and precisely in the matching FrancisFrancis! home pod machine.

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