I love espresso. There’s nothing quite so delightful as pulling a shot, tasting it, making small adjustments, and eventually watching the beautiful tiger stripes of a perfect dial. It’s such a pleasingly tactile experience, and for someone who’s spent years behind a humming, hot espresso machine, there’s a certain comfort in returning to movements that seem almost rote.

I rarely have time to do espresso analysis in our current configuration. One day soon, when the Crown Tasting Room is open to the public, I’ll have multiple espresso machines at my disposal, and we’ll be pulling shots of several delicious coffees simultaneously everyday. For now, I satisfy myself with immersion and infusion brews, which can be just as magical. Most of the time, I’m okay with these limitations. As someone who loves pulling the strangest single origins on espresso, I already know that nearly all of our coffees would taste good when thrown in an espresso hopper and carefully dialed in. I’d also hate for people to feel limited by my analyses, or think that the coffees would only taste good on espresso. By using multiple brewing methods, I can showcase the versatility of our coffees.

But every so often, there’s a coffee that whispers in my ear, telling me how delicious and and complex it could be if only I took the time to pull it on espresso. In the day-to-day rush of brew experiments and analyses and cuppings, I try to ignore these whispers, reassuring the coffee that it tasted magnificent as a Kalita or a Clever. But sometimes, the coffees win.

Below are three coffees who wouldn’t stop telling me their dreams of becoming espresso, the Mexico Cosautlan Francisco Montiel Valencia, Brazil Ibicoara Fazenda Floresta Natural, and the Sulawesi Toarco Jaya.

Mexico Cosautlán Francisco Montiel Valencia
Crown Jewel

Brazil Ibicoara Fazenda Floresta Natural
Crown Jewel

Sulawesi Toarco Jaya Pedamaran Farm Fully Washed
Crown Jewel