Update: My local cafe switched to a super light roast for their house espresso

I've watched three different people this week take a sip, make a face, and dump in two packets of sugar (which, you know, kind of defeats the point). It matters because a sour, underdeveloped shot just pushes people away from trying good espresso, and I know it's the roast because the barista confirmed they changed suppliers last month. Has anyone else's go-to spot made a change that just didn't land right?

4 comments

4 Comments

vera19529d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, that sounds like they're just serving battery acid now. Tbh, watching people try to fix it with sugar is like watching someone put ketchup on a steak. Might as well just sell them a can of soda and save the effort.

quinn_burns29d ago

Disagree hard on this one, @vera195. Some of the best coffee I've had is super bright and acidic, like a Kenyan pour-over. It's not battery acid, it's a flavor like tart berries or citrus. Adding a tiny bit of sugar can actually balance that and make those fruity notes pop, not just cover it up. Comparing it to ketchup on steak feels like missing the point of a whole style of coffee.

james_bell1d ago

Used to think that too, honestly.

angelarivera28d ago

Okay but quinn_burns has a point here. I used to totally side with vera195 and thought acidic coffee was just bad. Then a friend made me try a properly brewed Ethiopian with a tiny pinch of raw sugar. It didn't make it sweet, it just made the blueberry taste way clearer instead of just sour. The ketchup on steak take is funny but it kinda misses how sugar can be a tool, not just a cover-up.