Solid cafe con leche. Milk well foamed, right size and right balanced. No complaints. Pastries and bread solid here.

Solid dark roast espresso with good crema. A little bit woody but the smokiness, balance, and acidity are good. Nice mouthfeel. Something you wouldn't mind having in an office or hotel.

Cupping Method:Dolce Gusto capsule machine at a AirBNB in Santander, Spain

I was quite happy with my descafeinado that I had next to the Botin in Santander at the playground cafe. Didn't get that much complexity but found it very nice and easy to drink with chocolate, spice, and a touch of sweetness. Picture is after I walked a minute and had taken a sip.

Honestly, you could do far worse than this. As good as about half the cafe roasts in Spain. Intense spice and smokiness. A hint of woodiness is the main downside. A well-engineered capsule.

Cupping Method:Dolce Gusto capsule machine as a lungo

No frills, dark roast espresso that hits the spot. Smoky and spice notes with limited acidity but solid structure. Good crema texture and overall mouthfeel.

Cupping Method:At Restaurante Sibariz in Ribadesella on the north coast of Spain. Waiter pulled double long.

This Spanish bakery has very good pastries and bread, and solid coffee. Medium roast with chocolate, caramel, and a little toastiness.

Cupping Method:Expreso doble in Madrid

This is quite smooth and easy to drink. I don't think it has a winning characteristic that would make me seek it out, but it's WAY better than hotel instant coffee. The neutrality of it this roast definitely maps to what I know some coffee drinkers like. I get some natural sweetness, and chocolate. I think it'd benefit from a bit more acidity. The finish is clean and you could easily chug a cup of this slightly above room temp.

Cupping Method:Steeped while traveling

Very easy to drink, pleasant instant decaf. Very milk chocolate with a touch of vanilla. Better than expected!

Cupping Method:At a Melia hotel in the city of Leon

Pleasant, neutral medium roast decaf that was easy to sip. Nice caramel and toasty notes. Good crema and good mouthfeel. Didn't get much complexity but thought it was a good sidekick to desert. Definitely not caffeinated as I fall asleep writing this, ha ha.

Cupping Method:With postres at Maruca, a restauraunt in Madrid

I had the barista at Madrid coffee store pull a shot of each of 2 espressos they had available, this one, and a Myanmar from Familia Osorio. The Myanmar was exceptional. I think one had some nice florality and fruit but was a touch too acidic without a full expression of those characteristics that you want to see in a lighter espresso. Pretty light bodied overall though the crema was nice. Not quite enough to get that truly A+ espresso mouthfeel. I'd be happy to have it again but wouldn't seek this roast out as espresso.

Cupping Method:Head to head pull of the two espressos being served at La Deseada in Madrid. Very good baristas there and I do think it speaks well to this roaster and roast that it's on offer there.

Had this in an office in April and took notes. Definitely get the chocolate and some cherry acidity/notes, and overall pretty smooth. And definitely has a crapload of caffeine. I think I'd be cool to have this any time though probably wouldn't proactively buy it.

Cupping Method:K-cup in a business meeting

A wild journey. Wakecup is a house roaster associated with Lilobrunch, a very quirky brunch place in Madrid/Barcelona. It doesn't appear to have its own website, we're not sure if this coffee will ever become broadly available.

I will say that we can recommend Lilo Brunch as a very fun place, especially if you have kids.

Their espresso roast is very unorthodox and is so unique it's a bit hard to grade within my usual framework. Nothing is unpleasant but it's a different ride. Starts with just a massive burst of fruit, blackberry, cherry, that's probably a bit too much. It's not actually that acidic. Then it's the traditional coffee/espresso flavors with chocolate and nuttiness. They're also very big.

For me I enjoyed the journey more than the actual coffee if that makes sense. It was interesting to analyze but I don't know if I would order it again.

Cupping Method:Espresso then iced at Lilo Brunch Madrid

Solid, easy to drink espresso at this Spanish bakery with good caramel notes and complexity on the low side. Their bread and pastries are excellent, and they seem to have a popular coffee program as well, that includes some of their espresso being sold as branded capsules.

Cupping Method:Double while picking up pastries

Has a kind of burned toast type character, but not in a totally bad way. Slight burned toast is actually the way I like it.

It'd say this roast is pretty smooth and there's no bitterness beyond that. Crema is medium and lovely. It's neutral and light enough to not overrun a milk drink. It could use a bit more acidity/complexity in the blend.

I debated between a 3.5 and 4 and decided on a 4.

Cupping Method:Nespresso capsule - bought a 10 pack at Carrefour. It was 4.70 Euro for 10.

This is a solid Ethiopian light pourover, but I'm not totally blown away. All the really good characteristics of Ethiopian are there, black tea, raspberry, peach. This roast just has a strong herbaceousness that's throughout the palate when hot. They have herbes-de-grace or rue on the bag. That could be it. That's much more muted as it cools, and then it's so light and fruity it's almost chuggable.

Cupping Method:Bought at Syra store on Calle Orense in Madrid and made 4x with a Hario v60

This is a solid dark roast capsule, as good and functional as many of the Nespresso capsules. Fairly smooth, chocolate character is nice. I think it's missing a little bit of acidity and fruitineness for balace, and the crema is just OK. Complexity is relatively low. While the Nespresso machine I had here didn't have a foamer, I think it would been neutral enough for good lattes and cafe con leche.

Cupping Method:I bought these at Carrefour in Madrid. These were very inexpensive, .27 euro per capsule.

Kind of an odd, out of the box espresso, but I think ultimately like-able. Tons of fruit up front, plum, cherry. Almost too much actually, then the dark characteristics. Bitter/dark elements are muted and balanced. I do feel like it throws off a cafe con leche or other espresso drinks but makes for an interesting espresso/iced Americano.

Cupping Method:Americano, then iced Americano.

I've had Panera light roast many times as my wife is a fan. It's a pleasant breakfast blend style coffee that's easy drinking with some acidity and fruitiness.

I thought my espresso from Rodilla was pretty solid. It seemed pulled a bit long even for a double espresso, but the roast was a solid medium one with caramel, nuttiness, and a touch of acidity. It was a bit better I thought than my wife's cafe con leche. It's not a barista but rather line workers so I don't think they foamed the milk quite right.

Cupping Method:Rodilla location near the Science Museum in Madrid

A fairly smooth Colombian medium roast that isnt quite harmonious in its acidic and flavor mix, but is satisfying. Hard to explain exactly but its a bit too much of lemon then grapefruit then chocolate. Again, not bad just not quite the perfect balance.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover

Solid espresso and filter at this Icelandic chain. Asked around and this was the main roast.

This Veranda Blend, in this format, is comically not a blonde roast. It's a bitter medium when hot. It's convenient and blends smoothly. As it cools, it's more drinkable and expresses some light roast characterstics. Still dark with a little bit of bitterness for a light-medium roast, but a bit of plum acidity starts to come out. Works best IMHO if you let it cool and then ice it, which mutes the bitterness while highlighting that acidity.

The blonde roast thing is a point of aggravation for me with Starbucks. Neither Veranda and Green Apron are blonde. They are solid light-medium roasts.

It was pretty expensive ($12 for $12.99) from the Starbucks I got it from (Watertown, MA) but it's convenient, consistent, and satisfying in a pinch. It passes the better than hotel and airplane coffee test for sure.

Cupping Method:Instant, hot water. Cooled, then iced.

Not terrible and very convenient. Robust flavor that tastes like coffee without any distinguishing character, fairly smooth.

Cupping Method:Hot

Green grape with a bit of nuttiness. A little brown sugar and black tea. Smooth, good flavor characteristics, without a lot of complexity.

Cupping Method:Pourover from Haute Coffee in Concord, MA. Was selling for $23/bag, pourover was $5.50.

I recently tried the Social Dog Blend by Chamberlain Coffee, founded by the mega influencer Emma Chamberlain. With a summer of travel coming up, I was excited to try this blend, particularly in the convenient, steeped format. Here's my verdict: not bad at all!

The Social Dog Blend doesn't possess a standout character that sets it apart from micro-roaster specialty coffee. Still, it offers a smooth and nutty flavor profile that is relatively well-balanced. Upon savoring each sip, I noticed hints of chocolate and peanuts, which accurately describe the overall taste.

One of the highlights of this coffee is its steeped format. It's incredibly easy and convenient to prepare, making it a good choice for those on the go. Compared to the average coffee served on airplanes or in hotels, the steeped Social Dog Blend version is undoubtedly a significant improvement. It delivers a satisfying and enjoyable cup of coffee. It's also organic.

Overall, I found the Social Dog Blend a pleasant coffee experience. While it may not possess exceptional characteristics, it compensates with its smoothness, nuttiness, and relatively balanced flavor. The convenient steeped format makes it a reliable choice for those looking for a quick and hassle-free coffee option, surpassing the quality of typical airplane and hotel coffee.

Also, Emma seems lovely!

Cupping Method:Steeped

I tried Bulletin Blend 2 ways today at Koko Coffee, first as espresso (pictured) at the bar, and then took a filter coffee home.

Espresso: good overall character with nice chocolate notes and some blackberry fruitiness and caramel notes. Didn't quite evolve the way I wanted and had a bit of bitterness mid-palate.

Drip: Smooth, chocolatey flavor profile with good balance and structure, a little bit of acidity. No wow factor for me but very enjoyable.

My verdict from these two is I'd be happy to have these a house blend or a versatile workhorse. I've had enough coffee to recognize this as the type good cafe blends that keep everyone happy but maybe doesn't blow away those are very particular about their coffee.

I am a Broadsheet fan though I didn't take notes on the pourovers I had from there before I started writing for this site, so that is an upcoming effort to undertake.

Cupping Method:Espresso and drip from Koko Coffee on South Wharf in Boston, MA

Walking into a Marylou's for the first time can evoke an unexpected sense of surprise, a feeling akin to entering a vibrant ice cream parlor. With its lively pink aesthetics and an array of unique flavored coffees and concoctions, Marylou's brings a distinct flavor to the coffee house scene. A seeming favorite amongst young women between the ages of 15 and 30 (the store was packed with them!!), Marylou's offers an environment where one can indulge in a delightful treat.

Regular roast is special blend carefully curated by Marylou herself. This brew consists of beans sourced from Colombia, Brazil, and Central America. Driven by her passion for coffee, Marylou's blend was designed to impress even the most demanding coffee enthusiasts and it sounds like it has remained the same since Marylou's was founded in 1986.

In this colorful setting, I chose to try their straightforward regular coffee though I have to admit I was tempted by the conconctions. The Regular Roast was smooth and easy on the palate, accompanied by a subtle nuttiness and caramel. The brew also had a hint of acidity, balancing the overall taste, but still falling short of great.

I would not say it lived up to the grandeur of Marylou's claim of being the 'Best Coffee in Town' but perhaps this claim was more valid before the specialty coffee era. I think it's as good as most Starbucks/Dunkin'/Peet's house roasts which I usually rate around 3.5-4 stars.

Despite being curated with care, the blend offers a good but not exceptional coffee experience at a good value.

Cupping Method:Takeaway purchased from the Quincy, MA Marylou's.

Pretty smooth with a chocolate orange character and a touch of nuttiness. Pleasant breakfast blend that you'd be very happy with in a hotel, or a set-it-and-forget it medium blend for those who want an inexpensive, sustainable blend.

Cupping Method:Pourover in Chemex

This is a very easy-to-drink African blend, especially once cool, that is very smooth. I don't get a lot of complexity, and there may be some lingering notes some folks one like (but they are very light). Something like a grapefruit rind or licorice. The licorice to me was a hint of black, not red as Barismo's tasting notes indicated. I think you have to be a specialty coffee flavor squinter to pick it up. The acidity and complexity are on the low side. Reminds me of a solid breakfast blend in a lot of ways.

Cupping Method:Pourover at Barismo in Arlington

Solid medium espresso best suited for milk drinks. Clear blend when you open the bag with beans of different sizes and roast levels.

Sipping straight, it is easy to drink and very smooth with low acidity and complexity. Cocoa, caramel, and some berry flavor (but less so tartness). It drinks well hot and in an iced Americano. The crema is on the low side.

Its an easy espresso to work with and cortados and lattes came out nicely.

Cupping Method:Made multiple ways with my A53 Spaziale