The coffee gods spoke to me, they whispered “illy Classico Espresso“, that was just before I made my first feeble attempt to slide out of bed. There was a chill in the air this morning as I got out of bed, you know the kind of chill that makes you want to jump back in and forget the morning has come for just another 5 minutes. Alas, when I finally made it to my trusted friend, the Bonavita, she was patiently waiting as always, and ready to create her morning magic brew.
Today I chose the Illy Classico Espresso because when it’s winter in Florida, and there’s a slight chill of air in the morning here, it usually makes me crave something dark and bold, but it wasn’t really cold outside, so I didn’t want to overshoot and go with espresso. What better choice then to go with an espresso roast? What better choice than to go with Italian coffee? You can never go wrong with Illy, it’s never let me down on a chilly morning. So here we go.
Coffee Maker
Bonavita 8- Cup Stainless Steel
Coffee Water Temperature
202 Degrees Fahrenheit / 94 Degree Celsius
Coffee Filter
Melitta 8-12 Cup Natural Brown Coffee Filter
Coffee Roast
Illy Classico Espresso ground coffee is a medium roast coffee with 9 of the finest Arabica coffee sources in the world.
Coffee Aroma
The coffee aroma is rich and sweet. You can pickup the chocolate and deep caramel notes in the coffee.
Coffee Body
Since this is a medium roast coffee you might expect a more neutral body, that’s definitely not the case here, there’s a rich element that would otherwise be apparent in a darker roast coffee. The espresso notes are clearly there, but the balance is amazing because it’s not strong or heavy, it’s perfectly balanced to allow the flavors to express themselves on the palate without going too far. Seriously, every time I drink this coffee I say to myself “Someone at illy really knows coffee”. I’m saying that again right now. The body of the coffee is incredible.
Coffee Sweetness
The coffee sweetness is very good. I sense the dark bitter chocolate on my tongue, but it’s not so bitter that I’m salivating, it’s giving me just enough of a hint of chocolate to make me want something a little sweet for breakfast. I’ll say it again, someone at illy really knows coffee.
Coffee Acidity
The coffee acidity is coffee medium.
Coffee Mouthfeel
The coffee mouthfeel is richer than you would normally get with a standard medium body coffee, but I like it, it’s making me think, “How can this be a medium roast coffee, what did illy do to make this so enjoyable?”
Coffee Finish
The coffee finish is smooth and clean, it almost reminds with of a Costa Rica coffee blend, or maybe a Puerto Rico coffee blend. As the coffee cools a bit I get a little less staying power on the mid palate which I’d expect from just about any coffee and the chocolate richness fades just a bit. I’m still tasting the rich dark chocolate and wishing my wife had made some scones or maybe even a cozonac. This coffee will pair very well with something sweet.
Summary
Someone at illy really knows coffee! The illy Classico Espresso ground coffee is very good. It’s got everything that makes a coffee great; the rich dark chocolate aroma, the hints of caramel, balanced flavor, medium acidity and beautiful body. This coffee is certainty something that should be in your cupboard as a good to in case of a coffee emergency because it always delivers. I understand some of you reading this will argue this isn’t meant to be a blend for coffee but rather espresso, I respect that, but I love a great cup of coffee regardless of how it’s made, therefore I reserve the right to make it the way I like it (enjoy!).
