illy Espresso Dark Coffee

Illy Espresso Dark CoffeeAfter our last illy scoring a 9/10, this one was stacked up to be even better. I mean, it's a dark roast this time, which must equate to a strength 5 on the usual coffee strength scale. It's been a problem though, as usual with espresso super-fine grinds. If you do it as you'd normally do it, it will blow the top of your head off in a caffeine and powder OD catastrophe. So much so on the first cup I wasn't all that partial. So over the next few cups we toned it down a bit, coming down to 5 spoons (from 6) for the 3 cups. By the end it's pretty good - but still not quite what I was hoping for. It's chocolatey, dark, and not a whiff of a logan berry. I suppose it's more economical in that you need less coffee than the medium roast (for the same piss taking price!). Great though it may be, it scores down again one point for expense, and another for the fact we just couldn't get it right. (8/10)

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Illy

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Average: 8.9 (19 votes)
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Submitted by Judge Hank on 11/10/11.
After the impressive 'red' illy I went and purchased the equally impressive 'black' illy. Impressive mainly due to it's awesome cost and the rather space age tin you get with your coffee. The 'whoosh' on opening was as satisfying as the first time and comically our Judge Nooge thought it was air tight so the whoosh would be inwards, he put his nose near, opened and the gas filled canister whooshed outwards spraying a few bits of coffee in his face. Great start. So we finally nailed it, this is a 5 spooner for 3 cups due to the fine grind of the bean and yielded an oily surface with a powdery bottom. Very difficult to produce a good cafetierre coffee but all 3 were still very good with the final attempt being near perfection. I myself have gone with an 8, it's still a fine experience from start to finish and this can was on offer at a fiver. I'm not returning to the Illy brand myself as I have found a cheaper coffee that imho is better. Ooo the sacrilage but none the less a fine offering from the men at Illy. I also used a capital I everytime I spelt Illy mostly because for some reason on the can they do not. Probably because the font on there printer makes capital I's look like L and then the coffee would be called LLLY which roughly translated means speaking rubbish. Thumbs up all around from me! 8/10

Submitted by cougheee on 11/10/11.
Despite the exitement caused by the space age tin it came in the packaging was not the highlight of this mornings coffee. It seems Hank has perfected the brewing of this particular brand, it arrived with a huge layer of foam and was just the right side of the line between full bodied & too strong. Most coffee's this strength tend to leave a lingering after taste but this one manages to pack in a load of flavour without reminding you about it for the next hour and a half. A firm 8.

Submitted by SW (not verified) on 13/10/11.
Good grind for espresso machines but can taste over roasted. There a difference between dark and slightly burned. Reasonable vale for money.