Brew Ratios & Linea Espresso Blend
Creating a wide “sweet spot” is one of the goals that we have when sourcing and roasting our Linea Espresso Blend. This means that at many different brewing parameters, the blend will still taste delicious and appeal to home baristas with different preferences.
When brewing espresso, the easiest way to manipulate the profile of a shot is to increase or decrease the brew ratio while keeping all other variables controlled. For this experiment, we’ve given you tasting notes for three different ratios to give you a baseline to explore your preference.
For simplicity’s sake, we will always have 19 grams of ground espresso in the portafilter, but we’ll adjust the output of the weight of the liquid espresso in the cup. The goal is to achieve each of these brew ratios in a time of 25 – 35 seconds. (We only use time as a way to check our grind size—we don’t use it as the measure for when to stop a shot! Try to always stop your shot based on weight, as it is more consistent.)
Linea Espresso Brewed as a 1 to 1 Ratio
(19 grams in, 19 grams out, 25-35 seconds)
When brewed as a 1 to 1 ratio, Linea Espresso Blend exhibits honey-like body with tasting notes of baker’s chocolate and molasses. This expression is enjoyed by those who love espresso for its viscosity and strength. It is also a good ratio to add to milk for a cappuccino, as the milk opens up the flavors on your palate, while the drink maintains a nice balance of coffee and milk.
Linea Espresso Brewed as a 1 to 1.5 Ratio
(19 grams in, 28.5 out, 25-35 seconds)
This ratio gives you the best of both viscosity and strength, but begins to dilute the flavors enough to identify more nuanced tasting notes. At this larger ratio, you begin to appreciate notes of marzipan and apricot acidity along with those heavier flavors of chocolate and caramel.
Andrew’s suggested starting ratio for Linea Espresso is 19 in and 25 out in around 25 seconds. This ratio is the closest to this suggestion.
Linea Espresso Brewed as a 1 to 2 Ratio
(19 grams in, 38 grams out, 25-35 seconds)
Using a bigger ratio like this one really opens up the shot and allows for a full range of flavors to be identified. Here, Linea Espresso Blend expands its concentrated sweetness, bringing almond and vanilla notes up front, while finishing with a deeper dark chocolate aftertaste. This ratio is preferred by tasters who like to sip a bit longer and contemplate the complexity of the shot.
Any ratio in between these parameters will give you a slightly different experience, but the main goal is for you to experiment and find the expression of Linea Espresso that you like the best. As with anything, sometimes the journey of discovery is even more enjoyable than the discovery itself.
We hope this framework gives you the inspiration to explore and enjoy!
