I tried this blend for the first time in a cafe just down the street from my house. At the time, I had recently purchased a Breville Barista Express and was highly disappointed that ALL of my favorite local coffees turned out to be quite old on the shelf! So the hunt for younger espresso beans commenced! I probably tried a dozen or more blends from different regions and did find a nice one... it came from Sprouts and was only about 3 weeks old when I found it. It was only a 12oz bag, like the Tiger's Tooth, but even more expensive as I recall. The really disappointing aspect about the smaller bags is... once you've taken the time to test different recipes and "dial-in" your espresso... you're not left with much more! haha! So the journey continued... Our family took a vacation to the East coast - to New York City, in fact, where the boutique coffee shops are, quite literally, on every corner! I would try a different one each morning - sometimes again in the late afternoon. I had a good time just tasting all the different blends. Prior to leaving for our trip, and after experiencing a bean shortage after the 12oz bag fiasco, I found myself in a Bodhi Leaf trying the Tiger's Tooth. I remember it being well balanced when I tried it, but certainly did NOT taste notes of milk chocolate, let alone citrus and apple pie! I bought four 12 oz bags to make sure I had plenty for "dialing-in" and wouldn't run out too soon. I probably went through 2 bags before our trip and put the other 2 bags in the freezer before we left. When we got back, I took a bag out, pulled a shot and tried to compare it to the tastes I had just recently had in the big apple. Still no "apple pie" haha. I was running low and remembered one of the guys at the shop telling me that you could order a larger bag and save some money if you purchased online... so I looked. Enter the 5 lb bag of Tiger's Tooth. Saved roughly $25 by getting quantity, and it was fast shipping because they are fairly local to me, it turns out. The beans came Friday... the same day I ran out. Couldn't have gone more perfectly. Which brings us to today... it must have taken a grind or two to get the last of the old stuff out of the machine because, even though the blend was the same, today was a new experience for me. 19.5 grams in my portafilter... 40 grams of coffee in just under 30 seconds... stirred briefly and sipped. Viola! Apple. Freaking. Pie! Maybe I just got lucky, but I really think it's the freshness of the roast. Sip on it in as you would if you were sipping wine like a snob... let it coat your tongue and imagine the flavors, rather than the bitterness of the intense coffee. You should taste the notes of citrus, for sure, but the apple pie will come through too. I guess I did taste a hint of milk chocolate, when I think about it, but citrus notes are definitely more dominant... for me anyway. I'm definitely a fan of this blend and will keep coming back for more!
