Monday, May 05, 2008

Blue Bottle Cafe

Location: 66 Mint St., San Francisco

Reviewed: May 5, 2008

Espresso: Blue Bottle serves, optionally, single-origins on a lever San Marco machine. This particular day, they were utilizing a Brazil of a certain estate which name escapes me. The barista took some time dialing-in and poured out at least three shots before serving me. The crema was medium-to-light in shade and even in tone. Despite this, the crema was still thick and plentiful. The shot, poured to about 1.5 oz. in a ~2 oz. white ceramic cup with matching saucer, was quite complex in flavour, tasting of sage and smoke and chocolate, fading to something approaching walnut in the finish. Served alongside a glass of water.

Atmosphere: The new Blue Bottle Cafe is small and crowded. Minimal signage and a 17-foot ceiling. The siphon bar is fun.

Verdict: Pulls it off well.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I found their espresso blend to be average perhaps a tad wild/ dirty. Put it this way the finish and overall affect was poor. I suspect they use some cheap green. The cup could have been a lot cleaner. I am not convinced about all the coffee here nor their style of service. The switched on and friendly staff at BB's Mint St location appeared to be "gagged" by the till bitch Pretentious?