# Don’t look down the blends!



## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

For some time I looked down the blends. It wasn't as appealing as single origins. I think it's just ignorance of my part and looking for some uniqueness in every bag I buy - I rarely buy the same bag and switch up origins a lot.










However, I've been enjoying Square Mile's Sweet Shop and it's super delicious! It's even roasted lighter than some of their filter beans, judging by the colour. It's only two Ethiopian coffees anyway.

I remember I had the same name blend before with Niche and it wasn't remarkable. With an EK43s, it has been just amazing. Sweet, juicy, wonderful!

Next time you shop for beans, consider a blend too.

Anyone else shares the same experiences?


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

My morning blend


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

+1 

Also, it is a whole different story to create a tasty blend as a roaster. There's so much additional work and variables involved - from cupping, selecting and profiling the different components (given a post roast blend) to the actual blending and upscaling to production.

I consider a thoughtful and balanced blend a work of art in its own right. Especially when decent quality greens add up to an even more sophisticated cup!


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## Zephyp (Mar 1, 2017)

Blends can give you some incredible coffee, that's for sure, but I can see it taking up more resources. I don't believe coffee is inherently best as a single bean, but it's time-consuming work. They blend all the time in wine producing.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

Zephyp said:


> Blends can give you some incredible coffee, that's for sure, but I can see it taking up more resources. I don't believe coffee is inherently best as a single bean, but it's time-consuming work. They blend all the time in wine producing.


or whisky


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Square Mile do some fantastic blends. Sweet shop and red brick are 2 of my favourite.

I'm generally a single original fan but would rule out a good blend.

SQM is a good starting point for anyone that wants to try the blend option.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

PPapa said:


> For some time I looked down the blends. It wasn't as appealing as single origins. I think it's just ignorance of my part and looking for some uniqueness in every bag I buy - I rarely buy the same bag and switch up origins a lot.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The last SM SS I had was fantastic - I didn't really get 'funky' until I grasped the meaning with a HasBean bean, and that's what I got with SweetShop.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

As a general rule I've also found blends more forgiving for espresso. The espresso window is wider (without going horrid).


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## Power Freak (Dec 14, 2018)

I find sweetshop is very dependable as a great espresso (have not tried the current iteration however) - red brick in contrast can sometimes be a bit "meh" as a straight espresso.


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

PPapa said:


> For some time I looked down the blends. It wasn't as appealing as single origins. I think it's just ignorance of my part and looking for some uniqueness in every bag I buy - I rarely buy the same bag and switch up origins a lot.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Out of interest - what's that magnificent creation you've pulled there papa..... lungo? A longer shot with a little milk added?

I'm just starting to get in to shorter coffee drinks though still not ready for a 1:2 espresso without adding water or milk


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## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

kennyboy993 said:


> Out of interest - what's that magnificent creation you've pulled there papa..... lungo? A longer shot with a little milk added?
> 
> I'm just starting to get in to shorter coffee drinks though still not ready for a 1:2 espresso without adding water or milk


18g in, 45g out, no milk - I think I might have confused the perspective a bit with a tall SQM bag! I found that pushing for 1:3 is sometimes still not to my taste (gets too dry) and shorter shots can be sometimes too sharp.

But then I'm running an ek43s which is unlike to any other grinder I had.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I drink in a cafe where the espresso and milk based drinks are always a blend.

It's quality and balance are a function of what goes in it, it varies from ok to fab across the year.

As long as the greens are good quality and sympathetically roasted and blended then there is no reason why a blend can't be great in the cup.

I have enjoyed sweetshop, got another bag on the way, will be interesting to see how it fairs with the Niche. Had some good bags of Red Brick, had a fab split shot of A Man versus Machine blend at Idle Hands in Manchester.

I always enjoyed the Has Bean xmas bends (filter and espresso). Blends can get a bad name as some are still the easy go to for roasters, made with cheaper greens , roasted to a level that makes them more forgiving for wholesale customers that lack the time and skill to dial in exactly.

Like any coffee, good ingredients, good roasting can lead to great cups.


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

All my favs from compass have been blends thus far....

If they get it right you can get the best characteristics of each bean lending to the cup.

I particularly liked one which compass blended with Brazilian Ipanema, which always gave this silky creamy mouth feel


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## Wildcat (Oct 4, 2018)

I only recently started branching out into blends from Hasbean, and I've been very impressed by the results I get through an Aeropress. I still prefer to have single origin at the moment, but it's made me more willing to branch out.


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## Katie (Feb 16, 2019)

I am completely loved up with every Crowsnest blend that Rave produces . I have never been disappointed and make sure not to run out ordering by the Kl each time. It's my perfect first coffee of the day. A light roast that makes my mouth water just smelling as I grind it. If I am running low and it's not on the website I start to panic!!


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## HBLP (Sep 23, 2018)

Had my first shot of the new Sweetshop, 1/3 Gitega Hills Rwanda washed (I guess the same as this from the Barn https://thebarn.de/products/gitega-hills) and 2/3 the natural Huye Mountain that I'm sure many are familiar with.

Super super lovely shot, had a bit of a guess at the setting on my Lido E/La Pav combo and hit the sweetspot first time (though I'm sure I can get a bit more out of this bean). Cherry, blueberry sweetness but even more sweet than fruit notes can describe, almost like jelly babies. Would definitely recommend


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## blazarov (Jul 17, 2018)

I am also struggling with the same coffee now, but couldnt find the sweet spot yet.

The delivery got delayed so it is roasted 8 apr and i was wondering if it is somehow stale.

In fact the taste is not bad, but i am sure theres much more to it. I dont like the visual extraction, it runs somehow "dry".

I know that LaPav is a totally different animal than my PIDed Silvia (6bar), but what is your recipe?


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## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

PPapa said:


> For some time I looked down the blends. It wasn't as appealing as single origins. I think it's just ignorance of my part and looking for some uniqueness in every bag I buy - I rarely buy the same bag and switch up origins a lot.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sweetshop @ £40 a kilo I'll take your word for it.


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## HBLP (Sep 23, 2018)

blazarov said:


> I am also struggling with the same coffee now, but couldnt find the sweet spot yet.
> 
> The delivery got delayed so it is roasted 8 apr and i was wondering if it is somehow stale.
> 
> ...


Yeah so difficult to compare but I'm doing a pretty long preinfusion (30 seconds faffing with filling up the grouphead and 7-8ish seconds at I'd guesstimate 3-4 bars of pressure) and currently going 2:1, the pull itself is approx 20 seconds. I tried going a bit longer but that seemed to just dull the taste a bit and the acidity was quite fine on 2:1. I might dose up a bit as this seems to be a very dense bean, potentially leaving a bit too much headspace with my usual 17g. Can't speak for how it lasts a few weeks after roasting; but generally square mile roasts hold up well weeks after roasting in my experience. Mine was just over 2 weeks old before I opened it.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

I use SM coffee quite a lot... in Edinburgh, a friend of mine owns a few shops and he sells it at retail, but without the London markup! so at £7.90 a bag for 350g it actually becomes quite good value.

I've found that SM tend to be pretty high up the quality ladder, and red brick consistently delivers. Although they did get it spectacularly wrong last year... you know they got it wrong because the "seasonal" blend was replaced within 4 weeks with something else. Ive never seen them change out so quickly. I didn't get a single nice drink out of that batch.


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## Guest (May 10, 2019)

It looks delicious!


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## blazarov (Jul 17, 2018)

What about crema? Do you get good thick crema? I can never do with the SM Sweetshop, whereas almost all other blends and single origin give me lots of thick crema.


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