Proud Mary – Collingwood. 2nd Review

172 Oxford Street (corner Stanley Street) Collingwood, Vic 3066.

19 February 2010 @ 11am. Coffee Brand 5 Senses + In House Roasts.

Our second visit here revealed a crack in an otherwise quite polished operation. The service was painfully slow, our food arriving well before the coffee and the coffee standard just below what we would expect, even after one previous visit. After all this is not a new kid on the block, only the premise is new.

Coffee – Espresso. PNG Elimbari

Score 17/20

By SimonL

This was an excellent coffee, but challenging, and not really to my taste. But I’m not going to let that interfere with what seems to be a terroir coffee. Like wine, coffee can truly represent the region it is from. In this case the high altitudes of Mt Elimbari in the Simbu region of PNG. This reminded me of cool climate wine. Light brown crema, shimmering and oily looking. It was aromatic with floral and citrus notes and a touch of grilled nut. The flavour was delicate and petite with high lemony acidity, faint pepper, and woody undertones, low bitterness and very good length.

Coincidentally (regarding flavour) I ordered a lemon slice which arrived with the coffee…yippee…

The last sip of this espresso was had with a piece of this incredibly delicious and sweet dessert. The coffee character changed , the acidity disappeared the coffee soften becoming very smooth and creamy with a light malty character.

An accidental food/coffee match…….??

Coffee – Short Macchiato. House Blend (Papa New Guinea, Costa Rican & Columbian)
Score 15.5/20

By SamW

There was not much wrong with this coffee, but on the whole it lost points for poor timeliness. It took a fairly long time to come out, and it was only kinda worth the wait.

The house blend offered soft bitterness, a polite acidity and smokey wooden tones. The look of the coffee was brilliant and served in a glass. The extraction looked deep, and the length of pour harboured the milk like a large ying and a small yang.

Coffee – Cafe Latte. House Roast. (Papa New Guinea, Costa Rican & Columbian)

Score 15.5/20

By SimonL

This was too strong for a regular strength cafe latte, which is a shame because it really was a lovely coffee but I’ve had to deduct a point for “true to style”. I suspect there was some confusion because GD (who joined us to see what the fuss was about with Proud Mary) ordered a strong cafe latte immediately before me. My order may have been interpreted as being the same. Unfortunately I have to rate it according to what I ordered.

This blend, custom designed by Nolan, really works well in a cafe latte, even a strong one. The espresso component completely dominated giving a strong malty, weetbix-like flavour, grainy texture, mildly sweet creamy backbone and dry finish. It worked really well as a strong cafe latte, but it wasn’t what I ordered.

Coffee – Ristretto. Guatemalan Los Volcanes

Score 16.5/20

By SamW

Imagine the consistency of honey mixed with supple and light foam. My mouth was coated in velvet, like licking the oral equivalent of Egyptian cotton. The flavours were sweet and delicate, but I struggled to pinpoint a specific profile. The one-sip coffee left a very oily residue, indicative of a fresh roast.

The only thing more epic than the coffee was the wait, which effected the presentation and compared to last time impacted on consistency.

Service 3/5

Ambiance 4/5

Busy 4/5

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Outpost by St Ali – South Yarra. Overall Score 15.92

33 Yarra St, South Yarra 3141

Google map link

Coffee Brand St Ali

Outpost has a lot going for it, the modern look, cool name and an indoor space that’s as though you walked into mama’s kitchen.

We feel there were some concerning issues here though, with staff knowledge and communication, you never know what you are going to get service-wise. Overall it is hard to dislike the place, in fact it has achieved a high rating because the coffee overall is great, and that is what we, Backseat Baristas, are all about – finding and talking about – great coffee.

Outpost is part of the St Ali group of cafes springing up around Melbourne. This has seemingly happened in the blink of an eye, but we suspect there is a master plan here. Melbourne is on the verge of a new and wonderful experience when it comes to coffee. The introduction of single origin coffee (regional, estate/farms and even specific blocks of land) to the cafe scene is creating a new experience for the consumer and St Ali seems determined to be there when things really get going.

Outpost offers one single origin daily, and their house roast. The single origin (or more accurately the regional origin) every time we have been here has been the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. We are a bit tired of this one now, as good as it is. And we got a little excited on the third visit when something different was on offer, then to be deflated when learning, once we were leaving, that in fact the Yirgacheffe had been back to haunt us!

The skill behind the coffee machine is in little doubt, the short coffees overall being wickedly excellent and freshness has been spot on, really letting the coffee shine. Our impression is that Outpost is not necessarily a dedicated coffee venue, it is a place that revolves around a home-style kitchen pumping out all manner of great looking food while serving specialist coffee that is a cut above many. Remember our scores relate to the coffee only, and it will only take a miniscule improvement in overall coffee consistency for this place to fall into the highly recommended category. We will look forward to our follow up review in around 6 months.

Score Summary.

Cafe Latte: 14, 16, 15

Macchiato: 15, 18, 15

Espresso: 17, 17, 16

Ristretto: -, 15, 17

Overall Mean Score: 15.92. Recommended

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Outpost by St Ali – South Yarra. 3rd Review

33 Yarra St, South Yarra

18 February 2010 @ 9.30am. Coffee Brand St Ali

By far this was the most enjoyable and comfortable visit. While the coffee was good all round, we feel there are still issues regarding staff knowledge and communication which make for a slightly frustration customer experience.

For instance the coffee of the day was listed on the blackboard as Colombian Curazao, which we selected to have as a ristretto and espresso. It wasn’t until we went to pay that the barista informed us that the coffee we had was actually the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. No attempt had been made to tell us that before getting our coffee, probably because the floor staff were not aware either, which has been typical of the lackadaisical attitude we have witnessed at Outpost over the past 3 visits. Up to this point our experience this time had been great, with quick, efficient and friendly service, no delays and the coffee was of a high standard overall. So we left feeling slightly frustrated and mildly disappointed.

Coffee – Espresso Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Score 16/20

By SamW

Despite the confusion of blend, the espresso reminded me of a chocolate mudcake minus any sugar. It was dark and earthy and the initial acidity faded into the night all too quickly. It rates well, and the coffee here always will. I just wish I could say the same about the staff…

Coffee – Short Macchiato. House Roast

Score 15/20

By SamW

Served quickly and with a waning smile, this macchiato was nice and bold in flavour. There was some back palate bitterness that cleansed as opposed to offended (purposeful bitterness). The body had a good flow and natural progression from bold flavour to finishing bitterness. It had a good length and a rich oiliness rimmed the cup.

Coffee – Cafe Latte House Roast

Score 15/20

By SimonL

Again this was a very straight forward cafe latte. The scores have fluctuated a little, but are within a zone of reasonable consistency. It was milk dominated, light beige in colour, perfect sized head and an attractive creamy texture and flavour. The espresso component lurked in the background with sweet cream caramel and faint nutmeg.

Coffee – Dopppio Ristretto Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Score 17/20

By SimonL

This place is showing its strength in these types of coffee. The Yirgacheffe is a well rounded and full style making it an attractive option for ristretto and espresso. There was practically no acidity just a beautiful sweet, rich and smooth body and oily texture. Dark fruits (dried plum), some very faint tropical notes and a fresh, pleasant and lingering bitter finish. Quite lovely.

Service 3/5

Ambiance 4/5

Busy 3/5

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The Maling Room – Canterbury. 2nd Review

206 Canterbury Rd (corner Maling Rd) Canterbury, VIC 3126

11 February 2010 @ 11am. Coffee Brand In House Roasters

Coffee – Doppio Espresso. Symmetry Blend (House Roast)

Score 16/20

By SimonL

I ignored the origin coffees available this time around to have a look at the house blend as an espresso. For someone who wants a big hit of strong espresso fuel, this is it. As it was delivered to me, dark clouds came over and a storm set in. Teeth gritting strength, like a shot of high strength spirit, with a mid palate of molasses, burnt chocolate and plum, a powdery graininess, then a wave of bitterness. Best suited to milky coffee but I secretly enjoyed this. An extra half point for the experience.

Coffee - Short Macchiato. Symmetry Blend

Score 12.5/20

By SamW

Similar to our previous visit this macchiato was served in a large cup…larger than necessary and I questioned the coffee that sat before me: had my macchiato been super-sized? The presentation was slightly better than last experience, but points were deducted for taste.

The extraction was a bit strained which led to an unyielding and overpowering bitterness that scraped the taste buds off my palette, like Mr. Plow taking snow off your driveway.

Coffee – Cafe Latte. Symmetry Blend

Score 15/20

By SimonL

Less strength than the cafe latte I had here on the first visit. The sweet creamy milk was a little too dominating. This will however suit many punters, so I may be accused of being a little harsh. Sweet milk, light caramel, nutmeg, and anise, it was simple and pleasant, but not memorable. Still, it had good presentation, and it was true to style.

Coffee – Doppio Ristretto. Nicaraguan Pacamara Peaberry

Score 15/20

By SamW

At Maling Room it would appear that the smaller the coffee the larger the cup. This doppio ristretto was served in a very large cup and the espresso lay emasculated at the bottom, like a Chihuahua in a Hummer. More coffee would have been used if the barista painted the inside of the cup with caffeine. Due to the magnificent size of said demitasse, the heat dissipated and the coffee sunk to room temperature…which was great for flavour profiling (rich in fruits and sweetness) but poor for the overall enjoyment.

I opine that each coffee be matched to size-appropriate vessels, like a smurf in a Barbie’s car. An espresso in a small cup, a flat white in a medium cup and so on. Please don’t make me play hide-and-seek with my coffee.

Service 3/5

Ambiance 3/5

Busy 4/5

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Atomica – Fitzroy. 2nd Review

268 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

4 February 2010 @ 10.30am. Coffee Brand Atomica

Coffee – Ristretto.

Score 16.5/20

By SimonL

Some trepidation was felt when ordering this ristretto, remembering the last one from the 1st review.

This feeling was unfounded. It had more intensity, more flavour, and good presentation. This is not a coffee for the faint hearted, the roast being strong and ostentatious. It was initially smooth flowing into rich dark cocoa, some genuine dark fruits, gentle acidity and hints of manuka honey. There was a full mid to back palate and finishing with a strong bitterness that threatened to over power.

Coffee - Short Macchiato.

Score 15.5/20

By SamW

In contrast to our last visit, this macchiato was a little bit pedestrian. The pour length was great, but the espresso seemed a bit strained and light in flavour.

The Atomica roast is simple, but not basic. It lacks complexity but is sharply focused. It strikes me as a volatile coffee that requires a good amount of skill to create well.

Coffee – Cafe Latte.

Score 17.5/20

By SimonL

Just like our last visit the coffee presentation was outstanding. Some of the best milk texture around exists here and the dark house roast certainly holds its own with milk. This coffee was quite balanced, not appearing like an over strength coffee. It came across as smooth and seductively rich, evenly paced, with toffee and a faint charred/burnt nutty note, just falling away a bit at the end. An extra half point this time for a better balanced coffee.

Coffee – Doppio Espresso.

Score 16/20

By SamW

This coffee was made with a bit more care than my macchiato. The overall balance was on par with a good extraction, and it was well rounded. The bitterness was less pronounced and played a supporting role for other deep and dark flavours to shine through…similar to a good musical chorus not taking away from the lead singer.

Service 4/5

Ambiance 3/5

Busy 3.5/5

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