An excellent coffee, for those who love it, is the most thrilling of shows. An experience to savour, stimulating all senses.
It is a pleasure for eyes, when the hazelnut coloured cream swirls in endless streaks.
It is a scent awakening, an explosion of aromas of flowers and fruit, chocolate, toast, dried fruit and spices.
It caresses the palate: creamy, buttery, light, but also lasting. It is a celebration of flavour, with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
Colour
A great espresso has a hazelnut colour and its cream is decorated with little brown streaks. It should not be too light or too dark.
Fragrance
Beautifully-prepared coffee gives off notes of flowers and fruit, chocolate, dried fruit and spices. Earthy, grassy and burnt aromas should not be found in coffee.
Body
The perfect espresso is creamy, with a subtle thickness and should linger in the mouth. It is never watery, thick or weak.
Flavour
Sweetness and acidity are the two elements to be recognised in a consistent, fragrant and refined flavour. Bitterness, when subtle, is typical of a good quality Arabica.