New Blend on the Block

Taylor St Barista and Union Hand Roasted coffee have teamed-up to develop ‘Rogue’ espresso – a new espresso blend that celebrates the seasonal vibrancy of some of the world’s finest coffees. The new blend, so the maker tells us, challenges conventional espresso blends and the accepted practice of coffee roasters.

“Coffee, like any fruit, is seasonal. And as the seasons change, so do the flavours that are harvested from each crop,” says Jeremy Torz, one of the founding ‘roast-masters’ at Union Hand Roasted coffee.

“In order to maintain consistency in the flavour of an espresso blend, coffee roasters typically compensate for the ‘seasonality’ of the coffees by adjusting blend recipes and muting each origin throughout the year as they come into season.” Rogue espresso flies in the face of this accepted practice, according to Jeremy. “Rather than counter or mute these changes, we’ve created a blend that celebrates them.”

As the UK is seduced by the major coffee chains promoting their ‘Flat White’ coffees, Nick Tolley of Taylor St Baristas says that “much more interesting to the nation’s coffee lovers, is the increasing availability of high quality, unique, vibrant coffees served by skilled coffee professionals. The flat white is neither new nor revolutionary” says Nick. “The chains seem to have picked up on something the quality independents have been doing for years.”

Nick notes, too, that some of the best coffees in the world are available in London. “We’re not talking about the gimmicky Civit cat Kopi Luwaks, Hawaiian Kona’s or Blue Mountains here. We mean coffees that are sourced based on the quality of the current crop, often as a result of relationships between farmers and roasters that have been fostered for years.”

Revelling in the quality of these coffees, Rogue espresso has been crafted from several single origin coffees from around the world directly sourced and hand-roasted in small batches by Union. Each of the coffees has its own distinctive character, which changes with the seasons.

“The flat white is old hat. It’s nothing more than a variation on a milky theme,” concludes Nick. “The real revolution in quality coffee is being played out in the area of espresso: how you source it, how you blend it, how you roast it, and how you extract it. Whether you cover it up in 8oz or 12oz or 16oz of milk is beside the point.”

Rogue is available at Taylor St Barista locations, including the new Bank store, opening late February. For more information, visit their website: www.taylor-st.com