Lattes

For the Eleventh Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 23rd, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

I also added today’s review to Yelp: Caffe Carpe Diem @ Yelp

The Coffee: Eggnog Latte with cinnamon sprinkles

The Shop: Caffe Carpe Diem located at 3139 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104

The Espresso Shot: To be fair, Juliet the barista has only worked here for 2 days and this machine is a gorgeous Elektra, which I know from experience can be tricky to operate and get used to. The straight shot that she pulled for me was a bit too tart, the crema was a bit flat, but it wasn’t bad. I didn’t have to toss it. I would give this shot a 3 out of 5, but with the caveat that I will be back to give Juliet another try because she was very pleasant and we talked a lot about coffee.

For the Seventh Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 19th, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

I also added today’s review to Yelp: Chocolat @ Yelp

The Coffee: Vanilla Latte, not very Christmas, I know but it’s all they could even attempt with their limited selection.

The Shop: Chocolat located at 3896 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103

The Espresso Shots: To be fair from the get go, this place is about chocolate, obviously, so I really didn’t expect much from the espresso or the coffee … and sadly, I was proved correct. Although I must say that the girl can froth milk beautifully and if the espresso had been double the strength and more flavorful, then I think I would have been in for a treat for sure … but the espresso was too weak and far too bitter. I wasn’t even going to finish it, but the Vanilla Latte was so weak (with the milk taming down the bitterness enough) that I decided to add in the rest of the espresso shot to my drink and try it that way … and it made it markedly better. I actually decided to take my time and enjoy the rest of it. The shots, sadly, get 1 out of 5 stars. The drink gets 3 stars, giving them an average of only 2 stars, sorry guys.

For the Second Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 14th, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

The Coffee: Pumpkin Pie Latte

The Shop: Filter Coffee House located at 1295 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92103

I also added today’s review to Yelp: Filter Coffee House @ Yelp

For the Second Coffee of Christmas, I decided to have a Pumpkin Pie Latte from Filter Coffee House in Hillcrest (facebook). I also thought today to get a separate single shot so that I could judge the espresso independent of it being mixed into a drink. (On my way home, I decided to do the same for Coffee Bean since I forgot yesterday).

After finding a seat by a window, I held the espresso to my nose and was happy to find tropical aromas, very floral and tangy smelling. I was more pleased than I had been expecting by the flavor of the shot and the depth of the crema; a slight blow onto the crema for consuming didn’t even make the crema budge, it held fast in place (a positive sign of good crema). The shot bordered on too citrus for my personal taste and the crema could have been a bit thicker and lasted longer, but overall I give the shot itself a 4 out of 5 stars … impressive from an espresso snob such as myself.

For the First Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 13th, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

The Coffee: Gingerbread Cookie Latte

The Shop: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf located at 120 West Washington, San Diego, CA 92103

The Single Espresso Shot: This also was average, a bit too weak, not enough crema and definitely too tart. I do say average though because this is typical of the espresso you get at most shops.

Let’s get in the spirit of the holidays with our very first Holiday Coffee Special, a Gingerbread Cookie Latte from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I asked them to make it as their recommended, standard serving which got it made with gingerbread syrup with a dash of vanilla syrup, mixed thoroughly with espresso, followed by steamed milk, and garnished with a whip cream topping and I believe cinnamon sprinkles.

I was apprehensive about this drink just from the name alone, and the first quarter of the cup definitely lived up to that caution. To be fair, I haven’t had a flavored latte in a very long time so my taste buds weren’t prepared for such a heavy slam of flavor from the very first sip.