Oh no!

Once before - and only once, I have tried a coffee that I love for this characteristic.

It was at Spring Espresso in Subiaco some months back when the team there had an Ethiopian single origin in the hopper and it had this magnificent apricot character. It was like sucking on a mouthful of dried apricot in fact - not just a 'hint' or a 'note' or 'reminiscent' but a great big gob full of apricots. The guys at Spring are magicians when it comes to teasing out nuances of the beans and this coffee was one of the finest I had tried there.

Today I had a shot that was almost identical (at least as well as I remember) to the one at Spring.

And it was at home.

On a Sunbeam that has been annoying me because the pressure is all over the place.

I've been using the Bialetti stovetop for my short coffees and today on a whim made a ristretto on the Sunbeam - but forgot to change the grind. The shot poured faster that I would normally like - but thick and gloopy. I whipped it out before the shot ran too far and sipped - and there it was, those apricots again.

I quickly made another shot to make sure I was not fooling myself but no - there it was again and I love it!

The worst part is - this is a pre roast blend - from odds and ends (100 grams of this and 100 grams of that - who knows!) so I can't replicate the roast at all as I was only being frugal and not wasting beans.

Worse still - there is enough left in the hopper for maybe two shots more.

I've been using this in the bialetti and in Mrs Grendel's flat whites and never a hint of apricot, but today - when I am about out of the bean it decides to show up.

HappySadHappySadHappySad? - Happy!

At least I got to taste it.