Many of us think a dark roast is required for espresso. Why might you roast differently for a pour-over versus for an espresso? I read this article months ago, but it was interesting to read again after writing about home roasting. If you do make espresso at home, AND you have a home roaster, you can experiment with some of the parameters mentioned here, from the Perfect Daily Grind, “Roasting For Filter Coffees vs. For Espresso.” We do sell green beans (unroasted coffee); contact us.
Filter/pour-over and espresso methods extract the coffee at different rates. Dark roasted coffee is more porous than lighter roasts. With espresso, you’re quickly pressing water through a puck of coffee. However, professional roasters might roast to the same end-temperature, but they can still develop different roast profiles. For a rough analogy in the kitchen, you can rapidly pan fry onions on high heat, or you can use low heat & cook the onions more slowly until browned. Another example: you can rapidly bring ingredients in water to a boil, or you can use moderate heat to slowly bring them to a boil.
One customer wrote to say he didn’t seem to taste as much “soil or volcano” with the espresso brewing style with our medium-dark roasted coffee. Yet I know at least one couple (he’s from Italy; she’s from Belgium) who regularly purchases our medium roast to use in their Italian espresso machine. We do have expectations for tastes and flavors, and we do get accustomed to foods/drinks we regularly consume. It has probably happened to you that you initially don’t like something, maybe because it’s different or unexpected, and you later like it.
I’m always interested in learning of your experiences with our coffee. I highly recommend having someone help you with blind tastings, even if it’s just clarifying for yourself if you prefer A or B. Taste is subjective. You’re allowed to like what you like!