The crema that pours from the portafilter spouts on my espresso machine is huge. It is big and beautiful and rich and reddish brown. It is thick and long-standing. It smells like a coffeehouse ought to smell. It brings me great delight. And when I drink an espresso or an americano that has poured so perfectly and dripped so gently into my cup, it makes me smile. For real; not the fake, used car salesman type of smile. It is good. That's DoubleShot Coffee Company's Ambergris Espresso Blend.

On Friday night, my friend Kristin and I went to Berryhill to watch high school football. (Where?) Yeah, well, I've been on this kick to watch small-school football games lately. Anyway, after the game Kristin and I came back to DoubleShot for a cup of coffee. I made a presspot of Yemen Mocca Sanani. I'm not sure I've ever made a better presspot in my life. It was so damn good. Every time I took a drink, my mind would start racing, trying to cull the flavors I was tasting. Slightly sweet and smoooooth on top of a dry, heavy base. A hint of earthiness. Berries? What type of berries? Raspberry sauce drizzled on flourless chocolate cake. Complex. Beautiful. My favorite in recent memory.
And the great thing is, coffees like this Yemen or my espresso blend are so variable, so unpredictable, that each time I can have a slightly different experience.
It doesn't have to be consistent, it just has to be good.