testing1x2x3
- Apr 3, 2020
- 2 min read

Black Rifle Coffee In My Crosshairs!

Updated: Apr 20, 2020

Black Rifle Coffee Company's AK Espresso Review, Workflow, and Extraction Video

BEAN SPECIFICATIONS

Roaster: Black Rifle Coffee Company
Coffee: AK Espresso
Type: Blend
Roast: Medium
Origin: Colombia, Brazil
Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut, Citrus

TEST RESULTS

Black Rifle Coffee is a Veteran owned company. I'm a retired disabled Army veteran, so I felt like it only made sense that I give this roaster a try and see what's what. Straightaway I can tell by the smell that this roast is closer to a dark roast than a medium roast. It was also immediately evident that this is a classic Italian style espresso, and not a new school specialty style espresso. I personally enjoy both old school, and new school styles, as long as they are done well. I checked all over the bag but I could not find a roast date. However I did find an expiration or best by date of Feb 21st 2021. So based on the best by date, this espresso was already over a month old! I gotta say I was disappointed to see this, as I was under the impression that they roasted fresh to order. Regardless I decided to give it a try anyway, and crossed my fingers hoping I could still pull somewhat of a decent shot. After much trial and error, I was eventually able to get a few passable extractions. Due to the darkness of this roast I decided to use a VST basket in an attempt to bring out some acidity and toasted nutty notes. Surprisingly for a darker roast the flavor profile wasn't bad. First and foremost is a deep sweet chocolate flavor that carries from beginning to end, Then after bringing the temperature down to 198F I was able to get a very light roasted hazelnut flavor with a hint of orange citrus. This roast is at it's best in milk based drinks since the powerful chocolate notes pull through just about any quantity of milk. If you're a fan of lattes and other heavy milk based drinks, and you love a classic chocolate bomb, then this is the spro for you!