Aviano, Cherry Creek
After a few sips, I decided it was enough experience. It was time to try cream.
A beautiful spring stroll through the Cherry Creek shopping district ended at a little shop called Aviano. Fairly unobtrusive, it sits on a peaceful corner surrounded by busy people doing important things in their ever-important lives. Inside however, the air shifts, stills, breathes a sigh of relief. In the middle of a busy day of appointments and obligations, I was happy to retreat into this little haven.
The coffee of the day was El Diablo Dark Roast. The sign promised that it, “presents a caramelized sweetness with low acidity. A lasting impression of molasses and melted barley linger in the smoky finish.” Seriously? Melted barley? What exactly does melted barley taste like? Oh well – somebody got paid to make it sound interesting. Aviano exclusively brews Intelligentsia coffee. Allison, the Aviano barista, explained that Intelligentsia has single-origin coffees, which are roasted in smaller batches. The beans are sourced through direct trade from locations between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. She said that direct trade costs more, but is also a higher quality bean. Intelligentsia only provides in-season coffees, because they guarantee that the beans will be available to the customer no more than ten months after harvest. Aviano receives the beans a day after they are roasted. My cup of El Diablo was brewed in a pour over system. Unlike my previous experience, there was no pre-infusion, but I do not know what difference that makes.
After a sip, my first thought was of Africa. I know that sounds strange. It didn’t make sense to me either. I don’t know what Africa tastes like. I’ve handled artifacts and souvenirs from Nigeria, but I don’t recall ever tasting them. However, this coffee seemed to embody the essence of Africa in some way. It was dark, head, and earthy – very intense. It was so dark in fact, that I wondered if drinking coal would be much different. It was rather like soot, but not burnt. It washed over my tongue lightly at first, then seemed to seep into my tastebuds. It had a prickly taste, with no taste comparison. My friend Sarah laughed and commented that even she would not drink coffee black. I may be crazy, but that is exactly the point.
After a few sips, I decided it was enough experience. It was time to try cream. I had not yet had any coffee with cream and sugar – except for certain specialty drinks. When I added a small bit of cream, the coffee became much less harsh and sharp. It still had the same overall flavor, but the cream seemed to act like a coffee mood-suppressant. The lows weren’t so low, but the high’s weren’t as high either. The cream seemed to mellow the coffee, so that the character remained the same, but the richness of its personality was diminished. When I added sugar, it did nothing at all. It was just sugar in coffee. There was a slight sweetness, but the flavor was unaffected. I suppose if I loved sugar, and I loved coffee, that would be a convenient way to get both, but otherwise, it was a waste of the energy it took to tear open the little paper packet.
Lastly, I asked Allison for a recommendation to go. She said one of Aviano’s specialties is a traditional cappuccino. She described it as having a nice texture, with a sweetness of its own. It has equal parts milk, foam, and espresso – double shot. Waiting for my drink to arrive, I turned to Sarah. She had been observing me quietly during our visit as I asked questions and took notes. I asked, “Are you embarrassed to go for coffee with me?” She responded with a long, drawn out, “yep.” We both laughed, and she insisted she was joking, but I’m sure there was a bit of truth in there somewhere, haha.
I was very surprised by the cappuccino. I know I hated my first experiences with espresso, but this actually wasn’t bad. The coffee flavor was strong, but not unbearable. The milk and foam calmed the intensity, but didn’t add any foreign flavors. Toward the end, the taste got to be overwhelming, but nevertheless, I was proud of myself. I had my first traditional cappuccino!
http://avianocoffee.blogspot.com/
http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/
ORIGINAL COMMENTS
Unknown, May 18, 2011 at 4:08 PM
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