CoffeeShop-Hop, Episode 2, Latte

Finally, there is a free moment to post the results of my Traditional Latte CoffeeShop-Hop. For once in my life, I took detailed notes of my experience and that break from the norm has proven quite fortuitous.
I decided to focus this episode on the Traditional Latte for several reasons. Mainly, I realize that I'm in the minority by only drinking espresso; most folks prefer milk beverages and I totally respect that. The latte is truly the basis for just about every hot espresso beverage considered part of the modern mainstream menu. I won't bore you with digression on the historical progression of latte and cappuccino, at least not yet, because all you need to know for this article is that the Traditional Latte is espresso with steamed milk and light foam. Whether that foam is integrated micro-foam or dolloped foam is a matter of style, technique and personal preference; some of that will be covered later. Now that all of that is said, on to my trip!


Starbucks River Road was the third stop on my journey. Already I can sense the "why did you go to Starbucks?" vibe and I have to say, shut up. Simple fact is, without Starbucks, the specialty coffee industry in the United States would not exist. If you don't like Starbucks, that is fine, but as a company, as an industry leader and as a brand there are very few true competitors around. Corporate opinions aside, here is my objective review of my latte experience; my Starbucks latte was exactly what I expected, and in Starbucks land, that is a good thing. My drink was hot, flavorful, balanced, prepared quickly with good customer barista interaction. As for the actual quality of the drink, it is important to note that Starbucks does not employ the same style of latte making as most independent coffee houses. Starbucks uses a very, in my opinion, dated style of drinking making that does not reflect the progressive science and art of new age coffee culture. The simplest way to explain the difference is in the process. Starbucks creates voluminous foam as opposed to micro-foam, and they build the latte in layered stages instead of a fused, free-pour style. Personally, I do not care for the Starbucks style of latte construction, but I cannot complain about the construction of the drink. My only true complaint is that the barista did not offer to make my latte in a porcelain cup. Would I repeat this experience? Absolutely. I trust Starbucks for consistency and since I travel a great deal, I often simply want a reliable cup of coffee which is always what Starbucks will provide.


My second stop in the trip was Black Hand Coffee on Sheppard Street. I feel I am always guaranteed an interesting experience at Black Hand. This experience was one of the more tame I've had. Chris, my barista greeted me cordially and made a pretty epic latte. Technique wise, the latte was flawless with an excellent free-pour, balanced micro-foam that emulsified well with the espresso crema. The espresso was well roasted and interacted well with the fats and sugars of the milk. The overall flavor of the latte was heavy on nutty notes with a smoky caramel finish. The finish lingered a bit longer than I would have liked. Other than that, my only complaint is that the latte was huge. Folks, a latte for pleasure should never be more than 6 or 8 ounces. Anything more than that is a meal. The Black Hand experience placed a very strong second in my latte excursion.


My choice for winner of the best latte on my trip solidly goes to Lamplighter Roasting Company on Addison Street. Owner, Noel, was my barista for this latte experience and she crafted one of the better lattes I've ever had in my entire coffee career, no kidding. First of all, as you can see, the presentation was superb with a hand made, properly sized and shaped cup, excellent micro-foam balanced excellently with the hand roasted espresso crema. The espresso, part of their rotating selection of espressos was beautifully suited to milk fat and sugar. There was absolutely no outward acidity or unbalanced smokiness. The drink had the texture of silk and flavor notes of lavender, honeysuckle and fruit blossom. This latte washed over me like colors, purplish-orange to be exact. Quite simply, I was blown away. I hope she can repeat this gem for everyone who walks in her shop. If I can muster one complaint, it is in the shop space itself. Put simply, the room needs ventilation. The smell of cooking food permeates your clothes and skin giving you a lasting "eau du cafe" which does not bode well for afternoon meetings.

Overall I was extremely pleased with my entire latte excursion minus the painful milk coma in which I found myself that night. I don't care what the adds say, milk does NOT do the body good. I still stand behind the point that specialty coffee is a luxury and the experience will always be different for each person. The product counts, certainly, but it isn't always the reason for a good or bad experience. I enjoyed each of these shops immensely because each provided a great vibe in addition to a quality product. This made the judging easy because I simply had to taste and generate an opinion.