Are You Drinking a Traditional Italian Espresso?

When we talk about Italian espresso, we're talking about a very particular style of coffee. It tends to be rich, full-bodied and slightly bitter, with plenty of flavour packed into a small cup. It's the kind of espresso that works just as well on its own as it does underneath the milk in a cappuccino or latte.

But what gives Italian espresso that particular character?

A lot of it comes down to the beans.

Arabica and Robusta in Italian Espresso

Traditional Italian espresso blends have often used a combination of Arabica and Robusta. Not every Italian espresso contains Robusta, but it has been an important part of Italian coffee culture for a long time.

Arabica and Robusta bring different things to a coffee. Arabica is generally sweeter and more aromatic, while Robusta tends to bring more body, intensity and a slightly more pronounced bitterness.

That doesn't mean that Robusta is there to make the coffee bitter. It's more about adding a little extra character to the blend.

Think about dark chocolate compared with milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has a deeper flavour and a little more bitterness, while milk chocolate is sweeter and softer. Robusta can have a similar effect in an espresso blend. Even a small amount can give the coffee a little more bitterness and intensity without making it harsh.

For traditional Italian espresso, that slight bitterness is part of the appeal.

What Is Robusta?

Robusta is one of the two main species of coffee grown for commercial use, alongside Arabica. The beans come from the Coffea canephora plant and are known for having a stronger, more intense flavour than Arabica.

Robusta generally has more caffeine and tends to have a fuller body, with a more pronounced bitterness. It can also produce a lot of crema when brewed as espresso, which is one of the reasons it has been used in traditional Italian espresso blends.

The difference isn't necessarily about one being better than the other. They simply have different characteristics. Arabica is often associated with sweeter and more complex flavours, while Robusta brings more body, intensity and bitterness to a blend.

Why Add Robusta to an Espresso Blend?

The amount of Robusta used in an espresso blend can vary quite a bit. Some blends use more, some use only a small amount, and some don't use it at all.

When we use a touch of Robusta, we're looking for the characteristics it brings to the cup. It can add body, intensity and a slightly more pronounced bitterness, while the Arabica coffees provide their own sweetness, aroma and flavour.

Robusta can also contribute to the thick crema that many people associate with traditional espresso.

The goal isn't to make the strongest or most bitter coffee possible. It's about finding the right balance.

Does Italian Espresso Have to Be Dark and Oily?

This is where things can get a little confusing.

When many people picture Italian espresso, they imagine very dark beans that are almost black and covered in oil. While that type of roast certainly exists, Italian-style espresso doesn't have to look that way.

The colour of the beans doesn't tell you everything about how the espresso will taste, and a bold espresso doesn't have to come from an extremely dark roast.

Our Owl's Espresso is a good example.

Owl's is 6/8 on our intensity scale and is considered a bold coffee, but the beans themselves are quite brown and aren't particularly oily. The coffee gets its bold character from the blend and the way we roast it, rather than simply roasting the beans until they are very dark.

Delicato is a little different. At 5/8 on our intensity scale, it is a smooth blend, but it still has that Italian-style character we are looking for, including a gentle bitterness and good structure.

Neither coffee needs to look like the stereotypical dark, oily espresso bean to give you that traditional espresso experience.

Delicato: A Smoother Italian-Style Espresso

Delicato is our smoother take on the traditional Italian espresso style.

At 5/8 on our intensity scale, it's a medium roast with a balanced profile that is easy to enjoy as an everyday espresso. It has notes of peanut, medium acidity and a gentle bitterness that gives the coffee some depth without taking over the cup.

Delicato also contains a touch of Robusta, which adds a little more body and bitterness to the blend.

It's smooth enough to enjoy as a straight espresso, but it also works really well with milk. The coffee still has enough character to come through in a latte or cappuccino without becoming overpowering.

Owl's Espresso: Bold but Balanced

Owl's takes the Italian-style espresso profile a little further.

At 6/8 on our intensity scale, it is a bold coffee with substantial body, plenty of flavour and a more pronounced presence in the cup. It also contains a touch of Robusta, adding to that slightly more bitter and intense character.

The interesting thing about Owl's is that the beans don't look particularly dark or oily.

It's a medium roast, and the beans are still quite brown. Yet once you pull the espresso, you get a full-bodied coffee with bold flavour, strong structure and a persistent crema.

That's a good example of why you can't judge an espresso simply by looking at the beans. What matters is what happens when you actually brew it.

Is Robusta Required for Italian Espresso?

No, there isn't one recipe that defines Italian espresso, and Robusta isn't a requirement. Italian roasters have used many different combinations of Arabica and Robusta over the years, including blends made entirely from Arabica.

What Robusta does give you is another tool for building the flavour and texture of an espresso.

For us, that means using a small amount when we want the extra body and slightly more bitter character that we associate with traditional Italian espresso.

It's also why two coffees can both be Italian-style and still taste completely different.

Delicato is 5/8 and smooth, while Owl's is 6/8 and bold. Both have that traditional espresso character, but they give you a different experience in the cup.

Italian Espresso Isn't Just About the Roast

It's easy to think that Italian espresso is simply a very dark roast, but there's more to it than that.

The roast is important, but so is the blend. The coffees you choose, the proportion of each coffee, the amount of Robusta, the roast profile and the way the espresso is extracted all affect what ends up in your cup.

That's why we don't think you need extremely dark, oily beans to make a good Italian-style espresso.

A touch of Robusta can give you some of the bitterness and body traditionally associated with the style, while the rest of the blend can still bring sweetness, aroma and balance.

It's a little like choosing dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. You're not necessarily looking for something that is bitter for the sake of being bitter. You're looking for a deeper flavour with a little more intensity.

That's what we like about traditional Italian espresso.

So, What Makes an Italian-Style Espresso?

For us, it's about the balance in the cup.

Traditional Italian espresso tends to have plenty of body, a little more bitterness, good intensity and enough flavour to work beautifully as a straight espresso or with milk.

Robusta has been part of that tradition for a long time, and when used in the right amount, it can make a real difference to the finished espresso.

At Virgin Hill Coffee, Delicato and Owl's Espresso are our Italian-style blends. Delicato gives you a smoother 5/8 espresso, while Owl's brings a bolder 6/8 profile.

Neither one needs to be black and oily to give you that traditional Italian espresso character.

You really have to taste it to understand the difference.