1. Roast is pretty dark, which gives this blend a lot of punch and power, a great blend for milk drinks (I suspect).
   
2. Straight its good, deep, dark and brooding.  Clearly a different beast than the #5 (a good thing).
   
3. I tasted a smokey dark choclate with a spiced cherry mid-range with a snappy butterscotch finish.
   
4. The aroma is also of a coffee taken darker smokey sharp and distinct.
   
   

3 July
Cathi wrote: “…Upon opening the bag (previously), more surface oils than the #5, darker color and what I would describe as a tobacco aroma (nice pipe tobacco, not stinky cigarette tobacco)…

…Plenty of beautiful crema (double what I got w/#5)…Lovely color and deep aroma.  Very satisfying mouthfeel and finish. To me, it seemed deeper and darker than #5…”

6 July
CoffeeRoastersClub wrote: “…I first noted that the beans were very consistent in size, and they ground excellent.  The shot timed to 25 seconds; the crema was thick and held its form.  Color of crema was on the darker brown side as compared to lighter yellow brown tones.

The shot was very smooth, with a clean finish.  No lingering afterbite.  No notes popping out over others; no bitterness, no harshness on any level.  No peakiness.  No bite.  Overall an exceptionally clean smooth shot.”

JonR10 wrote: “The FTO seems more forgiving (than the #5) in terms of extraction aesthetic, and even though I tend to shy away from coffees that market FTO "too strongly" this one has been nice in my testing.  It has a full body and a nice deep low end.

The FTO works well in milk drinks…As "normale" it pulls smooth and creamy with a pretty good balance, and it's bold enough to be tasty in a bigger milk drink…

The FTO blend is certainly nice and very nicely balanced, but doesn't have that much of an individuality for me.  That is to say it makes a lovely espresso and a nice milk drink too but I couldn't pick out anything very unusual or unique that jumps out at me in the flavors.  A very nice blend that I liken to Espresso Torro…

Of course there is a distinct possibility that I never really hit this one's sweet spot either....I was enjoying the #5 so much that it got more of my attention over the week I was playing with these coffees.”

Joel_B wrote: “…These were forgiving and pulled well when I got them at 4days post roast.  Bold is the best word to describe these; the flavors are intense and there’s a bite from the acidity.  A very pretty dark brown color in the crema. A relatively heavy body.  Len describes the mouthfeel as “buttery” on his site and I think that’s a great description.  The low end on this is pretty big; I get dark chocolate.  There’s a caramel/molasses that comes through in the finish…This bite I found was slightly balanced by a sweetness though.  Taste lingers with this one too.  This isn’t as balanced as the #5 as the FTO seems to favor the bottom end while the #5 gave good flavors through the whole spectrum…I’ve only made a couple updosed ristrettos, but like what I’m getting; roughly 20grams, 1.75oz in 35sec.  The result is very rich chocolate and sweet.  This blend was good at the 4days post roast, but after a week, it really smoothed out.

This blend handled the milk no problem.  In a traditional cap, it cut through no problem, blended well with the milk, and has intrigue in the drink. I definitely preferred this blend with milk as opposed to a straight shot…”

Marshall_S wrote: “I like this espresso very much…I taste a fruitiness in this blend which is absent in #5. The beans were roasted a bit more and I taste a rich chocolate fruit taste which adds a dimension of flavor to the espresso which I did not get with Blend #5. Second, the buttery mouth feel was more pronounced here. For these reasons, it is my slight preference.

Much like #5, I found this to be exceptionally smooth and forgiving; i.e., I pulled a number of shots between 195 and 205 and I did not detect any harshness, sour taste or bitterness whatsoever.  The sweetest spot was right around 200…this is top notch espresso which arrived only a couple of days after roasting - this has to be a winner.”

Jeff_K wrote: “…I really have enjoyed the smooth shots using an 18 gram dose with my LaCimbali Junior.   I was getting a nice thick crema and chocolate flavors so far.  The dry ground coffee was nutty/chocolatey to me.  My favorite blend lately has been Sweet Maria's Monkey blend roasted in my Hottop, and compared to that I'd say the FTO had slightly less body to it and more of a subtle chocolate flavor in milk drinks.  I really like the FTO and it has been giving me nice smooth shots without an overpowering bite…Nice job with the packaging also…”

7 July
JVBorella wrote: “I tried the FTO at a variety of temps starting at 94C & working my way down to 88C. All using a 15g dose & pulling 1.5-2 oz straight shots, no milk. For me the blend was best in the 88C-90C range where I got a nice sweet cocoa flavor that reminded me of the Ambrosia blend from Caffe Fresco…”

8 July
Cathi wrote: “Still really enjoying this blend. Made split shot caps last evening for my hubby and myself...  WOW! very full bodied with a nice aftertaste of dark chocolate…”

9 July
boldjava wrote: “Deeper roast than #5.  Uniform roast with medium-heavy oils.  Fragrance of rich, mature bark…Less and darker crema than #5…Aroma - sweet moss/raisins…Saw the big ol' Sumatran bean sitting in there and my hopes began to soar.  Hopes achieved.

This is a keeper.  Chocolates and more chocolates.  There is sufficient brightness to punch through the milk but is very well anchored by adequate bass notes.  This achieved the 'round cup' I am after in an espresso blend.  Aftertaste is a pleasant lingering chocolate that sits over my entire tongue…

11 July
alsterling wrote: “…I bumped the temp to a bit over 200 and found loads of crema, which yielded a bolder flavor profile than what I usually drink. I too found that it mixed best with the dairy…

I cranked out 4 straight shots, let them sit over 15 minutes, and saw a sustained crema in all shots. I like that. I made numerous cappuccinos, from ristretto shots and only a couple ounces of steamed milk and foam, to a traditional cap of 6 ounces. This blend reminds me of my Malabar Gold, but stronger…”

14 July
GaryH wrote: “I've pulled FTO from 4 to 7 days after roast (Isomac Zaffiro / Macap). Beans are roasted quite dark and the shots did have unfortunately some carbon taste, but with each passing day that diminished. Shots were smooth with some complexity and a bit of a bite. It reminded me of an acceptable espresso I can get at Peet's on a good day.

I actually liked the FTO better when brewed in a press pot. Nice chocolate, herbs and good body.”

16 July
roastaroma wrote: “I pulled double ristrettos and singles 5 to 8 days post-roast… Shots pulled at 205F have thick red-brown crema, with a hint of smoke or tobacco; though I'm used to medium roasts, this is a fine alternative, far from burnt-tasting. If one thinks of the #5 Blend as the "Northern Italian" style, the FTO would be the Southern, darker roast.

Though pleasing and rich, the flavor profile for me tends to be more one-dimensional than #5… Singles exhibit better balance than the double ristrettos, though the crema is not as lasting. At 1 week post-roast the blend seems to be more forgiving, and good shots are a more frequent occurrence. The FTO cuts through milk much better than the #5, so FTO would be my preference for cappas and macchiatos, which have a marvelous caramel quality…”

20 July
Zin1953 wrote: “…My beans were roasted on 07/07/07.  I was a bit surprised by the packaging, in that at first glance, it appeared like a "normal" paper bag.  Then I noticed the one-way valve…the beans are dark, and show a light oily sheen -- not as dark as Peet's, and certainly not as dark as *$, but noticeably darker than my usuals (Espresso Vivace Dolce, or Klatch 2008 Competition Blend).  As others have noted, FTO is a darker roast than #5, yet I have not found it suffering from a burnt or "over-roasted" taste/character. Indeed, as many of the comments to date have indicated, the FTO seems to me to be preferable in a milk-based drink, rather than as a straight shot -- the reverse of #5.

It's quite good, with some herbal aromatic notes coming through the deeper spice notes; the palate has good chocolate notes and a roundness on the palate (as a straight shot)…”

JVBorella wrote: “Just back from a week away so I pulled another vac bag of the FTO out of the freezer. I really enjoy the FTO as a straight double. Pulling at 90°C with a 15g dose I'm getting a nice creamy cherry/cocoa…”

23 July
TimEggers wrote: “Hi Len, I just pulled a few shots of the FTO and have some comments (roasted 7-17-09, 6 days old):
- Roast is pretty dark, which gives this blend a lot of punch and power, a great blend for milk drinks (I suspect).
- Straight its good, deep, dark and brooding.  Clearly a different beast than the #5 (a good thing).
- I tasted a smokey dark choclate with a spiced cherry mid-range with a snappy butterscotch finish.
- The aroma is also of a coffee taken darker smokey sharp and distinct.
Not bad at all, just my observations.  I really like this blend a lot and would recommend to anyone looking for something that can take milk.  For the die hard straight drinker I'd caution that unless they like a striking deep blend if they don't they may wish to select #5 over this one.  This shot is a pure blast of chocolate lightening.

Very good, I'll update my posts as I pull these shots over the next few days.  Very very good job on these Len…”

2 August
Cathi wrote: “Been using my stockpiled frozen beans from FTO with great results. Since I only have a one or two doubles a day, I regularly freeze a 12 oz or pound bag and dispense enough to last me for about a week.  This blend does not disappoint…I have thoroughly enjoyed this coffee and plan to order more. "Try it, You'll like it."”

roastaroma wrote: “…I just finished off the remainder of the FTO with the Lusso brew temp reset to 200F measured at the group head. At this temp more of the FTO's complexity emerged, like the chocolate aspect everyone mentions -- a real improvement. The #5 blend was also better and more complex at 200F, so I'm keeping la macchina at this temp for now…”