Gail B.
Yelp
Customers must enter through the door at the back. My server explained that it is because of COVID-19.
Their best-seller, the Orient Espresso, is the only roast that they can brew for "drink-in" or "to go" customers. It is also available for purchase in one pound bags. I ordered a cup of it brewed, but I did not like it because it tasted too strong and bitter. It felt like I was drinking BURNT tobacco. I wanted to spit it out.
Other roasts must be purchased by the pound. I did not want to waste my money buying any in case I don't like the taste. I already wasted $7.50 on The Orient Espresso.
Then Aldo enthusiastically approached me as I stood before a shelf of some bags of coffee. He kindly introduced himself to me and stated that his coffee beans are organic and that he roasts them on the premises. After I told him about my preference for a lighter and smoother brew than the Orient Espresso, he suggested that I buy the Costa Rica, which is his lightest and smoothest roast.
So I bought a pound of that.
I did not want to waste my one hour drive to Aldo's. I had to have something enjoyable to drink while I was there. So I ordered a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. Thick and delicious, the chocolate was worth the $4 that I paid for it.
Then Aldo cordially gave me a lesson about coffee as I sat down at one of the tables and drank my chocolate. He informed me that the coffee bean is actually the seed of a cherry fruit, and he declared that he roasts beans that are from "coffee varieties", not flavors.
Example: The coffee plant has two main species: Arabica and Robusta. Typica and Bourbon are the most popular varieties of the Arabica plant. Arabica beans are sweet, flavorful , have some caffeine and plenty of varieties. Robusta beans are bitter, have a lot of caffeine and a small selection of varieties.
So there are no hazelnut- or chocolate truffle-"flavored" beans, like what I buy nearly every weekend at The Hampton Coffee Company (in Southampton) or nearly every day at The Bean (in Patchogue). The flavors that Aldo's customers taste in all his beans are natural "notes" in the beans themselves, like hazelnuts and dark chocolate. He continued that he does not sprinkle flavorings into his beans like some of his nameless competitors do.
After he finished educating me about coffee, Aldo initiated a conversation with another customer. Aldo is outgoing and personable, and he is also humble about his success. He prefers that customers call him by his first name, like "Cher is called by hers", he exclaimed.
When I got home, I brewed some of the Costa Rica.
It tasted so good hot that I drank it straight. It did not need any milk. That is surprising for me because I always use some milk in any coffee that I drink, hot or iced.
The Costa Rica tasted like a light, smooth espresso that diners consume after an evening meal in a fine French or Italian restaurant. That does not surprise me because Aldo told me that he was born in Italy and reared mostly in France.
I also tried the Costa Rica iced but that spoiled the flavor.
LESSON LEARNED: good quality coffee needs no milk , sugar or ice. It tastes best hot and black.
I highly recommend that connoisseurs of organic coffee try Aldo's at least once. You do not even have to visit here. You can order some coffee from the store's website and have it shipped to your home.
I am giving Aldo's Coffee Co. four stars out of a possible five because of the over-roasted Orient Espresso. Something went wrong during the roasting process on the day of my visit for a coffee so popular to taste that bad.
Another reason for the four star review is that customers are forced to spend at least $17 for a one pound bag of coffee in order to find out whether or not they like the taste of the other roasts.
