Maromas Arabea Premium Blend Espresso Whole Bean Coffee, 2.2-Pound Bag

OK guys, this is the stuff. I've tried the Maromas Platinea, Orphea and Arabea, all in the 2.2 pound (1 kilo) size, and all stamped with roast dates in September 2014. The Orphea is rich, earthy, chocolate tinged and gives super crema. Very good, but a bit low in acidity and too big on the peaty/chocolatey side for me. The Platinea disappointed a bit - I found it difficult to dial in a truly balanced shot, and it seemed to lack body and strength. I like its fruitiness, but it seemed to sacrifice power and body for the almost citrusy/lemony fruit, and I tended to get slightly sour shots. Perhaps more work to dial in the machine was required, but I didn't find the sweet spot during the course of a kilo of beans, which is not the norm.Arabea, on the other hand, is the bee's knees. Rich, lots of crema, but with plenty of 'bite' and acidity, without losing its balance and focus whatsoever. Fresh, powerful without being heavy handed, a touch of sweetness at the finish.Excellent shots, in other words, and without a lot of fussing to find the right grind, tamp, temp and timing. Using an ECM Giotto Premium coupled with a Pasquini Moka grinder and an Espro tamper, I like to aim for a bit of a long pull, about thirty-five seconds including the pre-infusion. When I get dialed into those specs, Arabea gives me a beautiful, toasted hazelnut colored head of crema and a very satisfying, clean tasting shot of between 1.5 and 2 ounces.