How to Brew Double Agent: Dialing In Our Brazil-Colombia Espresso Blend

Built for Espresso. Works Everywhere.

Double Agent is a blend of Brazilian and Colombian beans, medium roasted, designed to do one thing well: make a great espresso. The Brazil brings body, chocolate, and nutty sweetness. The Colombia adds structure, clean acidity, and stone fruit depth. Together they create a shot that is rich and sweet without being heavy or one-note.

But "built for espresso" does not mean it only works as espresso. Double Agent also pulls its weight in a French press, drip brewer, and pour over. Here is how to get the best out of it in each setup.

Espresso

If you have an espresso machine at home -- whether it is a semi-auto, a manual lever, or a prosumer setup -- Double Agent is made for this.

Starting Recipe

Freshly roasted coffee changes as it degasses, so the ideal dose shifts depending on how many days it has been since roasting. Here is how to adjust:

Why the increase? Fresh beans are still releasing CO2, which creates resistance during extraction. As the beans degas over the first two weeks, you need slightly more coffee to maintain the same body and intensity in the cup. The ratio stays at 1:2 throughout -- you are just scaling both sides up.

Time: 23-32 seconds

Temperature: 200F / 93C

Grind: Fine - adjust until your shot hits the time window

How to Dial In

Espresso is the most sensitive brew method. Small changes in grind size or dose shift the flavor fast. Start with the recipe above and adjust based on what you taste:

Shot running too fast (under 22 seconds): Grind finer. The water is passing through too quickly and under-extracting. The shot will taste sour, thin, and watery.

Shot running too slow (over 32 seconds): Grind coarser. Over-extraction makes the shot bitter, ashy, and harsh. Anything past 32-33 seconds is too far.

Time is right, but too much acidity: Grind a touch finer to slow the shot down slightly. Moving from, say, 24 seconds to 26-28 seconds will reduce the bright, fruity acidity and bring out more of the chocolate sweetness.

Time is right, but too flat or missing fruit notes: Grind slightly coarser to speed it up. A faster extraction pulls more acidity and brightness.

Time is right, but the shot tastes watery or thin: Add more coffee. Go from 18g to 18.5 or 19g and keep the same ratio. This adds body without changing the flavor balance. Never drop below 18g.

What to Expect

A well-dialed Double Agent shot should taste like dark chocolate with a caramel sweetness and a clean finish. No sourness, no harshness. If you add milk, the chocolate and nut flavors hold up without disappearing -- that is what makes it work so well in lattes and cappuccinos.

French Press

French press brings out the fullest body from Double Agent. The metal mesh filter lets the coffee oils through, which gives you a heavier, richer cup compared to paper-filtered methods. If you like your coffee thick and satisfying, this is the move.

Recipe

Coffee: 30g, ground coarse (sea salt texture)

Water: 500g at 200F

Steep time: 4 minutes

1. Add coffee. Pour all 500g of water.

2. Stir once gently after 30 seconds.

3. At 4:00, press the plunger slowly.

4. Pour immediately. Do not leave coffee sitting in the press -- it keeps extracting and turns bitter.

French press Double Agent leans into the chocolate and walnut side, with less acidity than you would get from pour over. A good option for people who find pour over coffee too bright or tea-like.

Pour Over

Double Agent works in a pour over, though the flavor profile shifts. You lose some of the heavy body that makes it great as espresso, but you gain more clarity on the stone fruit and caramel notes.

Recipe

Coffee: 24g

Water: 400g at 200-205F

Ratio: 1:17

Grind: Medium, slightly coarser than you would use for a single origin Ethiopian

Time: 2:45 to 3:30

For pour over, try a slightly coarser grind than you would normally use. Double Agent's blend composition is denser than most single origins, so it extracts faster. Going a click coarser prevents bitterness.

Drip

Ratio: 1:16 -- about 60g of coffee per liter of water

Grind: Medium

Quick Reference

*Espresso dose depends on freshness: 18g for days 1-3, 19g for days 3-6, 20g for days 7-14 after roast date. Always keep a 1:2 ratio.

The 10 lb Bag: For Offices and Heavy Drinkers

Double Agent is available in 10 lb bags -- by far the best per-ounce value. If you are pulling espresso at home daily, a 12 oz bag disappears fast. The 10 lb option means fewer reorders and a lower cost per cup without sacrificing freshness, because we still roast it to order in small batches.

It is also the right move for small offices, studios, or anyone running an espresso setup for a team. Ten pounds of freshly roasted specialty coffee delivered to your door beats whatever the office supply company is offering.