I typically make 2 doppio cortados in the morning to start my day, and my review is based on using the Paladino in that coffee. I like coffee that has a good chocolate tasting note without the bitterness of a dark roast and without the “tea-like” flavors of most light roasts, especially the sharp flavors of a naturally processed light roast bean. The Paladino is that coffee—it’s “neutral” in my coffee vocabulary. It has an excellent chocolate tasting note, and only a chocolate note.
Later in the day, to get myself going in the evening, I like a coffee with slightly more bitterness. For that situation, the Fitzroy is my go-to. I find it to be basically a slightly darker roast version of the Paladino, and it’s perfect in a macchiato. Right now, the Paladino is #1 in my coffee rotation and the Fitzroy #2.