Metric Coffee Chicago Review: My First Specialty Coffee Experience Taught Me I’m an Espresso Guy

Metric Coffee Chicago Review: My First Specialty Coffee Experience Taught Me I’m an Espresso Guy

Metric Coffee Review: Apparently I’m Not Fancy Enough for Specialty Coffee

As F’nAround continues expanding into new industries, we’ve been chasing media credentials, expo passes, and opportunities to cover everything from cannabis and gaming to food and beverage.

Recently we were told that if we wanted access to some of the larger coffee and beverage events, we’d need more experience covering specialty coffee.

Not coffee.

Specialty coffee.

Apparently there is a difference.

So naturally I went down the rabbit hole.

I learned that specialty coffee is graded and scored, with the highest-ranked beans receiving scores that coffee enthusiasts obsess over the same way wine collectors discuss vintages and bourbon drinkers argue over barrel proofs.

After some research, I found only a handful of places in Chicago consistently offering these top-tier beans.

The closest to our studio was Metric Coffee at 2021 W. Fulton. Metriccoffee.com right past Fulton market outside of west loop part of west town you have multiple beautiful areas to walk to around here.

So off we went.

It was one of those perfect Chicago days. Eighty degrees. Blue skies. Patio weather.

The kind of day where coffee somehow tastes better before you even order it.

I ordered my usual comfort drink: an iced mocha latte with coconut milk.

Then I explained what I was doing.

I told them I was trying to understand specialty coffee and asked them what bean they thought best represented the experience.

The staff couldn’t have been nicer.

They recommended the El Diviso Pink Bourbon from Colombia with tasting notes of strawberry, honeycomb, and jasmine.

The presentation was beautiful.

The coffee arrived with a side of soda water, something I’d never experienced before.

Immediately I knew this wasn’t a normal cup of coffee.

This was an event.

A ceremony.

A tasting experience.

And that’s when it happened.

I understood specialty coffee.

I finally got it.

I could smell different aromas.

I could identify flavors.

I could taste notes that weren’t just “coffee.”

I suddenly understood how wine people spend twenty minutes talking about a glass of wine.

I understood bourbon enthusiasts arguing over caramel versus vanilla notes.

I understood craft beer drinkers discussing hops like they were discussing fine art.

I got it.

And I hated it.

Not because it was bad.

Because it wasn’t the coffee I love.

For me, coffee is supposed to punch you in the face a little.

I like espresso.

Strong espresso.

Bold espresso.

The kind that reminds you you’re alive.

This coffee tasted delicate.

Refined.

Elegant.

Fruit-forward.

Complex.

All words that specialty coffee people probably love.

Meanwhile my brain was screaming:

“WHERE DID THE COFFEE GO?”

It felt like attending a beer festival when all I really wanted was an ice-cold Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Like going to a scotch whiskey tasting expecting Lagavulin and being handed something designed for people who think whiskey is too strong.

The funny part is that Moe had the exact opposite reaction.

His first few sips?

Not a fan.

Then it started growing on him.

By the end he was enjoying it.

I went in the opposite direction.

Every sip made me miss the aggressive espresso kick I normally chase.

Then I tried my latte.

And somehow it was even further from what I wanted.

The mocha and coconut were pleasant.

The presentation was excellent.

But the espresso got completely lost.

I wanted that sharp espresso bite.

That backbone.

That punch.

Instead it felt smooth, mellow, and approachable.

Which is probably exactly what many customers are looking for.

Just not me.

Now here’s the important part.

Metric didn’t do anything wrong.

The beans were clearly exceptional.

The preparation was flawless.

The staff were knowledgeable and welcoming.

The experience was exactly what specialty coffee enthusiasts are looking for.

The problem is that I walked into a wine tasting looking for a shot and a beer.

That’s on me.

What Metric taught me wasn’t that specialty coffee is bad.

It taught me that there are different types of coffee drinkers.

Some people want complexity.

Some people want nuance.

Some people want to spend time exploring tasting notes.

I want coffee that makes me question whether my heart rate is still considered medically acceptable.

For coffee lovers chasing rare beans, high scores, delicate flavors, and expertly prepared pour overs, Metric absolutely deserves its reputation.

For me?

Give me back my espresso kick.

I respect the art.

I appreciate the experience.

I understand the hype.

But if I’m ordering another coffee tomorrow, it’s probably going to taste a lot less like strawberry and jasmine and a lot more like poor life decisions.

And that’s okay.

That’s why we do reviews.