Dark Matter Coffee · Unicorn Blood Espresso Blend

Grind 34 got you functional flow after five choked shots — that's meaningful progress. The shot ran 40s at a 2.06 ratio, landed at balance 4, and Diego tasted strong chocolate with good crema. The problem is single-spout flow throughout, which points to a puck prep issue rather than grind.

40s sits in the Slow range, and the 2.06 ratio is Normal — both within industry standard. Balance 4 is the target. The taste confirms the numbers: balanced with chocolate character, consistent with a medium-dark washed blend. The contradiction here is that a well-balanced shot came through a single spout the entire pull — that's channeling, but the flavor wasn't punished by it this time. Notes and numbers agree on balance but flag a technique problem that didn't fully express itself in taste today. Don't count on that luck holding.

Dark Matter Unicorn Blood at 22 days post-roast is in excellent shape for a medium-dark washed blend — no freshness concerns. The chocolate and caramel notes from the flavor profile showed up clearly in the cup. This is the second shot on the bag, and the first gave you a 49s Very Slow pull with lingering acidity and restricted flow — grind 34 fixed the flow issue but the puck prep needs attention. No prior dialed-in bean in your history is a close analog for this roast level and origin combination, but medium-dark washed beans generally dial in in the 30–36 range on your setup, so 34 is a reasonable place to be.

Five choked shots on the Huila Decaf made this feel like a tough stretch, but switching to this new bean and getting a balanced shot at grind 34 on the second pull is solid. The real win here is recognizing the WDT issue from the flow description — that pattern recognition is getting sharper.