When someone takes pride in their work and does something really well, it can be an inspiration to others. I found this to be true recently at Epic Espresso in West Perth (Western Australia).

Originally I went there for some of their beans to try out at home, but the glorious aroma of fresh coffee enticed me to sample one of their drinks immediately. It was exquisite! I read their brochure/menu and learned just how seriously they take their coffee, and why it is so good.

They use their own custom blend of fresh, locally roasted beans, as well as filtered water and the best milk. The espresso machines are gorgeous, hand-crafted and state of the art - there are only a few hundred in the world as good. Naturally the grinders are of the highest quality, and even the cups are of a high standard to maximise heat retention.

In keeping with the tools and ingredients, the staff are all highly trained to world barista champion level. In fact one is the 2006 WA Barista Champion, and another is the 2006 WA Latte Art Champion. The owner, Corey Diamond, was trained by the 2003 World Barista Champion (also an Aussie, by the way) and is an accredited coffee judge. His mission for Epic Espresso is “to raise espresso coffee to an art form” and “be the state’s leading authority on espresso coffee”. In other words, they really know what they’re doing, and they strive to do it well.

The payoff for customers is fantastic coffee. I’ve always drunk coffee with sugar, but Epic Espresso is the first place I’ve truly enjoyed it without. Their espresso was the best I’ve had, as was the long macchiato (pictured). And the ristretto … awesome! What this drink lacks in size (the cup wouldn’t look out of place in a doll’s house) it makes up for in quality and intensity - I could still taste it three hours later.

I took some of their beans home with the aim of improving my own coffee creations. With my comparitively humble equipment I can’t expect to match what is served at Epic Espresso - but experiencing the excellence of coffee done really well has inspired me to have a go.

Note: Some bloggers write paid or sponsored reviews; I don’t. The above is my own opinion.