Dark Heart Coffee Bar in Loveland, CO

I talk about this in all my coffee reviews, but I always make sure to order the exact same drink every time I review a cafe.

I don’t want seasonal drinks, added syrups, or any sort of frills getting in the way of the coffee itself.

I make a point of always ordering a hot latte for two key reasons. The first, is because it gives me an idea of how they pull their shots of espresso.

If it’s too under-extracted, it tends to have that sour taste that makes your jaw tingle. Too over-extracted? You get that bitter flavor many people often associate with coffee (which isn’t actually a good thing).

But a shot pulled just right? You can genuinely taste the notes in the coffee. There’s legitimate flavor there.

The second reason for the latte is it lets me assess how they aerated the milk. I don’t want anything too “foamy” and frothy. And I also don’t want anything so flat that there’s no fluff at all.

There’s this perfect in-between with a creamy yet airy consistency that’s the ideal (think velvety), and typically if the latte art looks good, it’s a good sign the milk was aerated well.

Dark Heart Coffee Bar nails the milk aeration. Perfect velvety vibes. I’ve never had a latte of theirs that wasn’t a velvet dream.

In terms of espresso, they do tend to lean a little toward the over-extracted side of the spectrum, which isn’t always my favorite. But it’s always close enough to spot-on that there isn’t too much room for complaint.