Cafe Pilon

Cafe Pilon is the sister brand to one of my favorite brands of espresso (probably my all-time favorite, in fact): Cafe Bustelo. I would not even know about Cafe Pilon if it weren't for Bustelo. I was simply searching on Amazon one day to buy some bricks of Cafe Bustelo, and lo and behold Cafe Pilon kept showing up, at a slightly cheaper price, so I figured I would try it for novelty's sake, if for no other reason. 

Pilon and Bustelo are owned by J.M. Smucker Co. (yes, the jelly brand) but at one time they were owned by a company called Rowland Coffee Roasters, Inc., based in Miami. Which explains a lot considering the flavor of the two coffees is extremely similar. 

Using a moka pot, both coffees brew up with that dark-roasted, Cuban espresso kind of flavor: bold, thick, a bit smoky, and even a bit "dry" on the palate. In a taste-test, I would give a slight edge to Cafe Bustelo because it has just a bit stronger flavor owing -- I would assume -- to a slightly darker roast. Pilon is a little milder -- which some people might prefer -- but I tend to favor that diesel fuel, "kick in the ass" kind of taste that only Bustelo can really provide. But the two are very, very similar, and both excellent quality.

What's even better... in an age when the sky's almost the limit on what you can pay for small batch, artisanally roasted beans these days, Bustelo and Pilon can be purchased for between $4.00 and $6.00 per 10 oz. brick. When you consider that a 16 oz. bag of coffee beans can easily cost $15 - $20 or more nowadays, that's a pretty incredible value considering how good both Bustelo and Pilon are. 

At the end of the day, you're not going to go broke because you bought artisanal coffee roasted at your local coffee shop, instead of cheaper brands you can buy at the drug store (Bustelo, at least, is sold almost everywhere they sell coffee, including drug stores). But you can, in fact, buy both. And if you're looking for an every-day espresso to keep at home for when you're not drinking that Central Sumatran Highlands blend from your local roaster... Pilon and Bustelo are great to have around. I am almost never without some Bustelo on hand.