What is Stronghold?
A classic espresso: rich, syrupy and chocolate first.
Origin Coffee describes Stronghold as a bold, traditional espresso blend with low acidity, a rich mouthfeel and a chocolate-forward profile. Its tasting panel lists dark chocolate, fudge and brown sugar, with a mellow, orchard-fruit acidity, a rich, creamy body and a long cocoa finish. Origin's Director of Coffee, Freda Yuan, calls it a classic espresso coffee with a real syrupy body that tastes great black or with milk, roasted slightly darker for a more traditional flavour.
What is in the blend
Three countries, and producers Origin names.
This season's Stronghold combines coffees from Guaxupe in Sul de Minas, Brazil; Jinotega, Nicaragua; and Simbu, Papua New Guinea, grown at 1,150 to 1,900 metres, natural and washed. Origin names the producers: Julia Ribeiro do Valle, the Mierisch family and Kongo Coffee. That is unusual for an espresso blend. The Mierisch family also grow Origin's Los Altos, and Julia Ribeiro do Valle is one of the four producers behind Beija Flor.
How to pull it
A longer ratio than Resolute, from Origin's own recipe.
Origin brews it on a Sage Bambino with a Fellow Opus: 17.5 g in, 40 g out, in 28 seconds, a ratio of about 1:2.3. A slightly darker roast extracts easily, so the longer shot keeps it sweet rather than bitter. It also suits a moka pot; see our moka and stovetop category.
Origin is a certified B Corp and publishes a Transparency panel that almost no other roaster on this site offers: the price it paid for the green coffee (free on board, per pound), how far that sits above the Fairtrade minimum, the cup score, and how long it has bought from the producer. Those figures are on the page as facts. We do not score them, because too few roasters publish them for a fair comparison, but they are, for its single origins, the clearest evidence of how a roaster treats its farms that you will find on a bag.
Stronghold with milk
Low acidity is what makes a blend good in a flat white.
Acidity that tastes lively in a black espresso can taste sour against milk. Stronghold's mellow acidity and long cocoa finish are the reason Origin pitches it for milk drinks: the chocolate and fudge carry through a cappuccino instead of being washed out. If you drink your espresso black and like fruit, Resolute is the better choice; if almost every shot you pull ends up in milk, this is.
Stronghold vs Resolute
Bold and traditional against balanced and modern.
Resolute is Origin's flagship, with stone fruit and caramel and medium acidity. Stronghold is darker and heavier, with less acidity. Same price. If you like the taste of Italian espresso, Stronghold; if you like a little fruit, Resolute.
Why the roast date matters
Coffee is at its best for weeks, not the year a best-before date implies.
Roasted coffee gives off carbon dioxide for days after roasting, which is why espresso tastes harsh and filter coffee bubbles hard in the first few days. After that it is at its sweetest for a few weeks, then slowly goes flat as the aromatic oils oxidise. A best-before date, usually set a year or more after packing, tells you nothing about where a bag sits on that curve. A printed roast date does. We list every coffee on the site that prints one in coffee with roast dates, and our scores give real weight to it; Origin stamps it on every bag.
Buy only what you will drink in about a month, keep it in the bag it came in or an airtight container, away from light and heat, and grind just before brewing. Do not keep beans in the fridge: they pick up moisture and smells.
Is Stronghold worth it?
For a fresh, traditional espresso with named producers, yes.
Darker blends are often where roasters hide cheap coffee. Stronghold names who grew it and is roasted the day after you order. In the US, Equator's darker Jaguar Espresso is a domestic alternative. See our list of the best coffee beans for espresso.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it if
- You like a rich, chocolatey, low-acid espresso.
- You drink flat whites and cappuccinos.
- You want a blend with named producers.
Skip it if
- You like bright, fruity espresso.
- You brew filter coffee.
- You are in the US and want to avoid international postage.
Freshness and shipping
Roasted the day after you order, with the date stamped on the bag.
Origin roasts in Cornwall and says an order placed before midnight is roasted and despatched the next working day. The roast date is stamped on the bag, and Origin suggests resting the coffee for five to fourteen days from that date before brewing. Delivery in the UK is free over £35. International orders go by Royal Mail and must weigh under 1.75 kg, so one 1 kg bag fits but two do not. Origin does not publish what international postage costs; the checkout prices it. Its subscriptions are for UK addresses only.
What it costs
Two bag sizes, priced in pounds.
| Bag | Price | Per kilo | Per cup (15 g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 g | £12.50 | £50.00 | £0.75 |
| 1 kg | £36.50 | £36.50 | £0.55 |
Per-cup figures assume 15 g of coffee. The 1 kg bag works out at £36.50 a kilo against £50.00 in the 250 g bag, so it is the better buy if you can finish it while it is fresh. Prices are in pounds because Origin sells from the UK; a US order pays international postage on top, priced at checkout.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Stronghold taste like?
Origin lists dark chocolate, fudge and brown sugar, with low acidity and a long cocoa finish.
Is Stronghold a dark roast?
Origin says it is roasted slightly darker than its other espresso, for a more traditional flavour. It does not publish a roast level.
What is Origin's Stronghold recipe?
17.5 g in, 40 g out, in 28 seconds.
How much is Stronghold?
£12.50 for 250 g and £36.50 for 1 kg.
