Giorgio Milos, the master barista at the high-end Trieste, Italy-based illy – whose familiar red logo adorns cans of quality coffee in 140 countries – stands inside a trendy downtown coffee shop in New York City and sucks in his cheeks. Something is wrong with the espresso he has just drunk. It has some of the right components – a bit floral, a bit chocolate – but there's an astringency that makes him compare it to a green apple. "A good cup of espresso has to be balanced between sour, bitter, and sweet," he explains. "Maybe they are using old beans."


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