I was out with a new acquaintance of mine and we got on the subject of coffee in Victoria. We compared notes on the places known to us - and my list (Habit, Street Level, Cafe Fantastico, Black Stilt) clearly indicated to him that I knew what I was talking about, and his reaction clearly indicated the same for him. So when discussion turned to 2% Jazz he was shocked I hadn't been.

Truth be told, I had 2% Jazz coffee at Ecole Brasserie on Government - a French fine dining establishment - so I assumed that they'd get it right and it was the 2% coffee. Wrong.

I went in around 2pm, there were several customers but the wait was minimal. I think they picked up on my being a coffee critic when I hovered around to watch the barrista make the "cortado" - a specialty drink I hadn't seen on any other menu around town. By their description and my experience, it's midway between a macchiato and a latte. I also got the chocolate biscotti - which unlike other coffee houses was edible without having to dip it in a beverage of some sort (other places they're rock hard). The biscotti was good, but THE COFFEE!

I've had experiences at the aforementioned places where I "got it" instantly... but 2% Jazz is on another level... I felt like I need to get a second drink at some point to fully understand what I now consider to be the best coffee in Victoria - it's like my mind couldn't grok it, it was that good.

The coffee house itself could be better located and have more tasteful decor (it seems like a service stand to local offices more than a coffee house) but 2% Jazz is worth going out of the way for if you really appreciate coffee.