Coffee Quest #23: The Rocket Store (Atomic)
Ask anyone in New Zealand and they've probably had Atomic Coffee. Not my top choice but I haven't had any bad experiences with their blends. Unfortunately, never a great cup either.
Then I went to one of their actual cafes - this particular one is called the Rocket Store because they also sell Rocket branded coffee machines. And boy, that made a huge difference.
I was pleasantly surprised by this cup. It's a medium-dark roast, standard chocolate mixed with some spice notes (it's a bit woody). But I felt a very nice depth of flavour with a lovely rich aroma. The person beind the counter really knew what they were doing and how to extract out all the good notes from their regular Veloce blend.
As a comparison, Fields Cafe also uses the exact same beans, but damn, their coffee is disappointing.
Anyway, I'd highly recommend any of the Atomic Cafes if you can get a good barista behind the counter. Otherwise, I'd be a bit wary given my experiences.