Coffee Appreciation

I picked up a bag of Red Brick on Sunday (I've not had it before), have to say that I'm pretty unimpressed so far. My machine/technique are both quite basic but I'm finding it quite bland. I've only made milk drinks so far and it seems to lack the punch to cut through the milk. Any advice on what I'm doing wrong?

What grinder are you using? I've been through a few bags and really like it.

To get the best out of it (IMO) it needs to be ground quite fine, it makes an awesome ristretto. If you don't grind it fine enough it becomes somewhat average. I've heard that Square Mile generally is better ground more finely because of the way they roast, I don't know if this is true.

If you have a cheaper coffee machine it may choke at the optimum grind setting. Have you tried it as espresso? Personally I always have to know that I've got my espresso dialled in before I start adding milk. I've always stuck to their recommendations on weight and length of pour (18 grams/28 seconds).