A black coffe drink based on espresso.
"it's controversial!"
—quote from a barista
The term "long black" is probably going to mean different things to different people in different places. To some, it's a lungo, an espresso drawn out over a longer time. For others, especially those in or from Australia and new Zealand, it has a very specific meaning; it's a shot of espresso poured into a cup or glass of very hot water. "But that's an Americano!", you say, and I hear you. Well, yes, and maybe. Most times I've seen someone make an Americano, the water is added to the shot, and a in a traditional (i.e. Antipodean) long black, the shot is added to the water. What's the difference? Well if you add water afterward, the water breaks up the crema of the espresso, dispersing it through the drink, which results in a flatter, smoother initial taste. if the espresso is poured last, the crema tends to say on the stop, so those first sips contain more of the potent oils, strong flavours and essential bitterness. In addition, the long black has less water added (I've seen various numbers, but hovering around 100ml, which is about 3⅓ ounces of liquid less than (half that of a typical Americano). Of course, different cafes and baristas have different ratios, so mileage will vary from place to place.
Is it for you? Well, if you enjoy the initial brief taste punch in the mouth of espresso crema, yes. If you want a smoother drink more akin to a drip coffee, stick to Americano.
incidentally, while reading about this, I discovered that the story we've all heard about the Americano being named for the drink served to US troops in Italy "because they couldn't take espresso" is unlikely to be true. Espresso came to be popular after the troops had left. There ya go.
$ xclip -o | wc -w
310