Tesco Finest Australian Skybury

This is a rare coffee as only 2,500 sacks are made each year. But rare doesn't equal good tasting or interesting. Australia is not a country suited to coffee growing - it doesn't have the high altitude or the rainfall that the best coffee enjoys. Great coffee tends to grow in hot, shady rainforests at heights above 2,000 feet. As Australia is not a good coffee growing region, it doesn't produce good coffee - the Skybury farm in Far North Queensland produces Australia's best, which - along with its rarity - gives it something of a reputation.

As this is an expensive coffee I followed the instructions on the packet. Unfortunately this made a coffee not just weaker than to my taste, but very watery - I doubt anyone would have appreciated it. Oddly, while the instructions are precise on how much coffee to add (one rounded desert spoon per person) it was less clear on how much water to add (no information at all). Does this one person drink a cup or a mug? Big mug or small mug? I assumed a small mug, and that was clearly wrong. That was a waste of coffee as it wasn't enjoyable - watery and powdery. I used my normal measurements this morning and made a good strong cup. This is an average quality coffee. It has mild chocolate, some lime and violets, caramel, and a powdery instant coffee bitterness in the finish. There's roast notes at the base, and some flowery vanilla and clove at the top. Work hard at the flavours and they'll come - but the main impression is of a standard coffee with a little too much powdery bitterness. There's nothing of interest here, and certainly nothing to justify the expense. It's drinkable, but then so are many other coffees at a fraction of the cost.

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Tesco Finest Honduras Coffee

Lovely! This is a smooth and deep coffee. Flavours are roasted almonds and chocolate - very deep and lazy. This isn't a grab you round the throat flavour hit, it's a fall into a pile of feather duvets flavour experience. Full bodied and well balanced, though with a little bit of powdery bitterness in the finish.  A satisfying and pleasing coffee, though lacking intriguing or unusual flavours, and perhaps a bit too soft on the acidity (though I prefer that than being too hard). Initially nutty, then jammy fruit with a slight acidity, before moving to the mildly bitter finish. Chocolate notes throughout.

The coffee comes from the Capucas cooperative in Honduras. The cooperative is largely composed of farmers from the same family and traces its roots to 1885 when Atanacio Rodolfo Romero, great grandfather of the Rodriguez-Romero family, bought land in Capucas. Initially growing tobacco, the family changed to coffee in 1960. The cooperative, Cooperativa Cafetalera Capucas Limitada (COCAFCAL), was founded in 1999.

Honduras coffee has improved in quality and reputation in recent years, and is now regarded as among the world's best. The country uses Bourbon, Catuari, Caturra, Typica and Pacas varieties of Arabica.

Score: 7

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