Douwe Egberts Medium Roast 3

A somewhat old fashioned and bitter coffee of no character.  It tastes darker and more bitter than a medium roast would suggest. This can be drunk, but it's not that pleasant.


Score:  2

Douwe Egberts

Taylors Cacao Superior Colombian

This has a splendidly deep chocolate flavour, though I'm not getting much of the promised fruit flavours, so this tends to remain just a little one dimensional for me. A tad too dark, and too thick and caramelly, so it is almost on the edge of cloying after a while, even though  not not actually sweet. It is a pleasant and attractive flavour, just that it doesn't travel much - it remains there, and too much of it becomes a little boring. I would have liked just a bit more acidity - perhaps a bit less of a dark roast.

On the whole this is an attractive coffee, and one to offer guests because of the rich chocolate taste. My only real complaint is that it lacks variety and interest. As an occasional coffee, especially in the evening, it would be fine - but as an everyday morning coffee, it doesn't really work for me.


Score: 5

***

Taylors of Harrogate

Colombian coffee

Mettricks Ethiopia

Mettricks is a Southampton coffee chain (four outlets) which has a relaxed family friendly atmosphere.  I really like the outlet in Woolston. They serve cask beer (no longer in Woolston, where it now keg or bottles/cans only), so I generally have a beer when I visit.  When in having lunch with a friend last week I noticed they had a "guest" coffee - Ethiopia. I like Ethiopian coffee, so asked if I could have it as a filter coffee (Mettricks do espresso and filter coffee). Guy said yes. It was a while coming, so I checked the time on my receipt - it took over 15 minutes!  OK. As soon as I started drinking it I realised the mistake. He had given me Ethiopian beans roasted for espresso, so it was quite disgusting. The closest approximation of its taste would be, as my friend said, Maxwell House instant coffee. It was "coffee" flavoured, but with no character or definition. It was watery. It was bitter. You couldn't tell what country it was from. Indeed, you couldn't tell what part of the world. Pretty bad. I couldn't drink it. Lesson learned - check in a coffee house that the beans they are using for their filtered coffee are not the same beans they use for the espresso coffee!


Score: -1

Percol Vibrant Guatemala

I like this. Nicely balanced so there are ripe acidic notes mingled in with the roast flavours, and a good "coffee" flavour throughout. Nothing amazing or interesting or sublime, just good tasting and easy drinking coffee. Some chocolate, some fruit - what you'd expect from a decent, rounded, proper coffee. As I say, what it lacks is something a bit special about those flavours, but on the whole it does its job well enough. I'm happy with this.


Score: 6

***

Percol

Guatemala coffee