Asda tea and coffee

The company was formed in 1965 when the supermarket owning Asquith family merged with Associated Dairies and Farm Stores Ltd of Yorkshire under the name Asda (apparently from ASquith and DAiries - I had always thought it was from ASsociated DAiries). It expanded during the Seventies and Eighties into the south of Britain with warehouse style stores on the outskirts of towns. Stores were large and basic, with all stock on display in boxes, and with friendly and helpful staff. After purchase by the American Walmart company, the stores started to replicate other superstores, and they lost their distinctive character.

I suspect they source their own brand teas and coffees from Finlays, same as the other supermarkets.

Coffee

Asda Extra Special 
Ethiopian Mocha Limu
Score: 8

Asda Extra Special 
Organic Nicaraguan Coffee
Score: 6

Asda Extra Special 
Indian Elephant Farm
Score: 4

Asda Extra Special 
Colombian Coffee
Score: 2

Asda French Style Coffee
Score: 2

Tea

Asda Peppermint Tea
Score: 7

Asda Chosen by you Ceylon tea
Score: 3.5

Supermarket tea and coffee

Tesco Finest Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Beans

I love these. First brew, and it hits the spot straight away!


Date: Jan 2017   Score: 8

Easy to make. Rounded and tasty. Nothing outstanding, but a damn decent cup of coffee.


Date: April, 2018   Score:  8

Indonesian coffee

Tesco tea and coffee

The Little Red Rooster Ethiopian Shakisso Farm Yirgacheffe

Bought by Chrissie in Norfolk as a Christmas present. I love Ethiopian coffee, but this isn't a good example. I'm stunned that it costs nearly three times as much as I would normally pay, and the result is so ordinary.  Some folks get very enthusiastic over small roasters, but my experience hasn't always been positive, as here. I can't imagine that The Little Red Rooster go to Ethiopia to select the beans, so they are likely buying them off an importer. It would be interesting to try these same beans roasted by someone else. When I lived in Medway, there was a local roaster in Strood. That's about as small, local and independent as you could get, and sometimes the coffee beans would be good, and sometimes not. It was rather hit and miss, probably not helped by him roasting the beans while also serving customers, so he would sometimes be distracted.

I have tried various ways of brewing this, and nothing has yet impressed me. The flavour is very light, with touches of lemon. Not my thing at all. Lacks oomph and flavour. Lacks crispness and distinction. There's no roasting date on the pack, and there's little aroma, so perhaps the beans are not fresh. She bought them the week before Christmas, and I first had the beans on Boxing Day, so lack of freshness is not our fault. I note that the coffee was not bought direct from The Little Red Rooster, but was bought in the Jarrold department store - perhaps that accounts for the lack of freshness.

Info on Shakisso Farm:

*Trabocca
*James
*Groundwork
*Paradise
*CoffeeShrub


Info on washed coffee (also known as "wet processed")
*Roasty
*BeanBox
*Wikipedia


I may try Shakisso Farm washed beans from another supplier.


Score: 2

Ethiopian coffee

Lidl Deluxe Honduras Cristobal

Found three wonderfully packaged coffees in Lidl for around £3.30 each for 250g of beans and the useful wooden barrel. There is little information in English regarding the beans - the info on the backs of the barrels is in German.

Descriptions are in German

Honduras coffee used to be mediocre, but has gained a reputation recently for the improvement  in quality coffee from a handful of areas. The coffees are not seen as the highest quality, but as very decent. The Cristobal name only comes up in relation to Honduras coffee to a single grower, Cristobal Fernandez who is used by Blue Bottle Coffee distributors. I have enjoyed the Honduras coffees I have had from Tesco and Monoprix, so was hoping for a bit more than I am getting so far from this Lidl Deluxe.  There are chocolate notes and some violets and lime, which is very attractive, but the whole is a a little sludgy, not clearly defined, and finishing with a little bit of bitterness. I am playing around with the brewing as I see some potential here, but as yet I haven't found the right amount or right grind.

I found the right amount - just over three spoons, and ended up really enjoying this coffee.

Score: 7

Lidl Tea & Coffee

Twinings Apple Crunch

This is quite fresh and delicate with a pleasant apple and rosehip flavour. It's OK.


Score: 4

***

Twinings

Lidl Deluxe Uganda Erussi

Found three wonderfully packaged coffees in Lidl for around £3.30 each for 250g of beans and the useful wooden barrel. There is little information in English regarding the beans - the info on the backs of the barrels is in German.

Descriptions are in German

Uganda mostly produces the lower quality Robusta coffee which is used in instant and espresso coffees, but there are a handful of regions where decent quality Arabica coffee is grown. Erussi is a region in the north of Uganda.

The coffee is pleasant, soft and easy drinking with little character. It's OK, but the Kenya Masai is the better buy.


Score: 5

Lidl Tea & Coffee

Lidl Deluxe Kenya Masai

Found three wonderfully packaged coffees in Lidl for around £3.30 each for 250g of beans and the useful wooden barrel. There is little information in English regarding the beans - the info on the backs of the barrels is in German.

Descriptions are in German

The beans take the name of the Masai which is a protected region in Kenya named after the Masai people. Coffee is grown there, and is considered amongst the best that Kenya has to offer.

Highly regarded coffee is grown in the Masai Mara

I have had a Deluxe Kenyan coffee from Lidl, which I didn't really take to as it was too strong and too acidic for my personal taste. I find this Kenya Masai coffee to be more refined, more balanced, more pleasantly drinkable, but lacking in distinct character. It's an easy drinking everyday coffee provided you find the right amount of beans to use. I like to use three and half spoons of beans, ground fairly fine. There are faint lime notes in the finish. It makes a very pleasing and satisfying coffee. I could happily drink this again and again.


Score: 8

Lidl Tea & Coffee