This started as a blog about coffee, and then I included tea. As time went by my intolerance for caffeine grew to the point where I could no longer drink either coffee or tea, so now I am exploring other hot drinks such as herb teas and hot chocolate.
Thursday, 23 June 2016
Monoprix Cafe Moulu Honduras
Brought back from France by Chrissie. Monoprix is the French equivalent of Marks & Sparks. This is a lovely coffee. Lots of flavour, but not aggressive or assertive or too bitter. There's a decent level of character here with subtle notes of violets and almonds. Easy to make and very forgiving, this is a great everyday coffee that can also be served to guests as something a little different, and very tasty.
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+
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Asda Extra Special Colombian Coffee
Tried this again. Still not my thing. There's an assertive bitterness that I don't geyt on with, and no compensating interesting or delightful flavours. This comes over, for me, as harsh and blunt, with little finesse.
Date: March 2017 Score; 2
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Date: June 2016 Score: 2
***
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| Asda tea and coffee |
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| Colombian coffee |
Monday, 16 May 2016
Co-operative Fairtrade Espresso Roast & Ground Coffee
Espresso is not a coffee blend or roast, but a brewing method. However, because the espresso method is a little crude, so doesn't allow subtle character to come through, the roast tends to be dark so what people taste is the roast notes, then a number of darker roasts get called Espresso. This is a Co-op branded dark roast. The beans are non specific, and come from various countries. There is no character here at all, just the flavour of dark roast. If that is what you want, then it works fine.
Score: 3
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| Coffee roasts |
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
Percol Bold Nicaragua
Pleasant rounded coffee. Easy drinking with some finishing bitterness edged with chocolate. Not a memorable coffee, but acceptable for everyday drinking. Easy to make.
Date: April 2016 Score: 5
This is a bold coffee. It's so bold as to be almost blunt. There is some balancing acidity, but it fairly plain, there's no fruit or citrus or joy in it, it's just a bit of sharpness, a bit of acid, in the coffee. And the coffee flavour is also blunt. Not crude, but certainly lacking in finesse. It doesn't hover, it just pushes forward with a big mouthful of coffee flavour that hints at chocolate, but doesn't quite deliver. In its favour it isn't bitter or over assertive. It is a drinkable cup, and it has body and flavour. It's just that there are no delights here. There's nothing to savour. There's no twists. It['s a straight ahead coffee. Bold or simple or both. It is what it is.
I just noticed that I had this coffee in April this year, under a slightly different name, and a different wrapper.
Date: Oct 2016 Score: 4
See:
* Wikipedia on Nicaragua coffee
* History of Nicaragua coffee
* Coffee Review Nicaragua
* Asda Nicaraguan Coffee
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| Percol |
Lidl Tea & Coffee
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| Lidl Deluxe Guatemala coffee Score: 8 |
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Lidl Deluxe Kenya MasaiScore: 8 |
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Lidl Deluxe Colombian RisaraldaScore: 7 |
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Lidl Bellarom ColombianScore: 6 |
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Lidl Specially Selected EthiopianScore: 5 |
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Lidl Deluxe Uganda ErussiScore 5 |
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Lidl Deluxe Kenyan coffeeScore: 3 |
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Lidl Deluxe Colombian SupremoScore: 3 |
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Lidl Melangerie Ethiopian SidamoScore: 2 |
Tea
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Lidl Deluxe Peppermint & Liquorice teaScore: 8 |
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Lidl Knightsbridge Lemon & GingerScore: 7 |
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Lidl Lord Nelson Peppermint Tea BagsScore: 6 |
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Lidl Deluxe Green Rooibos, Peach & CherryScore: 3 |
Instant Coffee
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Lidl Bellarom Instant LatteScore: 2 |
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| Supermarket tea and coffee |
Saturday, 30 April 2016
Lidl Deluxe Guatemala coffee
I love this, a robust and flavoursome coffee with enough twists and turns to keep the taste buds intrigued. Nice roast notes combine with dark fruits and violets to produce a very satisfying brew. It's a roast four, and while not aggressive, is pushing toward assertive, so, for me, I prefer just under three scoops.
Score: 8
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Lidl Tea & Coffee |
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Guatemala coffee |
Friday, 29 April 2016
Mokhtar Tea Green Tea
I was given this box of green tea by a friend. I really liked the tea. Fresh, earthy, tasty, and delicious. It felt natural, alive, and was very tasty. Best green tea I've had.
The box is finished, sadly, and now I'm looking for more. But I can't find any. Not in any shops. And not online. I can find very information on the company, Mokhtar Tea. There's some registration of the trade mark, which appears to have lapsed, and that's it. It appears to have been a company that started up and went nowhere.
I found an email address, but it's no longer active, and bounced back.
If anyone does know more about the company, or knows where I can buy this tea, please let me know.
Date: April 2016 Score: 9
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