Coffee Posts

Ginevra Miscela Special

Italians take their coffee quite seriously. Some years ago we were visiting a friend in Italy and when we stopped in a coffee shop for a late morning cuppa, I made the mistake of asking for a cappuccino. He flat-out refused to order it, because it was "the wrong time of day" to be ...

Reads Coffee Sumatra Bourbon Espresso

Whenever I go somewhere new, I like to explore the local produce as much as possible. Just about anywhere you go in the world - and especially in the UK - there is guaranteed to be at least a smattering of local beers to be explored. This is increasingly the case for coffee, ...

Grumpy Mule Peru Cafe Femenino

I've tasted Grumpy Mule before, although not for a long time. Back then, I was a little underwhelmed - although to be fair, that was one of the weakest coffees in their range so it perhaps wasn't the best starting point for someone with my tastes. It's taken quite a while, but finally I ...

Pact Bibi Plantation

It's fair to say that at times, my coffee tasting lags slightly behind my coffee acquisition. There are some times when I'm down to my last bag, but more often there's a half-dozen different coffees lurking in the cupboard, waiting to be tasted. That's generally fine, because coffee - even ground coffee - ...

Aldi Specially Selected Rich Java Coffee

Rounding off this trio of Aldi Specially Selected coffees, we leave the African continent and head for Indonesia. Java is apparently the world's most populous island, despite being considerably smaller than the islands in the next two spots (Honshu in Japan, and Great Britain). And yet, they manage to fit enough coffee plantations in ...

Aldi Specially Selected Ethiopian Coffee

Continuing my exploration of Aldi's fancier coffees, and we move one country northwards from Kenya, to Ethiopia. Aldi Specially Selected Ethiopian Coffee is another darkly roasted coffee, rated slightly stronger than the previous Kenyan blend. The ground are sweet and dark, with chocolate-dipped black cherries and dark, sun-warmed old wood. Brewed, the chocolate becomes darker ...

Aldi Specially Selected Kenyan Coffee

Aldi is a curious place to shop. Their prices are undeniably lower than the traditional big supermarkets, but their products are ... variable. They've had some remarkable whisky at times, and some terrible 'beer'. I'm a big fan of their pastries, and a lot of their staples are pretty decent. Their own brand clones are ...

Pact Finca La Esperanza

After a remarkably booze-filled festive period, it's about time to get back to the caffeinated side of life! Today we're back to Central America, and the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. Finca La Esperanza is a relatively light roasted coffee, as the picture hopefully shows. Despite this, the grounds have a rich fruity aroma - apricots ...

CaféDirect Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the highest volcano in Africa although, thankfully, it hasn't had a major eruption for more than a third of a million years. This is good news for coffee lovers, because it's location and elevation make it perfect coffee growing territory. Kilimanjaro is a medium strength coffee from Caf&eacuteDirect. The grounds have a remarkably ...

Cafédirect Medium Roast

Returning to supermarket coffee this morning, and back to Caf&eacuteDirect. I've enjoyed their Colombian coffee before, so it's been on my list to explore more of their range! This is from their 'originless' range, simply named Medium Roast - a blend of Central and South American beans. The grounds have a nice enough aroma, full ...