June 2011

Taylors Lazy Sunday Coffee

Taylors Lazy Sunday Coffee

This kind of tells you that Taylor's extended "it goes up to 6" strength scale only really has 4 grades, as this is graded a 3 and there can't be anything weaker. It almost tastes like one of those perverted "hazlenut" concoctions - sickly and insipid. This should be reserved for young children and old ladies. The lowest judge rating so far - 3/10

 

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Sainsburys Basics Fairtrade Coffee

For the sake of comparison we ended up with this one, and my God it has tested the review scale. There is no other word to describe this than disgusting - or possibly poison. It has the smell of a burnt out building and tastes as bad as eating the contents of an ashtray from a cigar smoker's convention. We couldn't finish it - in fact we could barely start it. One mouthful was enough to bring on an instant gagging reflex. The acrid aftertaste was so severe that even a cup of decent stuff to try and wash the taste away had no effect and it just dragged that down too. Avoid at all costs. Judges rating 0/10.

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Union Hand Roasted Sumatra Takengon Coffee

Union Hand Roasted Sumatra Takengon Coffee

We were expecting the world from this for some reason. While it's not a bad brew, something was just not right. It doesn't seem fine, yet we ended up with a very powdery cup that had that dry, metallic taste. It smelt divine though - the whole building smelt like a coffee grinding mill. For now, we'll give it the benefit of the doubt and hope the error was in the making!  Judge rating (7/10)

6
Average: 6 (5 votes)
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Maison du Cafe Ma Tradition Coffee

Maison du Cafe Ma Tradition Coffee

There is  no “strength rating” on this, a French coffee. Only the English it seems are obsessed with such vulgarities. The French just buy the coffee. Anyway – it’s quite brutish. Very dry and metallic, with a bit of an after burn. Not ideal – in fact the aftertaste builds for the next half an hour until you feel like your tongue has been replaced with an aluminum ingot.– needs downgrading from 5 spoons. Judged at a miserly 3/10

6.8
Average: 6.8 (5 votes)
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Lavazza Il Mattino Coffee

Lavazza Il Mattino Coffee

Lavazza has always been a judge favorite as the quality big brand coffee. This was a French bought cheap version though - well under 2 Euros a pack. The powder is a very light brown - which is always worrying. It's definitely strong but tastes very dry, with the "cheap coffee twang". I can't believe that there is such a thing as a sub-standard Lavazza so we'll re-make it with only four spoons and see what happens. Initial rating 5/10

6.97917
Average: 7 (48 votes)
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Sainsburys Taste the Difference Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee

Sainsburys Taste the Difference Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee

Ok so it's mid afternoon and we had a few to choose from and got suckered in by the "fruity" description Mr Sainsbury had given it. The powder was a grade darker than the cheapo Lavazza we had this morning and the smell on opening was fine indeed. On delivery the smell is, well, fruity YES! lemon-like infact - as though you had just washed your cup with a dose of fairy liquid and not bothered to rinse it out. So, unappealing....possibly. But the taste, well, the citrus tint does give it a lively edge. Not sure where the apricots came in - they must be still in the packet. Interesting. Judges rating: 7/10

7.88889
Average: 7.9 (9 votes)
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Carrefour Grand Classique Coffee

Carrefour Grand Classique Coffee

Another French cheapy... 1.50EUR a pack. The smell out of the pack is definitely only one and half Euros worth - the smell of value coffee. But the taste is not that bad - it IS drinkable. Not in a lick your lips kind of way - but you would certainly glug it down on that winter ski trip in your chalet without too many complaints. Judges rating, a workman-like 5/10

6.4
Average: 6.4 (5 votes)
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Dorset Coffee Company Enorga Papua New Guinea

Dorset Coffee Company Enorga Papua New Guinea Coffee

Pulled out of the bag after Juror Fry's trip to the west country. The smell out of the bag is barely noticeable - it could be jar of Mellow Birds. Even the smell from the cup is under whelming. But the finished product comes into its own. It looks like a cup of hot chocolate and the right amout of bitterness comes through. Is there a slight citrus twinge? Not sure - could still be the after taste from this morning's fairy liquid. Tasty indeed - Judged at 7/10

5
Average: 5 (9 votes)
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Taylors After Dark Coffee

Taylors After Dark Coffee

The packaging on this says it’s is going to be good. Luxurious and still a healthy strength 5. I think we’ve been spoilt though by another knockout Lava Java this morning, because this one just lacks any depth at all. Rich and velvety is the description of the Java, not this. It’s hard to judge it objectively now – it needs to be the first of the day and not following in the Java’s wake. For now a 7/10... then updated to an 8/10!

7
Average: 7 (10 votes)
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Good African Uganda Rukoki Gold Coffee

Good African Uganda Rukoki Gold Coffee

This looks good when you open it - a funky packet, very modern, yet very "fair trade", nice and granular with a good whiff. In the jar it foams well - you are expecting a good cup from this. And yes, it is good. It looks like hot chocolate and I don't know if this is just the power of suggestion, but it has a choccy taste to it. It different for sure to our recent run of Taylors. Though its leaving ring marks down the side of my cup as it depletes. Is this what it's doing to me too? The "fruity overtones" never happened. Thank God. Judges at 7/10

8.57143
Average: 8.6 (7 votes)
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Cafe Direct Machu Picchu Peru Coffee Beans

Cafe Direct Machu Picchu Peru Coffee

So we have to grind the beans for this one. I'm never sure if it makes any difference - that fresh ground is better that already ground. It's easier to OD though - you know that 5 spoons of this would be too harsh. The smell from the cup is not massive - it could be anything - but that's always the way with freshly ground. This is an expensive brew - 4 quid a packet - and for that I expect a lot. At 4 spoons I just don't think it does the trick - the lingering heavy coffee aftertaste is just not there. It's nice for sure... but needs a re-test on 5 spoons. Rated 6/10 on this first taste.

8.125
Average: 8.1 (8 votes)
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Caffe Nero Classico House Blend Coffee

Caffe Nero Classico House Blend Coffee

There's no strength on this - it just says "medium roast" - so we've put it down as a 3, and it tastes like it. From the moment I spooned it in it felt very granular and that 5 spoons just would not be enough. It wasn't - it had no depth of flavour at all. The taste is fine though - it's just yet another coffee that needs to be tweaked from the norm when making it. SIX spoons next time!  Judges rating 6/10

7.09091
Average: 7.1 (11 votes)
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Miles Coffee Mr. Miles Blend

Miles Coffee Mr. Miles Blend

The packet of this looks tacky – it looks more like a bag of twiglets. The coffee comes out good though – strong and bitter with a long lasting taste, yet no burning after taste. It must be ground quite fine as there were tell tale ring marks down the side of the mug – but in this case I think it added to the taste as they rate this as only a strength 3. Rated 7/10

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Sainsburys Taste the Difference Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee

Sainsburys Taste the Difference Costa Rica Tarrazu CoffeeThis came out lovely with a nice head on it in the mug. The strength was good and bitter - but it just lacked that smoothness that you need to help a strong coffee slip down. It was slightly fighting with my throat on the way down - resisting being drunk. There's a slight citrusy twang to it, not in Fairy Liquid kind of way; much more subtle. This could be due to the slice of lemon cake I ate just beforehand though. The packaging of these Sainsbury's Taste The Difference coffees is all wrong though - and I think that sets your mind ready to eat a packet of raisons and not drink coffee. I'm sure that's caused it to lose a point... Judges Rating - 7/10

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Average: 7 (5 votes)
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Just Coffee Reviews

The Coffee Judges review coffees that they can easily get their hands on and can make without too much hassle at work in a cafetiere. No poncy coffee machines, five grand Gaggia's or foaming milk. Read the reviews, have a taste of them yourselves and rate them out of ten. If you're feeling verbal, leave a comment.

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