Coffee, and it's accompaniments, was making me fat (ter).
I never make New Years Resolutions. I feel that the very nature of them means you are setting yourself up to fail. Thus it was my coffee abstinence was never to be permanent. Had I known it would be broken in such spectacular fashion, however, I would not have mourned my 'final' cup in 2011 with such abject grief. For, little did I know, I was to be sent a curious idea that would bring me, with a suitably caffeine-infused jolt, to my senses.
Let me introduce you to the world of Kopi.
Kopi is kinda like Graze for caffeine fiends, and they had asked me to sample their product. Each month you get sent a 250g pack of ground coffee, and based on your subscription level (which currently ranges from £7 - £9) you can either cancel immediately, after 6 months, or after a year. So far so good.
Along with your coffee, you get a detailed tasting card giving you notes on the varying coffees they send, along with some guidance on brewing and information about it's provenance. Oh, and a few of those lovely caramelised cafe biscuits you get in restaurants in individual packets. You even get a code that allows you to trace your coffee on www.trackyourcoffee.com.
The website also states Kopi pays its social conscience dues to Fairtrade, Soil Association and Rainforest Alliance initiatives, and clarifies its views on Fairtrade - not all of their coffee is, but they state clearly why. Principally, Fairtrade only certifies co-ops which excludes small growers that Kopi could otherwise not use. They still ensure they pay these smaller growers premium prices for a premium product, and crucially, above the Fairtrade minimum.
This months (I reviewed Decembers coffee) selection, an Arabica coffee and roasted on 6th December according to the pack, was Mexican Terruño Nayarita Reserva, described as 'An indulgent Grand Cru of a Mexican coffee' from the West Coast of Mexico. A rare product, only 20 bags of it having been produced.
So far so interesting. But what of the taste?
One of the things, as a food blogger, I feel I owe to a reader is honesty. I only ever blog what I genuinely think. Whilst its nice Kopi have sent me a lovely pack of coffee if it doesn't ring my bell, I shall darn well say so, or else how do you know when I genuinely love something? I cannot abide it when food bloggers only ever tell you that what they produce, try, review etc is amaaaazing. Not everything I make is amazing, simply because I am human, and I read recipes or try products invented by humans, and as such, we can get things wrong, or we can have different views and opinions on what is nice or good. You need to hear the rough to know that the smooth has value.
Fortunately, I have only good things to report in this case, bar one niggle which I will come to. This coffee is really very, VERY good. I spend at least £7 a day on extremely so-so coffee. If this is all it costs to have something of this quality delivered to my desk for a year, well - I'm blown away. As soon as I smelt the aroma wafting nostrilwards, I knew this was going to be good.
A bright, zingy fruitiness with underlying rich toffee, mocha notes. The guidance card said that there was a delicate orangey sweetness and they weren't wrong. The roast is excellent - not an acrid note in there, and it has a rather pleasing tangy backnote in the aftertaste. It fills your mouth almost like liquid chocolate, it's so velvety. It filled my mouth, anyway - I literally gulped it back. This is sublime stuff. I encourage, nay, urge you to sign up immediately, and then sign up your families, and then your friends. If this first pack is anything to go by, I think Kopi is about to become a phenomenon.
Now, I did mention a niggle. And it is probably being pettish, but I have to tell you when I am not digging a vibe, so, here goes. Kopi - take note! This is easily solved!
The pack, as you can see, is filled to the gunnels, which is lovely of them. You can also see, there are some notches to help you rip open your pack, and a handy press'n'seal strip to seal in the flavour. Except, because of the generosity of the pack, you end up having to use a knife or scissors to open it.
And because of the nature of coffee grounds, the press'n'seal strip did not seal. The grounds get into the strip and block it. See what happens in this video (excuse quality - was done on my iPhone).
This is such a shame, because they have quite obviously really tried. However, for me, I think a sticky tab would have been a better solution. Maybe their market research said otherwise, I don't know. But I want to stress this absolutely should not deter you in any way from trying this product. If you are partial to a caffeine blast, then this hits a deep, profound and previously unchartered spot. The whole concept behind this brand is very well thought out. The fact you can trace the coffee, the information on where its grown, the altitude, the grading process, the little graphics, the quality packaging - it all adds to a certain romance and exotic allure. There is even a recipe for spiced mexican coffee! Personally, with a product this refined, I would not want to sully it. But it's a demonstration of how well the company has thought around the whole coffee drinking experience, right down to the little biscuits on the side. But most importantly, the taste is, quite simply, exceptional. Kopi have found my caffeine G-spot and that, my friends, is good enough for me! Go and visit their coffee subscription page immediately!
Website: www.kopi.co.uk
Twitter: @wearekopi
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