Travel Coffee 5: Familiar coffee in Poland

I'm a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to travelling. Part of me loves the adventure of going to a new culture and trying new foods and drinks, and then part of me loves - needs - my home comforts or routines.

So finding myself in Warsaw for one weekend the question I was going out for breakfast. There was a Starbucks near the hotel...but this was a city, so surely there would be alternatives (skipping the hotel itself as overpriced)?

Well, I don't like compromising on my quality and love the idea of certain things being consistent across the world. And the fact that I start around 50% of my days at home with a Starbucks filter coffee means that I really wanted to see how a filter would be in Poland.

I have previously found that they are pretty consistent, likely because of the same beans (and roasting methods?) being used. In fact, walking into the shop was like walking into any identical shop back home (well-seasoned travellers are groaning a bit here at my lack of adventure). I was initially dismayed at the lack of a filter coffee option and was ready to go down the americano route, when I spotted that they do have a filter option - then saw the machine behind the counter.

So I ordered a large filter and they told me it would take around 5 minutes to make, which was no surprise to me as this is often true in the UK when they run out. But in fact I was mistaken; they hadn't run out, but they didn't have the machine on at all (and possibly didn't expect to). It was a Sunday morning in a Roman Catholic country, which means that the city centre is pretty deserted. And perhaps filter coffee isn't that popular in Poland (it took me a while to convince myself to try it in the UK).

To add to my suspicion that it wouldn't be a particularly popular order, they didn't switch it on, but got out a cup-top filter and proceeded to make me a filter coffee the old fashioned way, right down to grinding the beans (in a machine, not by hand. It wasn't that old-fashioned).

It really did take 5 minutes, and I was reminded of some of the upmarket, hipster coffee places in London that I'd visited with their filters optimised for fluid flow. I was looking forward to it, even as my egg bagel got cold in my hand.

Well, it came out dark and rich (to be honest, though I don't often look at my coffee, and not in a white mug). But it looked really dark, and it was. My suspicion is that they used too much ground coffee in the filter; though it was certainly drinkable, and good-tasting, it was a bit richer than I was used to. And a bit stronger, which for a large made me worry about my jitteriness on the plane I was about to go and get.

So the moral is, I guess, that even though the beans, the machinery and the environs may be similar, the culture can play a big part even when you're looking for an identical experience.

Travel Coffee 4: Kirin Fire Quality Brew

Well, it's only been an hour or so since my last coffee but I felt the need to try and up the number of coffee reviews on this trip. So the next review is Kirin's Fire 'Quality Roast'. This time, I managed to remember to get the hot coffee rather than the cold. This time it came in a flashy blue can with a fun pattern on the side. It's another ring pull (which I still find odd for a coffee).

Opening up I got an unusual aroma - it was rather sweeter than expected. Then it hit me - I think I'd picked a sugared coffee (not being able to read Japanese, this can happen...). Well, the flavour of the coffee is completely masked by the sweetness of the sugar, which is a real shame. There is some nuttiness, and next to no bitter flavour - it's really not like coffee at all. Shame!

I checked the can for signs of anything about the coffee, but there wasn't anything I could decipher (except that it has 35kcal - another clue that it contains sugar).

So another coffee disappointment - of my own making.

Travel coffee 3: Georgia European Black (iced) coffee

Another day, another coffee from a coffee machine. Once again the place where we stayed didn't have coffee at breakfast (except Nescafe...), so I made the most of a brief stop at a station to try a different vending machine coffee.

I made a bit of a mistake when buying the 140 yen coffee - I forgot to check that it was hot, and it turned out that it wasn't. Oh well, never mind - I'd had iced coffee before, and I'd even tried cold brew recently.

Although I've had iced coffee before, I've not had it black - and in my memory, iced coffee is often rather creamy and quite sweet. As a black coffee, I was interested to see how this would be.

Opening the screw top, I was surprised to note that it had an aroma like iced coffee. I almost assumed that it was, and that I'd made a mistake, but looking in it was definitely black. The initial aroma was sweetish, with a bit of dark chocolate.

On first taste, it was slightly sweeter than expected. Now it struck me that the label says "European" (and as I understand it, there are other options - so European is a type), so I wondered if this was meant to be descriptive. Perhaps this was their interpretation of European coffee - as opposed to, say, American. With that in mind, it made a little more sense to me - the European coffee that I know (Northern European, at least!) is smooth, balanced, and not too bitter, just like this can of coffee was.

No sooner had I thought that then I suddenly felt like I was drinking a cold cup of coffee at a hotel somewhere in Europe, which was then a bit mentally disappointing. I often find coffee in France and Germany to be a bit poor, and to have it cold...

But this was primarily mental. The coffee was pretty good for the £1 it cost, and I could be pretty happy that it was better than many I would get in the UK. And, to boot, I bought it from a vending machine; or, as they sometimes say here in Japan, a 'bending' machine.

Additional footnote

I was trying to find the caffeine content of the coffee in the can by looking at the label. Now, I don't read Japanese (or speak it) but certain foreign words I can get. And although I couldn't find the caffeine (I was looking for 'mg' somewhere other than in the nutrition information), I saw some percentages.

It turns out that this blend is 26% Colombian, 25% Brasilian, and 25% Guatemalan. I'm not sure what the remaining 24% is, but that's encouraging. There was also no sign of whether it was Arabica or Robusta beans, but it was more than I thought I'd get!

Travel coffee 2: Fresh Japanese coffee from a shop

So today's issue was that there wasn't coffee at breakfast. This is fairly serious!

I was going to buy a vending machine coffee like the one I reviewed on the previous post, but then felt that actually, I might like to have something a bit different. I was idling away some time waiting for a boat to take me across Ashi Lake in Hakone, and in the shop they did have some bottles of coffee in a hot cupboard (I wish I'd taken a photo - they have a drinks fridge, but the top level is hot).

However, I'd passed a cafe in the same shop, and I'd seen that they were selling fresh coffee. Great! I was interested to see how fresh coffee really tasted in Japan - whether their cafe culture would like up to the one I'm used to. Moreover, the coffee was 300 Yen, which was more than twice the price of the canned coffee in the 'fridge'.

The coffee came in rather a small cup, which was a bit disappointing for the price (300 Yen is about £2.20). No clue to the quality of the coffee from the look of it, or the way that it was served - it was dispensed from an anonymous machine behind the serving counter.

The aroma didn't give much away in terms of clues either. It barely smelled of anything, except heat.

The first taste confirmed my suspicions: this was a rather high-margin product served at a tourist cafe. The coffee was watery, with not a great deal of flavour, and only a mild caffeine kick. It was really hot, actually, which to me is sometimes an indicator of poor quality coffee; it could be because it's kept at a high hot temperature in an urn somewhere.

I can't really say much more about it. It had a bit of bitterness, not much in the way of actual flavour, and I was trying to get it down quickly so I wouldn't have to carry the cup - so I ended up slightly burning my mouth.

So from now on I'm sticking to vending machine coffee.

Travel Coffee 1: DyDo Black blended vending machine coffee

Posted a month after the actual trip.

So,  I'm in Japan, and one of the things you can do in Japan is get drinks from vending machines. And not only that, but you can get drinks which are hot!

Today I had a traditional Japanese breakfast, which in this case didn't include coffee. I was feeling a bit tired and wanted my coffee, so I decided to get this coffee from the vending machine at the coach stop in Norikura's visitors centre. 

The can came out hot (it was 140 yen, which is £1). It opened just like a soft drink can, which is weird.

The nose was a bit floral and light, even though it was from a can. I had imagined it would be a lot stronger than usual, but then again, this is Japan, where strong flavours aren't very common.

I wasn't sure what it would be like to taste, but actually it was quite reasonable. It wasn't the punchy oily flavour of an espresso-based drink (not sure how well that would work in a can) but it had a good, average coffee taste, with a decent balance to it. The flavour was not that weak either, which it easily could have been.

Most impressive was that it was heated - the temperature of the drink was really good (though I'd say that the design of the can isn't great - you can't really hold it very comfortably). The only thing is that it felt like it just wasn't that fresh - I'm not sure what it was, but I could just tell that it wasn't freshly brewed. That's not at all surprising, and it still wouldn't put me off getting another one, but it does make me thing that there is probably an aroma or some sort of flavour that comes from a coffee being freshly brewed.

It was definitely a satisfying drink, and for about a pound, which represents very good value.

Review 15: Sertao natural, Brazil

Source: José Isidro Pereira, Carmo de Minas
Date: 18th May 2016
Country: Brazil
Beans: Arabica (Yellow Bourbon)
Preparation: Cafetiere

Nose of grounds: Nutty and smooth
Colour of brew: Orange/yellow brown
Nose of brew: Very light, chocolatey, a bit sweet
Early flavours: Chocolate, a bit of caramel
Finish: Very light and unobtrusive

Tasting notes: A colleague in the office opened up a bag of coffee and I couldn't resist. He was making a cafetiere and although it was after lunch and against my rules (to ensure I got to sleep okay), I asked for a small amount to taste.

It is a really drinkable coffee. It has very delicate flavours, although it fills the mouth in a very satisfying way without being watery or thin. The taste is like a lighter chocolate dessert of some sort - thinking more like a mousse than a brownie. There are some robust hints there, with only a slight bitterness. Overall, a really excellent coffee probably helped a lot by the fact that it is very fresh.

Coffee maker's notes:

Review 14: Kaweh Ijen, Indonesia

Source: Waitrose
Date: 24 December 2015
Country: Indonesia
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Cafetiere

Nose of grounds: roast meat
Colour of brew: very dark amber
Nose of brew: earthy, herbs
Early flavours: dark chocolate
Finish: spices

Review 13: Percol Columbia

Source: Percol packet grounds (supermarket)
Date: 09/06/2015
Country: Colombia
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Cafetiere

Nose of grounds: Bright and light
Colour of brew: Deep, dark brown
Nose of brew: rich but not strong aromas
Early flavours: Slightly chocolatey, slightly nutty
Finish: Rounded with a little bitterness

Tasting notes:
When I first started getting into coffee while I was at university, my brew of choice was Percol Colombia Arabica. It was the standard for me - not too expensive, but really flavoursome. It didn't have anything weird going for it either - it was solid. So I probably bought more of that than anything else at the time. It was also Fair Trade - which was important to me.

So when it was a colleague's turn to bring the coffee in, and he brought the most recent iteration of Percol's coffee, I thought it was high time for a review of this coffee.

My feeling overall is that it's basically an easy-drinker without a great deal of character. There are two main notes - one slightly chocolatey, and the bitterness at the end. But neither is particularly strong, and the overwhelming flavour is pretty bland without being watery. To be honest, I could drink this all day if I wasn't thinking about having a particularly tasty cup of coffee.

There's not much else to write! Good but nothing special, I'm afraid.

Coffee maker's notes:
Our Fairtrade Colombia coffee contrasts a full and rich flavour with a satisfyingly smooth taste. Freshly ground from 100% Arabica coffee beans, this Fairtrade coffee is well balanced with a slightly nutty aftertaste.

Review 12: Seattle's 'Best' Coffee

Source: KFC Reading Gate
Date: 27/05/2015
Country: Don't know
Beans: Don't know
Preparation: Not sure, but probably filtered

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Deep, dark brown
Nose of brew: Not much, though a slightly alarming chemical hint
Early flavours: Light and bland
Finish: Not a great deal, but not bad either. Some rounded bitterness

Tasting notes:

Any coffee marketing itself as 'Seattle's Best Coffee' (it's not actually a marketing slogan - it's their name) is asking to be held up to high scrutiny. Many will know that Seattle has a reputation for high quality coffees, and Starbucks itself originated from that city. Here in the UK Starbucks made its big break by buying the Seattle Coffee Company chain and converting them to Starbucks.

Review 11: Lincoln Coffee House, Reading

Source: Lincoln Coffee House
Date: 23/05
Country: Rwanda/Guatemala
Beans: 60% Rwandan Gisuma; 40% Guatemalan Finca la Esperonza
Preparation: Americano

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Rich, reddish-brown
Nose of brew: Light, earthy
Early flavours: Chocolate, toffee, nutty - almond or hazelnut
Finish: Even, rounded, no bitterness

Tasting notes:

It's been a fair old while since I've posted a review - just over a year, in fact. It's not that I've stopped drinking coffee; it's just that I got busy and stopped updating. And not only that but I've started another blog in the meantime - a collaboration with some friends around the sheer joy of food. Go and have a look at food.matsuya.co.uk.

I was walking in a part of Reading that I don't normally see that much, and I noticed that there was a new coffee shop. It looked interesting, so I dropped in.

I was hoping for a good filter brew, but the only options were espresso-based. Going for the americano, I noticed that their brew was written on the wall - and very interesting, too. I've never had a Rwandan coffee and don't know anything about it; in fact, I'd never heard of either coffee bean (Gisuma and Finca la Esperonza). I found out a bit of information about each on the internet, but not a lot; but what I've seen looks interesting.

Tasting the coffee, I immediately felt that this was slightly different to usual. There was very little nose to it, and no sharp aromas at all. Tasting it, I immediately got a hit of sweetness - a nutty toffee with some chocolate to it too. It was beautifully rounded with no bitterness or acidity at all; it really slipped down easily. None of the flavours were what I would call 'bold' but everything was fairly subtle, which I really liked. The only thing I might hold against it was that it was a touch watery - perhaps there was a little too much water in it but I wasn't convinced that the strength of the brew was right.

But an excellent coffee. If I was having it again I'd have an espresso, to see what the flavours were like a little more concentrated. On the whole, though, a really worth-while visit and a great coffee to kick-start my reviews again.

Review 10: Starbucks Medium Colombia

Source: Starbucks 'Medium'
Date: 11 May 2014
Country: Colombia
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Cafetiere

Nose of grounds: Rich, nutty, even
Colour of brew: Deep, dark brown
Nose of brew: Earthy/leaves, but pretty faint
Early flavours: Light, nutty
Finish: Short, punchy finish

Tasting notes:

Guest Review 1: Waitrose Kenyan AA Arabica

Source: Waitrose
Date: 4 May 2014
Country: Kenya
Beans: Arabica, AA
Preparation: Cafetiere

Nose of grounds: Rich, citrusy with a sweet "after-nose"
Colour of brew: Brown
Nose of brew: Slightly nutty, soft
Early flavours: Smooth and light taste
Finish: Short and clean.

Tasting notes:

At £3.29 for 227g, this is one of Waitrose's premium range of coffee beans. I've tried a few different Kenya AA coffees, but this is the first supermarket-branded variety I've seen, and I was curious to see how it would compare to others.

As it happens, I was most impressed by the smells of the beans and the grounds, both of which left a distinct mouth-wateringly pleasant sensation. The coffee drinking itself was enjoyable, but I think I might have slightly overestimated its strength, and didn't get all the flavours coming through in the actual brew.
The citrusy flavours that the label suggested were not the most prominent, but there was a distinct sweetness about the coffee. It was easy and light to drink, and left a clean pleasant feeling on the tongue.

Coffee maker's notes:
A top AA graded coffee grown in the northern region of Nairobi on high plateaus surrounding Mount Kenya and to the west along the Rift Valley, at an altitude of between 1500-2100 metres. This climate produces two harvests per year, in March and then October. The fermentation time ranges from 24 to 48 hours. All coffee is graded by the Kenyan coffee board and then sold at fortnightly auctions. Use this sticker to reclose.

Review 9: Nespresso 'Leggero Lungo'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 2 May 2014
Country: East Africa/Central America/South America
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Nespresso machine - Lungo

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Red-brown
Nose of brew: Light, floral, spices.
Early flavours: Cinnamon
Finish: Medium, balanced finish with spices.

Tasting notes:

Review 8: Nespresso 'Lungo Decaffeinato'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 1 May 2014
Country/Continent: South America
Beans: Arabica (with some Robusta)
Preparation: Nespresso machine

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Pale brown/orange (almost tan)
Nose of brew: Slight sweetness
Early flavours: Creamy and bold coffee flavours with a developing sharpness
Finish: Slightly acid/bitter with a longish finish

Tasting notes:
This represents my first foray into decaffeinated coffee. I have to admit, that for an avid coffee drinker I don't 'do' caffeine much into the afternoon, and no matter how much coffee I have had over my life, I haven't developed an 'immunity' to caffeine which means I can take it at any time of the day.

The main thing I think about when drinking a decaffeinated coffee is how obvious the fact that it's decaffeinated is, and I must say that this coffee does really well on that count. Generally I find that the difference is in the finish - there can be a fair amount of deep and complex flavours in a decaffeinated coffee, but when all is said and done it feels a little less satisfying when you put the cup down - which doesn't necessarily take that much away.

In this case the coffee has a bold and sharp start to it - it really hits the sides of the mouth and the back of the throat and it feels like a heavy, creamy coffee. There are some hints of caramel but on the whole it is dominated by what feel like strong coffee flavours.

The finish is what gives it away; there is a sharpness that grows and comes to dominate the finish, so it feels quite tart in the end, and this is the flavour that lingers. It's a familiar flavour that I feel like I notice in lots of decaffeinated coffees; I'm not sure why.

Overall, it's a good decaffeinated coffee which I felt does the term 'decaffeinated' justice. In fact, if I was served this in the evening, I might hesitate to be certain that it was decaffeinated - which is a good thing.

Coffee maker's notes:
Velvety and Aromatic. A blend of decaffeinated South American Arabicas and Robusta, this coffee reveals flavours of red fruit balanced with sweet cereal notes.

Review 7: Nespresso 'Lungo Forte'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 29 April 2014
Country: South America
Beans: Not stated
Preparation: Nespresso machine (Lungo)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Rich, Dark brown, with orangey tint
Nose of brew: A hint of vegetable aromas
Early flavours: Light, creamy
Finish: Long, smooth, fairly bitter finish

Tasting notes:

Review 6.1: Nespresso 'Livanto' - update

Source: Nespresso
Date: 11 April 2014
Country: Central/South America
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Nespresso machine (espresso)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Caramel brown
Nose of brew: Caramel and vegetable aroma (maybe asparagus?)
Early flavours: Sharp and a bit sweet
Finish: Strong finish with a balance to it - still a bit sharp.

Tasting notes:
Having had the Livanto in a Lungo shot, i thought I'd do what was recommended and try it in an espresso shot. The main reason was I felt that the original was a bit weak and watery. The result was a much more interesting coffee. The flavours were more intense, with some of the original notes coming out a bit stronger. However, it was still not the strongest - it feels like it's just a more delicately flavoured drink.

Office Coffee 1: Astra Necta

Source: Astra Necta coffee machine, office building, Paris
Date: 04 April 2014
Country: No information given
Beans: "100% Arabica" according to the machine
Preparation: 'Expresso' (Selection 12)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Nose of brew: Creamy, slightly bitter aroma
Early flavours: Slightly nutty, rounded coffee flavours
Finish: Bold, fairly long finish

Tasting notes:

Review 6: Nespresso 'Livanto'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 8 April 2014
Country: Central/South America
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Nespresso machine (lungo)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Nose of brew: Bitter and sharp (though not unpleasant)
Color of brew: dull brown
Early flavours: Rounded, broad based coffee flavours
Finish: Not much there.

Tasting notes:
This is another of the Nespresso offerings that I found while based in a client office. Having been slightly disappointed with the Vivalto Lungo, I wondered whether the Livanto would be any more interesting.

There was a decent broad base to this coffee to start off with but I found that it was a little watery towards the finish. There were some interesting flavours in there, though none of them dominated and indeed it was a little difficult to detect exactly what they were. This may be because according to the Nespresso website, the capsule is designed to be had as a short drink (i.e. espresso/ristretto). It may be that this is the reason why the coffee felt a touch weak to me. Then again, I would argue that to have a type of drink that is so restricted isn't that great either.

On the whole, quite an interesting coffee, but could use a little more depth when served long.

Coffee maker's notes:
"A pure Arabica from South and Central America, Livanto is a well-balanced espresso characterised by roasted caramalised notes."

Review 5: Nespresso 'Vivalto Lungo'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 24 March 2014
Country: South America/East Africa
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Nespresso machine (Lungo)

Nose of grounds: N/A (capsule)
Nose of brew: Bitter, spicy aroma, with a definite edge
Early flavours: Flowery, almost like rosewater
Finish: Not too strong but with a bit of tang

Tasting notes:

I've always been impressed by the simplicity of the Nespresso machines and the fact that you can get good coffee quickly and (I imagine) without too much mess. I decided to give a test to the different flavours of the Nespresso machine.

The flavours that hit you are sharpness and delicate flavours combined. It's an interesting combination and the coffee feels like it does not have the broad base of strong coffee flavour, instead emphasising the 'higher', interesting flavours. I like these flavours which are all interesting and in a well-balanced combination, though ultimately I find the coffee a little unsatisfying. It's worth noting that I went for the 'Lungo' brew - the larger cup where the machine creates a full cup (as opposed to an espresso with added hot water). If I had made it myself, I'd have probably put a little less hot water to retain strength, but then I doubt it would have that broad coffee base but simply be a little sharper and a little spicier.

On the whole, though, I was impressed!

Coffee maker's notes:

"Vivalto Lungo is a balanced coffee made from a complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas, combining roasted and subtle floral notes."

Coffee Kit: Travel mug

Aladdin Travel mug

Recently I was given a travel mug for Christmas. It's the Aladdin recycled plastic mug which does a great job for a number of reasons.

No odd taste

This was actually the most important part for me. I've owned a number of different travel mugs/vacuum flasks, but most of them have metal on the inside, which makes the coffee taste funny. And when you care about the taste of coffee enough to write a blog about it, then this matters. There are apparently a number of methods you can use to eliminate this, but they sound a bit complex. This mug has no discernible impact on the taste of the coffee, though I should say I have only tried it with my standard Lavazza-in-a-cafetiere morning coffee routine.

It's recycled

It's made of other plastic bits. Usually that's a good thing (I say usually because there are some recycling processes that are worse than starting from scratch), and here they claim to use up to 95% recycled plastic. And the mug can be re-recycled, according to their website.

It's watertight

I don't know why this is not more common, but so many travel mugs have slide openings at the top which are not actually watertight. They're completely fine if you're just carrying the mug from home on the train or similar, but you can't put them in a bag (in case they fall over) and there's always a bit of concern if you're putting them in a car and they slosh around a bit.

These mugs don't have that issue - the lid clips shut and I've had no qualms about putting it in my bag even upside down (though there's no need to tempt fate). Better yet - you can still open and close it with one hand, though reassuringly it's not very easy.

It actually keeps your drink quite hot

Though this is the weakest point, the mug does a great job at keeping the drink inside hot. You can put it in your bag when you leave home and half an hour later it's at a great temperature. I reckon a neoprene sleeve would cover over the weakness of it not keeping it hot for hours, but for a commuter mug it's great.

Any downsides?

Apart from the fact that it won't act as a long-term solution, the only downside that I could think of is that it can't be put in a dishwasher. But as I'm using it every weekday, that isn't really a problem. And washing it out on a daily basis keeps the likelihood of an odd taste creeping in to a minimum.