Here’s a quick review of quite a good coffee I have recently enjoyed. It is one of a little range of coffee beans Sainsbury’s is now stocking and generally I think it is a smart move for them. There’s still some twaddle lurking on the pack though!
Positives
Hats off to Sainsbury’s for selling the Bantam range of coffee beans. These beans are sourced from small scale producers from a number of places around the world. These happen to be from Uganda and you can also buy Mexican or Sumatran beans as well.
In these days of globalisation and aggressive pricing, it is nice to think of small growers getting a good deal – this coffee has the Fairtrade endorsement.
The all important taste is nice. A ‘real’ coffee and I enjoyed a nice warming feel as I sipped it. Not especially aromatic but nevertheless a pleasant smell as I ground it and brewed it. I thought the genuine coffee taste was slightly earthy, which I liked and certainly I got the caffeine kick.
The roasting date is printed on the packaging. Mine showed it had been roasted in the last two months and was good for a year before going out of date.
I do like reading something of the origins of a coffee. Happily Sainsbury’s have printed some details about the farmers on Mount Elgon in terms of the conditions and how they live. That’s nice.
Negatives
In spite of me talking about the “earthy” taste, please don’t worry about me waffling about all the pretentious descriptions. The description (which I don’t get at all) reads “Tasting notes: toffee, plum jam”. Sorry folks, that’s lost on me.
The packaging is not suitable for recycling. As the pack size is only 200g, they use more packaging which cannot recycled. Purple mark for Sainsbury’s (sorry!).
As the pack size is 200g instead of the usual 227g, this makes price comparison a little tricky at first glance but not impossible. I know this sounds nerdy but I did weigh it and this was correct as it did feel a bit light.
I think if you bought these coffee beans and their roasting date was any more than two months, you might notice a difference in the flavour. Be aware they might be 11 months since the roasting date. However, it could be Sainsbury’s being cautious and in reality they might sell quicker, hence being able to sell genuinely freshly roasted coffees.
Good for
- Busy supermarket shoppers who want to try something new and different without faffing around for obscure supplies
- Sainsbury’s buyers who get the chance to visit the farms and support those small scale farmers
- Those who like a good, honest down-to-earth coffee
Definitely recommended.