Seems ages since I’ve reviewed anything, so here goes. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Kenyan ground coffee.
This pre-ground coffee from Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range which means it is their premium, upmarket range. It is sold in the normal pack size of 227g and costs £3.90. The pack tells me it is Fairtrade, so that’s always a good sign.
The pack also informs me that it is 100% Arabica coffee and medium strength (3 out of 5). It is a single crop coffee, so no blending with other coffees, either good coffee or floor sweepings. It is from the “High Plateaus of Mount Kenyan” which I can personally imagine.
While this all makes sense and steers me in the right direction, I normally come a little unstuck with the tasting notes of “Zesty, citrus and blackberry”. I am often foxed by this kind of thing and this is no exception.
However, cutting through the background twaddle, you want to know what it tastes like, right? Of course you do.
It is a moderately light coffee, quite smooth and a pleasantly mellow taste. It isn’t particularly bitter and certainly not burnt.
I probably make my coffee using slightly less than the recommended tablespoon of coffee for each cup. Nevertheless it is strong enough for me, although some might want it a tad stronger.
Conclusion, ideal for….
- A nicely mellow coffee, pleasant enough for my two cups of coffee I normally have in the morning, a nice ritual to have.
- Reasonable value
- Consistent easy-going flavour
- Ideal for go-to daily coffee
- Brilliant for nostalgic cyclists with a taste for dusty roads and African coffee shops
Personal connections
I suppose I always have a soft spot for Kenyan coffee, having spent quite a bit of time in and around Kenya.
I remember passing through Nakuru in the African Rift Valley. I had reached Nakuru by cycling the previous day from Naro Moru which is by Mt Kenya. I started out on dirt roads which weren’t even on my map, just heading in a westerly direction. Is this what they call ‘navigation by dead reckoning’?
Eventually the nonexistent dirt road joined onto a wider solid mud road which I think was on the map. At least there were cars and trucks occasionally trundling passed me, so I figured I was going somewhere. Then the heavens opened and I was instantly drenched. While that didn’t bother me, the roads became like a skating rink with the thin layer of water making the smooth, solid mud road so slippery. Consequently I came off my bike a couple of times which just added to the fun of descending from the escarpment.
By the time I rode into Nakuru I was a terrible sight, all bedraggled and covered in mud. Funnily enough it was as dry as a bone in the town, the downpour just hit the higher ground.
Time for a coffee but first I found the Post Office where I collected the Post Restante letter from my parents. I pushed by bike to the coffee shop on the other side of the road and ordered a coffee. I sat down and savoured the opening of my letter, precious words from home. As I sipped my coffee, I imagined my mother writing the letter and posting it with her love for me.
So that coffee really meant something to me. Somehow I get the occasional flashback when I have a really nice cup of Kenyan. It doesn’t happen often but sometimes, just sometimes, the smalls and flavours of Africa come flooding back. Priceless.