This year thanks to Izzy over at Caffeine Galore I was introduced to the Yawn Coffee Co Advent Calendar by Tea Revv, and boy was I excited.
Knowing it came in whole bean (was put off Pact Coffee Advent Calendar because it is pre-ground) gave me so much joy, and I literally couldn't wait until December 1st to start.
So we're just going to crack on into it, here is the first week of the Advent, what I thought, what I liked and what I disliked.
Each packet contains 9g, and the recommend brew is through cafetiere, I don't really have one of these handy at home, so I opted for the aeropress (who's shocked?)
With the 9g of coffee, I used 250ml of water, bloomed for 30 seconds.
A total brew time of 2 minutes (not including push) and push for 30 seconds.
Day 1 - Indian Tiger
Flavour: Strong, sweet and rich
Roast: Full-medium roast
Origin: Karnataka, India but monsooned in Managalore
Like the flavour suggests, this coffee was indeed strong and sweet, and because of it being monsooned it had some really delicious earthy undertones (I don't know if I've mentioned that in 2017 I fell in LOVE with monsooned coffees) - my boyfriend would also like to input that it tasted like "it was brewed in the woods, by bears!!!)
I really enjoyed day number 1 thoroughly, and really wanted more!!
Day 2 - Kenya Blue
This was actually a coffee reveal packet, where you had to head over to either Yawn's Instagram or their website to find out what it was (oooh mystery!!!)
Flavour: Full bodied, rich with a striking winey aftertaste
Roast: Medium Roast
Origin: Mount Kenya, near Nairobi and Mount Elgon
This one was super mellow and had next to no bitterness. It's a really delicious brew and I really loved the mystery behind it all!
Day 3 - Daterra Bourbon
(day 3 and I've already forgotten a photo - why am I like this)
Flavour: Chocolate, Fruits, Spice and Caramel
Roast: Dark (Italian Roast)
Origin: Daterra Coffee Estate, Cerrado, Brazil
This one was super dark and chocolatey and although I don't typically like dark roasts, this was actually really enjoyable with spicy after tones and slight acidity
Day 4 - The Colombian
(day 4 and still no improvement, I promise this gets better)
Flavour: Rich, Sharp and Strong
Roast: A very dark roast
Origin: 100,000s of smallholders throughout Colombia
Now, as soon as I opened this packet, I knew right off the back I was not going to like this coffee. Which obviously 24 coffees, you're not going to like all of them, but the idea of really dark roasted coffee (and we are talking DARK here) really puts me off, and we all know that the darker the roast the more oily the coffee beans become, another factor for off put from me.
I'm sure so many people enjoyed this coffee, but it was definitely not for me - and we'll leave it at that
Day 5 - Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Flavour: Lemony, Zesty and Floral
Roast: Light to medium
Origin: Yirgacheffe in south west Ethiopia
Now this one actually made up for the fact I didn't like day number 4, I LOVE me some Ethiopian Yirg and this one definitely did not disappoint.
It was super citrus-y and floral, and the more it cooled down the more citrus-y it became, with some underlaying bitterness (always welcome with citrus flavours) it was definitely my favourite from the calendar so far
Day 6 - Winter Delight
Flavour: Silky Smooth
Roast: A mix of medium and dark
Origin: Top Secret Blend
Oooh another mystery, and I'd love to see if they actually reveal what the top secret blend is, because it was actually really tasty
It was super smooth with some really sweet earthy undertones, and an all around damn nice cup.
Day 7 - Brazilian Santos
Flavour: Cinnamon, Dark Chocolate Undertones
Roast: Medium dark (French)
Origin: Guaxupe in Minas Gerais, Brazil
This one is perfect for the morning, its pretty dark, with a slight woody undertone, and a very big hit of very dark chocolate comes with it, its super smooth with not a lot of acidity, a really nice cup to drink.
I hope you enjoyed week 1 of the Yawn Coffee Co Advent Calendar
lookout for week 2 next week!
The Coffee Life
