Percol

Percol have gone through a bit of a rebranding exercise recently which, let's face it, was long overdue. All those cheap and nasty looking packets have now been replaced by more sophisticated looking designs and now feel generally less like crisp packets. The coffees, they say, are un-changed. But this one we didn't have in the old range - so it's up for the Judges to have a go. It's a super coarse ground coffee - and very fibrous - there's a lot of chaff in there. Made in the plunger it looks amazing - it foams up with a lovely thick caramel looking head which would be more at home on a pint of real ale. And yes, like any East African brew, it's got a nice lemon twang to it. We loved it - but it didn't take too kindly to be spooned up to the kind of strength the Judges like - it got a bit metallic. Still - that's our problem, the normal user can't go wrong with this one. 8/10

Every cup of this has given us a smooth creamy head with less effort than Divine Brown. It's a strength four - which in this case means it packs tons of coffee flavour without any aftertaste or sickly sweetness. It can take a massive overdose too - don't be afraid to spoon this one up and it will just get better and better. As usual, the Percol packaging is as unattractive as Divine Brown on a Sunday morning after a long night with this year's RADA intake. What in their right minds, makes them think that derelict building and an old ladder makes you want to pop off and make a nice cup of coffee? One off for the packaging - as it's SO offensive - gives it 8/10

Percol have gone and done it with this one. It's a bog standard strength 3, the packaging is the usual Percol awfulness and yet it's bloody marvelous. Every time, without fail, it's come out punchy, smooth and satisfying. Even a child could make a good cup of this one - unlike that Waitrose one of a few days back where one grain too many or less rendered the whole mug repulsive. The fact that it looks so bland in the pack may be adds to this one's appeal - Percol certainly aren't singing from the rooftops about it. They should be! Wait for it.. 10/10!

This is another good Percol, despite yet another cold "garden seed" packet design. It tastes consistently good all the way down the cup too - there's no build up of bitterness. But then again this lack of any kind of aftertaste makes it taste a little shallow tasting. When it's gone, it's gone. A respectable 7/10

This is the best Percol we've had so far. There's nothing really to make it stand out and talk about - no aromas or notes as they claim on the packet. But it just delivers on smooth, full flavour with a pleasant  lingering coffee after taste. Every cup we made was consistantly good - you just can't cock this one up. It's just a shame it's yet another "grass seed" piece of packaging from Percol - stick this in a glossy packet and suddenly you have a luxury, quality coffee here. Petty to mark it down one for that but, hey ho - it's a 9 down to an 8/10.

This is a Percol Big Boy. It's a strength 5 so we're fumbling with the packet in excitement. In the end it's come out good, but my God it was a lot of work to get there. By which, I mean the first three cups all failed for one reason or another - too weak, too strong, too much powder in the cup... We were at the point of giving up until Hank took a deep breath, donned his white lab coat, and made it under full laboratory conditions. Despite plunging it so slowly that the plunger's progress was slower than a snail going down an up escalator, it's still full of powder in the cup. So we ended up with a slightly metallic taste which, over a whole mug, is a bit much. So for all that faffing, only 7/10

The folks at Percol came up trumps and delivered the Judges a box of freebies - one of every single Percol. (Thanks Niomi!) This is the first then of a Percol Marathon we're going to have to do over the next few weeks. First things first - when you see all of them together you really can't tell the difference - the packaging all looks like a scene from Predator. All jungle-y and, let's face it, a bit tacky. No continental style and sophistication in sight. This one looked great on arrival, a nice froth on the top. But there's a weird taste to this one - and a very long lasting after tase. It's just a little bit too "sharp" - if there is such a thing. Mind you, having read the side of the packet they are claiming "grapefruit" - which is sharp as hell. Why the hell would you want a f*cking grapefruit in your cup? That's a trait they need to engineer out of this one, not boast about. It's still OK though, just above the average at 6/10

The Percol marketing people really know how to hit the right spot. As a Coffee Judge, reading the side of this packet is bound to get you in a fevered state of excitement - they have just described us perfectly. So the expectation from this is high - are we going to get a Lava Java Buster? Well - not quite. The usual issue with beans - another variable in the make up - means the brew we get is under powered. Hank went lightly on this one, obviously wanting to save his "grinding hand" for other activities later this evening. Despite this, for the first time, some of the blurb on the packet is actually true for the first time in this Judge's life. There IS no bitter aftertaste and it really does reach the depths of flavour! It's a cracking coffee in my opinion and restored my faith in the Percol brand which was starting to wane after the first two duffers. 8/10 for now, for sure a 9 when we get the strength right - maybe even a 10!

After yesterday's Percol Debacle with a strength 4 that was so weak, sickly and milky that I may as well have just have put my mouth directly on the cow's udder, we decided to really spoon this one up as even Percol grade it a strength 3 - which as we all know is the weakest coffee strength known to man. So at 7 spoons the initial waft wasn't bad - I could smell coffee over the cow shed - and it looked fine too. It looked professional. But professional coffees are never really that good are they? I mean, they start well, but after a few glugs you're used to it and wishing you'd just stayed at home and made one yourself. They claim "a hint of nuts" - which is the usual bollocks - unless it refers to the bloke who does their packaging which this time looks like a packet of salt and vinegar. So - ideal for those after-dinner-party moments where you don't want to disgrace yourself, but don't want them hanging around too long discussing it. Drink and go. 5/10

    This is the first Percol for us, a new brand, and we're excited. But chocolate?  Orange Marmalade??!!  What are these people talking about? Have they any idea what coffee is or do they think they're making breakfast? How long before they are quoting Bacon Overtones with a smooth Egg finish? As if that flowery bullshit introduction wasn't enough to make you feel this is all style over content, wait until you open the packet.. it's full of TWIGS I kid you not. OK I may be exaggerating a little bit, but the coffee really is full of dried husks.. this can't be good. So Judge Hank makes this one, and swears by it. Six spoons for a strength 4 should be good. Hmmm.... no. It's weedy. It's not bad - but it's not good. There's nothing really to say about it - it's just adequate catering coffee. The only good thing to say is that the twigs didn't actually ruin it, as this is one coffee that I really was expecting to be "woody"! The only hope is to really spoon it up next time, to see if there's any hidden depths. Mind you it's the first coffee reviewed to warrent a second picture. Disappointedly a 5/10