Mexico

Mexico is not a big name in coffee for your average coffee drinker in the UK - but we've tried a few here at Judge Towers and their coffees are always firmly at one end of the scale: the top. That's not to say there's anything really noteworthy about this coffee though - it's not full of fluffy flavours and hints of elderberry. Hype reckon that this coffee is a cut above your average Mexican - so maybe we've been spoilt by only ever having good 'uns. We didn't get the fruity notes they claim - but maybe it's just too subtle for our agricultural tastes. But it suited us fine anyway - strong and dark and a doddle to make. We only got a two cups each out of our tester bag, but they were both identical. A solid 8/10.

One of the judges has managed to sort himself a nice little Mexican Señorita. Now, the rest of us have never met her, so it could have just been a cover story for his frivolous nights spent on Hampstead Heath. But then, low and behold, he disappears for two weeks and turns up with a real life Mexican coffee, thus adding indisputable weight to the "Señorita story". What ever the truth - we're having the coffee. It's all new - a bigger packet (340g) and super coarsely ground. There's no real smell when we open the pack - which doesn't bode well. It just smells like cheap coffee. The usual dose in the pot gives as an un-drinkably weak cup. So much so, all I could taste was the milk, so I left mine. We tried again: stronger. Still no cigar. One last chance today - and I took charge of the pot and really loaded it up. EIGHT spoons f'chrissakes! That just about nailed it - we can finally taste coffee. But it's still a washout - there's no depth of flavour and there's plenty of aftertaste, due to us having to make it so strong. They claim some acidity - and that fruityness is just about there - but it's disguised under several layers of mud. It's a holiday coffee, let's face it. Presumably you can buy it near Hampstead Heath. (4/5)