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Coffee Advent Calendar Summary Post

2023-12-27T19:10:15Z

This post summarises which coffees I liked and which I didn't, to help me make choices about future deliveries in the regular plan.

Top Choices

Capim Seco
La Pedregosa
Nyanza Tubiri Hill
Samuel's Coffee

Good Choices

Andino
Kiangoi
El Volcon
Terras Altas
Nduma
Chapada Red Acaia
Gititu

Drinkable

Kiri
Sitio de Jaja
Nyangoma
Karimikui
Musasa Honey

Danger! Avoid!
Quite a few of these had the oily taste and mouthfeel that I really don't like — drinkable but unpleasant — and several were just too harsh or deeply uninspiring, but San Carlos really did taste like garbage.

San Carlos
Karambi Honey
Buenos Aires
La Cuesta
Kibirizi Washed
Gosen
Fazenda IP
Mi Tazita
Muungano

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Coffee Advent Calendar #25

2023-12-16T12:08:26Z

Coffee #25: Samuel's Coffee

This was absolutely gorgeous. Smooth, with clear fruit flavours without being overpowering, a lovely amount of sweetness and it felt great in the mouth from first sip to last swallow. Just fantastic and a wonderful end to the coffee advent calendar!

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Coffee Advent Calendar #24

2023-12-16T12:06:33Z

Coffee #24: Gititu

This had a bit of harshness when first sipped but then smoothed out for the rest of the mouthful. A nice lightly fruity flavour, so seeing this in the coffee plan would be great.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #23

2023-12-16T12:05:22Z

Coffee #23: Chapada Red Acaia

This was very pleasant to drink. Not at all harsh or bitter, despite being a dark roast, just very smooth and easy on the palate throughout the whole mouthful, although I didn't notice any particular flavour. But I'll definitely be happy if I see this come up in the plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #22

2023-12-16T12:04:25Z

Coffee #22: Musasa Honey

This had a bit of harshness at the start of the mouthful, but without being bitter, and apart from that was very smooth and easy on the tongue and had a lovely fruitiness. I think I'd really enjoy a full bag of this in the plan with a chance to adjust to that initial slightly harsh kick after a few days.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #21

2023-12-16T12:03:06Z

Coffee #21: Nduma

This slipped down very easily. There was a hint of harshness but it was more bite than bitterness, and a pleasant amount of fruitiness. I'll be hoping to get this in the plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #20

2023-12-16T12:02:07Z

Coffee #20: Muungano

This was really very orange-y, much more than the usual fruity hints of other coffees, but the taste also rather smacked of artificial flavouring and artificial sweetener. I'm sure this is all natural and they didn't actually dump aspartame and a bunch of E numbers into the coffee, but it did definitely taste like cheap orange-flavoured boiled sweets. Not outright undrinkable but definitely one to avoid in the coffee plan..

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Coffee Advent Calendar #19

2023-12-16T11:58:36Z

Coffee #19: Mi Tazita

This was another coffee with a little of the bitter, oily taste and mouthfeel that I don't like. It got more drinkable the further into the cup I got, as I got used to it, but it didn't have anything else to recommend it in terms of taste, so I'll avoid this in the plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #18

2023-12-10T12:26:18Z

Coffee #18: Fazenda IP

This was much too bitter and pretty unmemorable apart from that — I think the bitterness overwhelmed everything else. So one to avoid in the coffee plan. (I also thought this was going to be the "peanut butter cups" coffee, so was a bit disappointed to realise it's a different blend from the same growers. So I still don't know what the "peanut butter cups" coffee tastes like!)

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Coffee Advent Calendar #17

2023-12-10T12:21:16Z

Coffee #17: Nyanza Tubiri Hill

This was lovely. Very smooth, with a little bit of sweetness and a little bit of fruitiness. Slipped down extremely easily, so I hope they offer this in the plan at some point!

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Coffee Advent Calendar #16

2023-12-10T12:18:02Z

Coffee #16: La Pedregosa

Really enjoyed this one. Very smooth, with a hint of fruitiness, and it slipped down easily for the whole mouthful. Will definitely look to get this one in the regular plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #15

2023-12-10T12:12:16Z

Coffee #15 Gosen:

This was another coffee with the rather bitter, oily taste and mouthfeel that I really don't like. Not undrinkable but it will be on my Do Not Want list for the regular coffee plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #14

2023-12-02T11:49:19Z

Coffee #14: Karimikui

This had a very slightly bitter taste when I first sipped at it but then smoothed out and went down very easily. Not a lot of flavour to it, so it wouldn't be my first pick in the coffee plan, but I'd be okay getting it.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #13

2023-11-30T18:12:43Z

Coffee #13: Terras Altas

I liked this one. The flavour is more orange than chocolate but it's very smooth. While it's not particularly memorable in any way, it would make a very good everyday coffee that would always be a pleasure to drink.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #12

2023-11-30T18:10:48Z

Coffee #12: Kibirizi Washed

This was very bland and I didn't like the underlying flavour much. While it was perfectly drinkable, I wouldn't want to buy it again.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #11

2023-11-30T18:04:25Z

Coffee #11: La Cuesta

This was drinkable, but I didn't particularly enjoy the flavour, so I'll avoid it in the regular plan unless there's really no better option.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #10

2023-11-30T18:01:08Z

Coffee #10: El Volcon

I enjoyed this one a lot. It has a sharp and citrussy taste but isn't bitter and it's very smooth throughout the entire mouthful. I wouldn't say it's an outstandingly memorable coffee, but it would definitely be enjoyable to drink this every day.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #9

2023-11-30T17:57:11Z

Coffee #9: Buenos Aires

I didn't like this one. It has an unpleasant smoky, bitter and weird slightly oily taste that overpowered any other flavour the coffee might have had. So I'll be substituting something else if this is the pre-selected option in my regular plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #8

2023-11-30T17:51:57Z

Coffee #8: Capim Seco

I really enjoyed this one! It was sweet and smooth, with nice fruity hints. Interestingly, I've had this in my coffee plan before and apparently liked it quite a bit (the Pact website lets you rate coffees and leave notes) but wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as I was about this little advent calendar bag! But it's now definitely one to get again in the regular plan to see if it lives up to this review.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #7

2023-11-30T17:48:40Z

Coffee #7: Kiangoi

A lovely smooth and round taste for the whole length of each mouthful, with a hint of fruitiness. I will definitely be looking out for this one as part of my regular plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #6

2023-11-30T17:43:04Z

Coffee #6: Nyangoma

Pleasant and smooth except for a touch of bitterness right before swallowing. I didn't get much of the promised spice flavour of the mulled wine and I think I'd need a lot more of that to really like this one.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #5

2023-11-30T17:39:15Z

Coffee #5: Andino

I very much liked this one: sweet and light and smooth, with a hint of fruitiness. I'll look out for this as an option in my regular plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #4

2023-11-30T17:36:35Z

Coffee #4: Karambi Honey

I expected from the description that this would be a sweet coffee, but it's quite harsh and I didn't really taste the promised flavours. It might be something I'd grow to like more after several cups/days, but it was a bit bland, so I won't choose this in my regular plan.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #3

2023-11-30T17:32:33Z

Coffee #3: San Carlos

This was (both unfortunately and fortunately) the first coffee I've ever had from Pact that was disgusting and nearly undrinkable. I'm not sure whether there was something wrong with the coffee or I just really don't like the taste of cloves, but it tasted somewhere between having thrown up in my mouth and biting into a mouldy piece of fruit. I threw away the second half of the packet and made myself a cup of instant coffee instead.

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Coffee Advent Calendar #2

2023-11-30T17:25:34Z

Coffee #2: Sitio de Jaja

I had this coffee as part of my regular plan. It has a really nice rich taste but it's a very dark roast, which I find a bit overpowering to drink on a regular basis. Having said that, I did like the couple of cups I had from this bag a lot and they didn't seem quite as harshly roasted as the bag I got in the plan. so I might try this again in the plan at some point.

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