Northern Ireland Coffee Ratings
To say that I like coffee is a bit of an understatement, people that know me would usually use words such as “obsessed” or “snob.” I will admit to a degree of that, however the crux of the matter is, I DO really like coffee, which seems strange to some in an age where coffee is seen as a dark black liquid, with foul taste, that you drink to stay awake; people who completely miss out on the huge range of flavours and variety found in coffee, because they are used to drinking incorrectly prepared, mass produced, stale coffee, or worse, instant!
The internet is full of people commenting on and reviewing coffee and cafes and in my opinion, we are the better for it, unfortunately that has yet to filter down to Northern Ireland. As mentioned in a CoffeeGeek Podcast, the coffee industry in Ireland is thought to be around 10-15 years behind that of North America and Australia, in Northern Ireland I’d add another 10 to that. Space/Time disturbances emanating from the Ballygawley Roundabout seem to trap NI in 1973, the reason that “Internet Culture” and the relevance of the online coffee community, has been relatively slow on the uptake.
Thankfully its not all doom and gloom, there are some really great cafes, talented baristas and skilled roasters out there and I’ve taken it upon myself to find them and share them with the world. I’m not sure how they will respond, or who will be interested, but I plan to bring impartial reviews and interviews as often as I can.
I’m not quite hardcore enough to rate espresso, and I’m not sure my palette is up to either, but truth be told, I’d rather not risk it (I’ve been given 2fl oz of water with a scoop of Nescafe as an espresso before), instead I’ll be sampling the coffee drinking public’s drink du jour, the humble cappuccino.
Marks out of 10 will be given for:
Taste
Texture
Temperature
Technical Ability
Marks out of 5 will be given for
Appearance
Atmosphere
Values will be added together and multipled by two, giving a final score out of 100.
I will be conducting all reviews myself, cappucinnos should be as small sized as possible, consumed fresh and without sugar.
The comments system on the site will be open so please feel free to leave your thoughts. I’m sure there will be strong feelings about some of the things I say, so I feel I have to make it clear I am not out to attack or slander anyone. Everything I write on this site is my own personal opinion, with no financial benefit to myself, I can only hope to educate the Northern Irish consumer about quality coffee and where to find it.
Until next time.
Andrew