Tag Archives: Online Coffee

Hayman Coffee Review

Hayman Coffee is a London roaster that currently offers four coffees for purchase on their website: Jamaica Blue Mountain, Hawaii Kona, Panama Geisha, and their Award-Winning Brazilian coffee. When they asked me to review their coffee, I’ll admit that I was a little hesitant. A cursory glance at their website showed me that they offer Nescafe coffee pods as a purchasing option. I’ve wrote extensively about how I think coffee pods should die, and (in my experience) when a company offers them as a way to experience their product, what they’re really saying is “our coffee isn’t that good.”

Not only did Hayman prove me dead wrong, but they impressed me with an elegance not often found in American specialty coffee.

The Snapshot

Hayman Coffee is based in London, England and has been around since 2014. On their website they don’t say a ton about themselves, electing to instead educate customers on what Third Wave Coffee and specialty coffee is, and why that matters. I actually appreciate this; some companies get so caught up in “their story” that they tend to forget how they fit into the larger coffee community. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for Hayman.

Hayman Coffee’s selections are few in number, but great in price. As noted above, they offer just four coffees for purchase. As of the writing of this review, three of these four are available as whole bean, ground, and coffee pods. Notably, their Award-Winning Brazilian is only available in pods. You can purchase their Jamaica, Kona, and Panama Geisha in two sizes: 85g/3oz or 190g/6.7oz. Prices vary by coffee, but generally speaking its $35-$40 for the 85g size, and $50-$60 for the 190g size.

Keep in mind that a standard bag of coffee contains about 12oz, or roughly 340g of beans. A 12oz bag of Stumptown’s Hair Bender costs $15, while a higher-end specialty coffee like Onyx’s El Salvador Finca Santa Rosa Honey is $22.50 for a 12oz bag. You could buy two bags of Onyx beans and pay less money than for one 6.7oz portion of Hayman’s Jamaica Blue Mountain beans. That’s a huge gap, and it means most people wouldn’t be able to afford buying Hayman’s products regularly.

Hayman does score points in the presentation department. The coffees they sent me were packed in nice little boxes complete with cards outlining specifics about each coffee (growing altitude, tasting notes, etc). The coffees themselves were in inflated plastic tubes, likely filled with nitrogen (as this helps coffee stay fresh longer). I really enjoyed the elegant presentation, and it helped establish the kind of company Hayman is in my mind.

Hayman set a high bar for themselves to live up to; a premium look and price better come with a premium product. So how does their coffee taste?

The Coffee

I was sent Hayman’s Hawaii Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain for this review, and in my tests both coffees completely lived up to the specialty standard. With that being said, they were not the kind of coffees that I would pay $60 for. I enjoyed both coffees, but I likely won’t be purchasing more for my weekly habit.

I brewed both coffees using a variety of methods, but focused mostly on the Hario v60, Chemex, and Clever. Here’s the breakdown:


Hawaii Kona

Elevation: 550-700m

Processing: Wet

Acidity: Low/Med

Aroma Notes: Sweet, smooth, balanced.

Tasting Notes: Cereal; Malt, Cocoa; Chocolate, Nutty; Almond.

Review: Because of previous experiences with Hawaiian coffees not living up to the hype, I expected to hate this coffee. I liked it. I didn’t love it, but I liked it. It had the earthy, buttery, and chocolatey notes that I would expect from an island coffee, but it also had some muddy malt notes that weren’t as pleasant. It’s a washed coffee, so any more exotic flavors were probably muted in processing – still, it’s a balanced cup with low/medium acidity that’s pleasant to sip on.

Purchase Link for Hawaii Kona


Jamaica Blue Mountain

Elevation: 900-1700m

Processing: Wet

Acidity: Med/High

Aroma Notes: Sweet, nutty

Tasting Notes: Nutty; Hazelnut/Walnut, Brown Spice; Clove

Review: This was a delicious coffee. It had pleasant acidity, and while there were no fruit/berry notes, the acidity worked well with more nutty/brown spice flavors. Brewing in the Hario v60 brought out some really interesting light floral notes which were especially noticeable closer to the roasting date. I preferred a 1:16.5 brew ratio to get great clarity out of this coffee.

Purchase Link for Jamaica Blue Mountain


Both of these coffees are from well known islands that have adapted over time to meet tourist demands for coffee. Today, you can find both Kona beans and Jamaican beans that run the gambit from terrible to absolutely incredible. I’m happy to say that the beans Hayman sent me are closer to the “incredible” side of that spectrum.

Of the two coffees I tried I much preferred the Jamaica Blue Mountain. As a fan of higher acidity, this coffee spoke my love language. It had some subtle floral notes every once in a while, but was dominated primarily by a beautiful mix of nut and sweet spice flavors. This coffee was delicious in both the Clever and Hario v60, but I only ever experienced floral notes when brewing with the v60.

The Hawaii Kona coffee was good, but it wasn’t great. It did completely exceed my expectations, however, and for that I was happy. With deeper, chocolate flavors to compliment smooth, balanced aromatics, I was never disappointed when brewing this coffee. I preferred this in a Clever – letting the beans steep a little gave some complexity to otherwise flatter flavors.

Time-lapse of brewing with my Hario v60.

Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt that Hayman sells quality specialty coffee. The beans spoke for themselves – I enjoyed every cup I brewed. They’ve also nailed presentation: their packaging was pristine and their brand just gives off a premium vibe. Where they fail, however, is with the price.

I don’t have any insights as to what kind of profit Hayman makes on their coffee – I know that great beans from Hawaii and Jamaica can’t be cheap to import, and I imagine that’s one factor for raising the price. Still, charging $60 for 190g of coffee is just too much for too little. If I’m the type of person who would pay a premium for great beans (and I am), I’d much rather purchase a couple bags of 12oz beans for $40-$50.

I recommend trying Hayman Coffee if – and only if – you have some extra money to burn. They roast and sell high quality coffee that I really enjoyed drinking. I think you’ll like it too, even if your wallet doesn’t.

Colin

Puroast Coffee Review, Round Two

Puroast Wide

Nearly two years ago I wrote a review on Puroast Coffee, and I wasn’t incredibly impressed. Puroast claims that their beans offer 70% less acid than traditional coffee, and 7 times more antioxidants. Back in 2015 I decided to take their health claims at face value, focusing my review instead upon the taste of the coffee – and it left a lot to be desired. I wrote, “The coffee was, in a word, tasteless. It lived up to Puroast’s promise in that it definitely was not acidic, but on the other hand it was also not…anything.” I didn’t hate their coffee, but I also didn’t recommend it based on the product I received and the brewing methods I used.

Then, about 10 days ago I received an email from Puroast asking for a follow-up review. I agreed, finding the prospect of reviewing the same coffee company again both compelling and a little strange. While I’ve never done this before, I’m always keen to offer coffee a second chance.

I’ve done my best to let this review stand on its own – I’d rather not spend time looking back and comparing Puroast’s 2017 product to that from two years ago. With that said, I will admit that I was more impressed with the company’s overall presentation and professionalism this time around. They’ve improved everything from the look of their website to their recommendations for brewing techniques/recipes. Last time I received a pre-ground bag of coffee and no instructions on how to brew it. This time I was given whole-bean coffee and brewing recommendations based on how Puroast baristas make the coffee in their flagship Miami coffee shop.

The Snapshot

Puroast sells coffee that contains higher antioxidants and less acidity than your typical brew. These benefits, however, aren’t the focus for their company. As one representative told me, “The roast comes first and the wellness is simply a byproduct of roasting innovation and putting quality above everything else. It can truly be said that no one else roasts their coffee the way Puroast does.”

This is something I can appreciate.

With that said, Puroast definitely makes sure consumers know their coffee’s health benefits. They’re listed front and center on the coffee bags, as well as on the home page of their website. In fact, they have a whole section of their website dedicated to their coffee’s health benefits. This page includes the research done by Dr. Shibamoto from UC Davis – his findings revealed the benefits that Puroast’s roasting process has on their beans.

I’m glad that Puroast’s roasting process makes their beans healthy and potentially more easily consumed by people who are sensitive to acidic beverages. What I’m even more interested in is whether or not their roasting process can produce a great tasting cup of coffee.

The Coffee

This time around Puroast sent me their Espresso Roast to try. Although the bag I received did not have a roasting date on it, it did have a “best by” date of July 31st, 2018. I’m assuming they sent me freshly roasted coffee for this review, but if I was a consumer at a supermarket or resell location, I wouldn’t be able to tell for sure.

Puroast Best By
Best by Jul 31st, 2018

Puroast recommended that I brew their beans using a Greca/moka pot. A representative told me that this is the go-to brewing method used in their Miami coffee shop. As a big fan of the moka, I happily obliged.

Moka_FireTheir recipe called for a fine ground size, and that the coffee grinds be left uncompressed (not packed down) in the moka filter basket. I found that for my moka pot about 21g of finely ground coffee was the perfect amount.

The thing with espresso roasts is that I expect them to have a darker, richer flavor when compared to roasts intended for filter brew methods. I knew ahead of time that Puroast’s coffee wouldn’t be acidic – that’s kinda their shtick. So in that case, I was looking for tasting notes like chocolate, hazelnut, caramel, or something similar. Unfortunately, I didn’t get those.

The Espresso Roast I received from Puroast was earthy, dark, and slightly bitter. It was distinctly espresso, but the kind of espresso I would expect from a standard second-wave coffee shop, like Peet’s or Caribou Coffee perhaps. It did not resemble specialty coffee.

That’s not to say that it was bad or undrinkable by any stretch of the imagination. In fact I enjoyed several cups, both black and combined with steamed milk to make a faux-latte. I found the coffee to be highly caffeinated – it was enjoyable to sip while burning through my email inbox and getting work to-do’s accomplished. It just isn’t what I expect from specialty coffee.

I actually think that’s okay, mostly because I’m not convinced that Puroast Coffee fits the mold of a specialty coffee company. They don’t sell a variety of single-origin roasts on their website, focusing instead on blends. They have sections of their online store dedicated to both flavored coffee roasts and K-Cup single serving pods. In short, they are selling to a completely different demographic than specialty coffee drinkers.

When compared to commodity-grade diner coffee, or even the more common roasts from big companies like Starbucks, I think Puroast has a great product that I would recommend. On the other hand, they don’t hold a candle to specialty coffee companies like Intelligentsia or Blue Bottle.

Puroast Latte
The faux-latte I made with Puroast’s Espresso Roast
Final Thoughts

This is the first time that I’ve reviewed the same coffee company twice, and I must say that I began with more than a little trepidation. I’m happy to report that my opinion on Puroast has improved since our paths last crossed.

I still would not recommend their coffee to those who are interested in buying specialty beans to brew at home, and I would add that Puroast has a ways to go if they hope to become a third wave coffee producer. However, I think that the average person will find Puroast’s coffee to be rich, caffeinated, and more tasty than the big chains they may be used to. I agree that the moka pot is the best way to enjoy Puroast at home.

Puroast continues to fill a niche for those who’s stomachs may be sensitive to acidity. However, I agree that the quality of their product makes them a great option for anybody who might otherwise buy their coffee from a large chain.

Colin

You can buy Puroast coffee from their online store, here. Right now first time customers get 25% off their order. Just use offer code “Pur1st” at checkout.

The Official Guide to (Inter)national Coffee Day 2016

Inter(national) Coffee Day 2016

Coffee lovers, now is the time to rejoice. This week grants us not one, but two days dedicated to our favorite beverage: National Coffee Day (September 30th) and International Coffee Day (October 1st). Tons of coffee chains and local coffee shops around the world are celebrating by offering deals, discounts, and free drinks for us over-caffeinated to enjoy.

Below I’ve compiled two lists to help you find the deal closest to you, but keep in mind that local coffee shops are likely to be participating as well. Be sure to check in with your local cafe to see what deals they may be offering! In that vein, I’ve included a few deals from coffee shops local to Idaho – my home state.

National Coffee Day (September 30th)

  • Coffee Studio (Meridian, ID) is offering a free 12oz latte to anybody who utters the phrase “where love & locals meet.” Find out more here.
  • Guru Donuts (Boise, ID) is offering a free cake donut or vegan mini raised with any coffee purchase. Nothing better than free donuts with your coffee!
  • Flying M offered (Boise/Nampa, ID) offered a free 8oz drip coffee between 6:30am and 11pm today. Hopefully you scored one!
  • Dunkin Donuts is offering medium coffees for only 66 cents to celebrate their 66th anniversary. Find out more.
  • Krispy Kreme is handing out a free cup of coffee and free donut to visitors. No purchase necessary. Find out more.
  • Starbucks isn’t offering discounts, but they are donating a coffee tree for every brewed cup of México Chiapas coffee sold today. Find out more.
  • Pilot Flying J is giving away a free cup of coffee – or any hot beverage – to people who show the coupon found on their website. Here it is.
  • Tim Hortons is running some sort of social media campaign using #TimsCoffeeDay and #WhyWeBrew. Check out their Twitter page for more details.
  • Caribou Coffee is giving away a free medium brewed coffee for every pound of coffee purchased from now until Oct 2nd. Also, for every cup of “Amy’s Blend” coffee purchased, they’re donating a cup to nurses and caregivers at cancer centers throughout the country. Find out more here.
  • Peet’s Coffee is giving away a free coffee with the purchase of any food item.
  • Sheetz is giving away free cups of their new cold brew. You must be a loyalty card holder to qualify.
  • Wawa is keeping it simple with a free cup of coffee (or any 24oz self-serve beverage) all day. No purchase necessary.

 

International Coffee Day (October 1st)

International Coffee Day is a bit different, and quite frankly more organized, than National Coffee Day. There are dozens of events happening around the world on October 1st, so I’ve chosen to highlight a few notable ones. You can find the full list here. You can even sort by events happening close to you!

  • Italy – Free guided tour and coffee at MUMAC coffee machine museum. Find out more.
  • Norway – Join the world’s largest coffee party in Oslow. The Norwegian Coffee Association is attempting to set a world record in coffee brewing. Their goal is to serve at least 5,000 cups of freshly brewed coffee to coffee lovers in the afternoon on October 1st. Find out more.
  • Canada – Experience the tastes and aromas of small batch roasting in Nova Scotia. River Run coffee shop is hosting an open house; the grounds will be open to explore, and the animals for petting, but inside is where the excitement will take place. They will be holding 30 minute coffee roasting demonstrations at 10am and 1pm. Find out more.
  • South Africa – Enjoy the tasting menu at Bean There Coffee Company in Johannesburg. Try a Chemex, Hario V60, AeroPress, or French Press combo for just R30. Find out more.
  • New Zealand – Vanguard Specialty Coffee presents a screening of A Film About Coffee. Tickets are $17 and are available through our Facebook event page or by emailing ahead. Screening is being held Saturday October 1st, at 6:30pm. Every attendee will receive a complementary cold brew concoction created by local roaster/coffee guru Jason Moore using a single origin Ethiopian Dumerso. Find out more.
  • Germany/Online – Save 20% on the Hile Set by Hile Products. The Hile Set includes Sola paper filter holder and Kapu (a measuring spoon/fastener in one), handcrafted in Finland.  Use offer code HILE1 on their online store. Find out more.
  • France – Free cupping of AVPA award-winning coffees in Paris. Find out more.
  • Australia – Coffees from around the world at Pomeroys in Queensland. They will have coffees from a range of origins, brewed using a variety of methods. Find out more.
  • Austria – Coffee Battle: Head to Head for the Best Espresso in Vienna. From 9am-7pm baristas will be duking it out to see who makes the best espresso. Find out more.

 

Did I miss anything? If so, comment on this post and let me know. Enjoy your free coffee, and have a great day!

Colin