More "Carte Rouge" Than "Carte Noire" (Carte Noire Instant)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Carte Noire Instant
Date:	25/04/08 (171 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice packaging . Beautiful aroma when you open the jar .

Disadvantages: Too mild for my taste

My favourite instant coffees are either 'Kenco Columbian' or 'Kenco Costa Rican', but I am always open to trying out new blends to titillate my taste buds. I recently purchased a jar of Carte Noire instant coffee when I dropped into a small supermarket after a hard shift in my taxi, as they were all out of my favourite Kenco blends, and because I vaguely recalled reading some highly complimentary reviews of Carte Noire both here at dooyoo and over at Ciao.

Carte Noire is hard to miss. It comes in a very distinctive and decidedly classy black jar with gold lettering, and a small white label proudly pronouncing its name. This coffee seems to be very popular on the French market, despite being made in Germany, and is imported into the UK and Ireland by the Kenco coffee company. In fact, they proudly tell us as much on the jar itself.

"Carte Noire is enjoyed in France for its unique aroma and flavour."

On the other side of the jar they assail us with yet another piece of seductive information.

"Unlock and savour the sensual pleasure of pure Arabica coffee captured in the 'Aroma absolu' of Carte Noire. The rich and velvety body of this deeply aromatic blend will seduce your palate."

Well, there are a couple of bits of useful information here. It's an Arabica coffee, and it's a blend. As for the rest of their claim. Did it give me 'sensual pleasure'? Ehhh, let me think now... No!!! Did it 'seduce my palate'? I hardly think so!!! Anyways, we'll forgive them their extravagant advertising claims, and get on with what I actually thought of the coffee.

I'm somewhat of a coffee addict. In fact, I drink so much coffee that I would be in contention for the post of chairman of any self help group that started up to help people with their coffee addiction.

"I admitted I was powerless over caffeine, and that my life had become unmanageable." (Hee, hee. Sorry about that folks. I'm in a funny old mood today!)

But the truth is I *DO* drink a *LOT* of coffee; upwards of fifteen to twenty large mugs a day, with each mug containing two and a half teaspoons of coffee, and three and a half spoons of sugar. So I like my coffee strong and sweet.

Right you are then. I open the jar of 'Carte Noire'. They are right about the 'Aroma absolu' bit of their advertising at any rate. Once you break open the vacuum seal on the top, you are immediately assailed with the very strong and glorious aroma of fresh coffee.

"This is promising", I think straight away.

The coffee is made, and I'm now savouring my first mouthful.

"What's this," I think. "I can hardly taste it. Did I put in the right amount of coffee?"

Well, yes. I did actually. But I find that I have to add yet *ANOTHER* spoon of coffee (now three and a half spoons!!) before I get a taste from Carte Noire that I find palatable!

So do I like this coffee?
Simply put the answer is "No. Not a lot."
In fairness, it does have that very distinctive 'Aribica' coffee taste, but it simply doesn't sit up and grab my taste buds in the same way as either Kenco Columbian or Kenco Costa Rican coffee does. It's simply too mellow and mild for my personal taste.

As I finish off writing this review, I'm actually sitting drinking another mug of it. For the purposes of research, and just to make sure that I am being totally fair in my assessment. But as soon as I wrap this review up, I'm off to make a mug of strong Kenco Columbian!

You might like this coffee, (each to their own) if your preferred taste is a smooth, mellow, mild tasting blend. Carte Noire comes in 100g and 200g jars. I honestly can't remember exactly how much I paid for it, but it was somewhere in the region of 4.50 Euros for the 100g jar.

The name 'Carte Noire' literally translated means 'Black Card'. But I'm afraid that it's getting a 'Carte Rouge' (red card) from me.

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© KenJ

(Review revised for posting here at dooyoo; April 2008)

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Summary: The taste doesn't live up to the aroma.