A Red Card For Carte Noire (Other Coffees)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Other Coffees
Date:	08/11/02 (334 review reads)
Rating:

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

Disadvantages: Too mild for my taste.

~ ~ The ‘mad cabbie’ made an impulse buy earlier this week. (doesn't happen often; it's my Scots blood)
I’d called into the local supermarket on my way home from a shift in the old ‘joe maxi’ as I’d run out of my favourite Kenco coffee that morning, and didn’t fancy an evening of drinking one of the lesser blends of instant coffee (Nescafe and Maxwell House) that were left over in the kitchen cupboard.
I recalled reading a recent opinion by Mel, (the ‘cheekychicken’) where she was extolling the merits of a coffee called ‘Carte Noire’, and saying that she and the ‘Deano’ fella were new converts to its delights.
And I also recalled many other members leaving very complimentary comments about it on a couple of my other coffee opinions here at dooyoo.

~ ~ So after popping my usual favourite jars of ‘Kenco Columbian’ and ‘Kenco Costa Rican’ into my shopping basket, I spotted this Carte Noire stuff on the shelf above. €3.80 for a 100 gram jar, so it’s 40 cents cheaper than my usual Kenco. (€4.20 per jar)
It’s hard to miss it, as it comes in a very distinctive and decidedly classy black jar with gold lettering, and a small white label proudly pronouncing its name.
Talking about names, this coffee seems to be very popular on the French market, despite being made in Germany, and imported into the UK and Ireland by the Kenco coffee company. In fact, they proudly tell us as much.
“Carte Noire is enjoyed in France for its unique aroma and flavour”, is printed on the side of the jar.
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.”
W
ell, there are a couple of bits of useful information in there. 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.

~ ~ As some of you will be well aware, if you’ve read some of my previous opinions, 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.)
But I DO drink a LOT of coffee; upwards of twenty mugs a day, with each mug containing two and a half teaspoons of coffee, and three and a half to four spoons of sugar. So I like my coffee strong and sweet.
Right you are then. I open the jar of ‘Carte Noir’. 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’ c
offee 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 too mellow and mild for my own personal taste.

~ ~ As I finish of this opinion, 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 opinion up, I’m off to make a cup of strong Kenco Columbian.
You might still like this coffee, if your taste is for a smooth, mellow, mild tasting blend.
The name ‘Carte Noire’ literally translated means ‘Black Card’. But I’m afraid that it’s getting a red card from the mad cabbie. Not for me, this one.

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A Euro is approximately 60p to 64p Sterling

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Copyright. KenJ. November, 2002.

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