Livin La Vida Mocha

I've always said that no coffee break is ever complete without a cafetière and a piece/gigantic slab of chocolate so when Paul from the wonderful Cocoa and Roast Club contacted me to try out their monthly artisan coffee and chocolate box, I couldn't refuse. There's something about eating a piece of chocolate with an incomprehensibly small cup of coffee that makes the experience so luxurious. Perhaps it's because I can finally relate to those obscure adverts on TV where women find an absurd amount of pleasure drinking a cup of coffee in the hills of Italy or eating a piece of chocolate on a chaise-longue draped in silk...but whatever it is - it works.

I was sent two different bars of chocolate by Doisy & Dam; one milk chocolate and one dark. I'd never heard of the company before but I honestly fell in love. Not only is the packaging beautiful and aesthetically pleasing but the quality of the chocolate was perfection. I can easily get sick of milk chocolate but it didn't take me long to get through this bar of roasted cacao nib chocolate. In fact, it took less than an evening (don't look at me like that).

I've always loved dark chocolate since I had my first bar of Bournville. Too much milk chocolate can become sickly but I could hands down eat dark chocolate forever and I'm a firm believer that 'the darker the chocolate, the better'. I loved the combination in this bar, it was a pleasant mix of maca, vanilla and cacao nibs immersed in deliciously dark chocolate. 

I'd love to tell you that I savoured these bars of chocolate but I more or less inhaled them. I'm one of those that has to eat the whole bag/box/tub/tray in one sitting because I have no self-control. What I found strangely satisfying is the crunch of each piece of chocolate from the cacao nibs that were toasted to perfection. This is great for anyone who may have a nut allergy as it provides a similar texture without causing an anaphylactic shock and potential death...always a plus, right?

To go with these incredible delights, was a bag of Peru/Rwanda Seasonal Blend course coffee grinds. You have the option to select your coffee as whole, course, medium and fine. Course is perfect for those with a French Press which is what I opted for. I found the best way to brew a cup was to add a couple scoops, level the grinds by tapping the bottom of French Press on the table, just about submerging the grinds with boiling water and letting it sit for 5 minutes. After this time has passed, I filled the press with a suitable amount of hot water, plunged and poured. I tried both almond milk and whole milk with this blend and found whole milk to be better. As the coffee has a certain tanginess to it, I found the almond didn't compliment this well. 

Now I'm not coffee connoisseur (I go to Starbucks) but this blend was quite unusual to the untrained tastebud. As I mentioned, it's quite tangy but very smooth. It's not like any cups of coffee I've been served before (but previous orders were most likely laced in syrups and full-fat cream) but it hits the spot and is just right (or as my friends and I like to say 'Goldilocks'). It's comforting and that's what you need from a hot cup of coffee, not to mention you could melt a couple pieces of your Doisy & Dam in your cafetière and call it Mocha (don't quote me). Amazing for a coffee break but I found this was best in the mornings or brunch-time weekends. 

I've always been a big fan of hot beverages, as bizarre as it sounds. I've always associated warmth with safety and comfort and that's what I feel you ultimately gain from a morning brew. That hug in a mug can set you up for the day ahead and I think that's important, especially at work when you have Sarah from Accounts on your back.

Use the code TSOH10 to get 10% off your first box and discover more at Cocoa & Roast and their blog.