There has been some recent discussion about people enjoying Dark Woods coffee. I was inspired by reading comments to ask Dark Woods for a forum discount code. They obliged with a temporary code for their reserve coffee at 10% off:

https://shop.darkwoodscoffee.co.uk/collections/coffee/reserve

This will be valid from today until Sunday 23rd June

CoffeeTime10%reserve

If people use the code, can they post about it here? If a number of people use it, we can perhaps ask for a permanent code (and perhaps either 15% or to include more of their coffee).

For reference, their reserve coffee is £38-44 per 500g (or about £15 for 150g tin).

    11 days later

    Jcheney I meant to post at the time. Thanks for doing this matey. I know the code ran out two days ago but I have just successfully used it now. I ordered:

    Colombia El Placer - Pink Bourbon - IPA

    Colombia El Placer - Yellow Fruits (Carbonic)

    500 gms of each. The El Pacer for a novice making brewed coffee was outstanding, so I am happy to buy another bag. I am sure if more people supported them and used the discount code then Dark Arts would see the value to them that the forum might bring.

    https://www.suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2024/02/thank-goodness-for-madeira-cake/

      I bought a load of beans from them, well various beans about 2kgs in total cost was £68 delivered I got a 10% discount for signing up to their newsletter and free delivery, the coffee arrived yesterday and we had the arboretum beans last night in milk, so far I’m not impressed I know it’s only one coffee from one type of roast but this stuff is expensive, nice packaging though and quick delivery.

      I’ve recently been buying Swedish roasted Brazilian beans from Waitrose for £12.50 a kg and frankly they’re much better than the coffee we had last night, the dark woods Good Morning Sunshine 
      Beans are nearly £33 a kg bag, I have a bag of those so we’ll see how they compare to the el-cheapo Waitrose beans.

      Good Morning Sunshine × 1
      Beans / 1kg Compostable Bag

      DWSIGNUP10% (-£3.29)

      £32.85

      £29.56

      Common Grounds - Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aged Coffee × 1
      Beans / 250g

      DWSIGNUP10% (-£1.39)

      £13.95

      £12.56

      Espresso Trio (3 Different Roasts) × 1
      Beans / 3 × 250g

      DWSIGNUP10% (-£2.92)

      £29.25

      £26.33

      Subtotal

      £68.45

      Shipping

      £0.00

      Taxes

      £0.00

      Total

      £68.45 GBP

      You saved £7.60

      https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2

        Hi David, no the coffee beans only arrived yesterday so no rest period whatsoever, we’ve had a couple more this morning and it’s ‘okay’ but nothing special however I’m going to re-seal the bag and leave the beans for at least a week.

        The best roaster I’ve tried recently has been Foundry, again expensive and not really worth it compared to buying beans from espresso services in Govan (Glasgow) who sell Spanish roasted beans to cafes all over Scotland the beans are fine basically a wee bit better than supermarket beans but great prices to @£15 a kg bag which I pick up myself, the Waitrose beans are excellent price wise etc, @ 17p a coffee it’s hard to refuse them to be honest those arboretum beans work out about 62p a coffee which is nearly four time more expensive and no way four times better.

        https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2

        Folks here may be paying anywhere between £15 a KG and £100 a KG. It is all relative to the value we attach to our tastes, preferences, black coffee, milk-based, process adopted by coffee producers, quality, varietal, origin and so on.

        When you find beans costing £12-£15 a KG offering excellent value for money and taste, no one can beat that. May be, that’s what I would stick to assuming it suits my profile, while price consciously look at other offerings. 😊

        Have to honest here, sorry this website is shite so can’t quote, this whole artisan coffee roasting thing is just pure bolloxs I’ve been drinking espresso for nearly 20 years using various machines and grinders and the beans don’t make a hill of beans of a difference all of this ‘we grind to order crap’ is just that it’s pure marketing bullshit.

        There’s no way a roaster is setting up a batch of one kg beans when someone sticks a website order in then roasts the other five 250g bags of beans separately I don’t believe that’s what happens for a minute and frankly the vast majority of so-called artisan beans are no better than what espresso services sell by the pallet load.

        https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2

          Twotone2 Sure, there’s a lot of hyperbole amongst specialty roasters, but if you have found a coffee you like and beans make no difference, why keep buying different beans?

          Do you drink coffee made in other methods, notes/subtleties can be easier to pick out in a more dilute drink.

          I often like light roasted filter coffee, with notes of hibiscus, redcurrant etc. do you want to recommend a bean at £15/kg (£15 is what I typically spend on 200g)?

          I’ve been watching telly for over 50years, I’d still need some instruction if I wanted to build one. :-)

            Mainly espresso and milk (flat white) my wife has americano with a dash of milk.

            Very occasionally I’ll make a moka pot or a French press.

            The Waitrose Swedish Brazilian beans are excellent probably the best consistent beans I’ve had in years espresso services bog standard beans are fine too.

            I don’t mind different flavour profiles to be honest as long as the coffee isn’t too strong we’ll drink it, I’ve recently been reverting to a 14g basket with the Waitrose beans I used an 18g basket for the arboretum beans so I might use the smaller basket for those the next time we have them.

            We’re not really into dark roasts ie Italian roasts much prefer something medium to go with the milk or the americanos, definitely on the ‘lighter side’ of roasts but not fruity.

            https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2

            I recently went to the rabbit hole with brewed coffee. I am going lighter and lighter. I always was the typical medium to medium dark bean bloke. Making a shot for dilution with water or milk you can easily get bthe type of campfire cowboy coffee I thought I liked. It takes a much clever man than I, to consistently drink espresso based drinks then switch over to the odd Moka or French Press. It has taken me a lot of experimentation with various methods to get the most out of the bean you are drinking. I might be wrong but I do not think the average medium to medium dark blend lends itself well to brewed coffee. I am spending more on SO beans but still happily drinking blends for shots. Strange old world

            https://www.suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2024/02/thank-goodness-for-madeira-cake/

            Twotone2 Have to honest here, sorry this website is shite so can’t quote,

            I’m confused… Just highlight the text you want to quote and click “quote”. It’s quite simple and intuitive.

              Twotone2 Have to honest here, sorry this website is shite so can’t quote, this whole artisan coffee roasting thing is just pure bolloxs

              So glad we have such happy people who cant use a simple text editor. Should watch your tone! @Twotone2

              Ade Smith. ACS Evo Leva v2. Kafatek Flat max 2, ssw 2024. Mazzer Philos, Craig Lyn HG-1 prime.

              About Me

                  Twotone2 Have to honest here, sorry this website is shite so can’t quote, this whole artisan coffee roasting thing is just pure bolloxs

                  This forum software is actually quite advanced, feature rich and devoid of adverts. It’s a clean interface so perhaps somethings are not immediately obvious, or visible until you hover over them. There’s not much you can’t do though, although the one key thing missing is private messaging via the forum, which to be honest, I am glad about.

                  Contact me

                      Adrianmsmith So glad we have such happy people who cant use a simple text editor. Should watch your tone! @Twotone2

                      That right, who are you to tell people to ‘watch their tone’?

                      Aye I know that you’re trying to be funny but it’s cr@p humour and not funny at all but all of your wee forum pals will lap up your smart @rsed reply so good for you.

                      https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2

                          DavecUK This forum software is actually quite advanced, feature rich and devoid of adverts. It’s a clean interface so perhaps somethings are not immediately obvious, or visible until you hover over them. There’s not much you can’t do though, although the one key thing missing is private messaging via the forum, which to be honest, I am glad about.

                          It’s a terrible forum the software is rubbish not even a quote button. Place is full of a clique too.

                          https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2

                              Twotone2 Tony, in order to ‘quote’ someone, simply highlight the text that you wish to quote and the option appears. I know, perhaps it could be more obvious but you have to remember, this forum is hosted for no cost to us. For that reason, there is no pm system and also whilst posting of pictures is not discouraged in order to post a video you need to link to a hosting site like YouTube or Imgur. This saves a lot of bandwidth and therefore server costs for the owners

                              https://www.suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2024/02/thank-goodness-for-madeira-cake/

                                  Twotone2

                                  If that is how you feel maybe you should think about leaving, or have me banned if you do not like my tone! Not sure why you would stay in a forum you think so badly about.

                                  Not sure if im supposed to know who you are but sorry i dont! If you are able to say “ do you know who i am” to some people, then sorry i missed it.

                                  Your attitude is not appreciated by me. I cant speak for anyone else as i know noone on this forum personally.

                                  Ade Smith. ACS Evo Leva v2. Kafatek Flat max 2, ssw 2024. Mazzer Philos, Craig Lyn HG-1 prime.

                                  About Me

                                      Adrianmsmith If that is how you feel maybe you should think about leaving, or have me banned if you do not like my tone! Not sure why you would stay in a forum you think so badly about.

                                      Not sure if im supposed to know who you are but sorry i dont! If you are able to say “ do you know who i am” to some people, then sorry i missed it.

                                      Your attitude is not appreciated by me. I cant speak for anyone else as i know noone on this forum personally.

                                      Maybe you should stop digging a hole for yourself?

                                      I’ll leave this forum when I want to leave it and I don’t like your tone so stop making an @rse of yourself and mind your own business.

                                      Now eff off.

                                      https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2

                                          Twotone2 thank you sir for your most king response.

                                          Most thoughtful of you im sure

                                          Ade Smith. ACS Evo Leva v2. Kafatek Flat max 2, ssw 2024. Mazzer Philos, Craig Lyn HG-1 prime.

                                          About Me

                                              Adrianmsmith Twotone2 thank you sir for your most king response.

                                              Most thoughtful of you im sure

                                              You not got a life to live?

                                              Wind yer neck in mate.

                                              You decided to try to be funny and it’s backfired on you, most other folk on this thread have been constructive but you are just an @rsehole so eff off again.

                                              https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/u/Twotone2