# Finally got round to trying Hill and Valley Espresso from CC



## benanderson18 (Oct 23, 2014)

After the amazing review of this coffee from Coffee Compas I have just got the delivery of 500g worth of the stuff.Cant wait to try it later tonight. Did anyone ever try it after reading the review?



*Tastes of coffee* Review by Spazbarista

Let's be quite clear about this. This coffee is not for everyone so if you are a third wave p*** who faps over apple and cinammon, leave now. This coffee is not for you. This is a coffee for men.

This coffee is not for people who worship at the altar of the Ginger God, those who arrange their sacred Red Bags in their Shrines to show their devotion to Coffees of Mediocre flavour.

Don't drink this coffee and expect to recognise any tastes on your poncy coffee 'flavour wheels'. This stuff transcends attempts at description. Why? Because it doesn't need to. It doesn't need to be described in terms of other things because it tastes of what it should taste of. ****ing coffee.

Drinking Compass Coffee Hill and Valley is like being kicked hard in the balls, but then being given an immediate soothing massage as you come to, after actually having drunk a coffee that tastes of something. There's something very dirty about this coffee, but in a good way. Like being snogged by your horny grandma after she's had her morning brandy and a couple of Bensons.

I'm too scared to try this as espresso. I'll wait until I've grown a beard. And not an effete Hipster chinny one but a proper tramp beard that is the outward manifestation of virility and a refusal to told what to do by people with annoying midlands accents.Try this coffee as a flat white. Its indescribably good. The closest thing that can get to it is sucking on a Hookah pipe with one corner of your mouth, whilst simultaneously using the remaining corner of your mouth to suck in the sweetest and most satisfying of Mummy's breast milk.

Try this if you dare, but if you are scared you might actually taste something, be warned and stay away. (Posted on 20/02/2015)


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

I bought some on the back of the review

I enjoyed it as a one off but wont buy it again for some time


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## benanderson18 (Oct 23, 2014)

It sounds like my perfect coffee, but we will see later on


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Its a great coffee in the style of a long standing coffee roaster of the old school.

I'm not sure when Hill & Valley went out of business but they were one of the first with a strong internet presense.

In the days of 'Malabar Gold' imported from the USA by a guy who lived in Portsmouth, H & V ( I seem to remember it was a Father & Daughter setup) held their own in achieving a good dark roast very sweet with plenty chocolate, nuts & caramel coming through.

Just the sort of thing I think Richard at Coffee Compass likes to do.

Had some recently & it is still great.

BTW - wouldn't think of using this in anything other than espresso


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## benanderson18 (Oct 23, 2014)

I have 500g of the stuff so thinking of taking some to Portugal with me on Friday to have out of an Aeropress. See how it goes.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Actually it does work rather well in an Aeropress. I used to grind a little finer & well dose.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Can anyone who has tried this share the recipe you have found that gets the best out of Hill & Valley on the other Coffee Compass thread by twotone please. He was struggling a little from his first few drinks using these beans.

Thanks.


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## twotone (Jan 13, 2015)

ronsil said:


> Its a great coffee in the style of a long standing coffee roaster of the old school.
> 
> I'm not sure when Hill & Valley went out of business but they were one of the first with a strong internet presense.
> 
> ...


I drink it in a cappa but have to agree it tastes great as espresso but it is quite an old fashioned coffee however I like it and would certainly buy it again.


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## benanderson18 (Oct 23, 2014)

I haven't perfected it yet but i tested a few shots last night with 16g in for a 2oz 32 second shot was the best i got. Think I need to make the grind a little more coarse and see where we go from there


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## benanderson18 (Oct 23, 2014)

DoubleShot said:


> Can anyone who has tried this share the recipe you have found that gets the best out of Hill & Valley on the other Coffee Compass thread by twotone please. He was struggling a little from his first few drinks using these beans.
> 
> Thanks.


At the minute im down to 15g but its coming out to fast. but 1.5 grams it doesnt come out at all. The puck comes out all wet and sticky as well.


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## jim3rg (Apr 17, 2015)

I am going to order a bag of these beans, I love the Old Brown Java and I will be ordering a 500g bag as soon as it's back in stock and also a 500g bag of Hill and Valley, I like to live dangerous.... sometimes.

Jim


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

ronsil said:


> Actually it does work rather well in an Aeropress. I used to grind a little finer & well dose.


Care to share your Aeropress recipe using these beans please?

Thanks.


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## Bigpikle (Oct 14, 2014)

just finishing off 500g but have really enjoyed these - I get the comment in the original review about them just tasting of coffee now. No acidic edge and just a lovely deep dark taste as an espresso. I'm drinking a lot as Americanos with 18.5g in/30g out in 27 secs, 50/50 with hot water. Just lovely.


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## GCGlasgow (Jul 27, 2014)

Ordered 500g of these beans and as I only drink espresso I'm a bit worried by spazbarista's eloquent description. I don't have a beard!


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## Taff (May 5, 2015)

Ive got 500g coming tomorrow hopefully.. cant wait to see what its like! SOunds like my kinda coffee


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## Taff (May 5, 2015)

Just had a couple of these.. hmm not for me at the moment! Rubbery and very dark. Will try and loosen up the grind even further tomorrow but at the moment just tastes like starbucks finest to me!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Taff, how far past roast date are they? The darker stuff needs a minimum of 7 to 10 days before the true taste comes out. I am just opening some Jampit Hit roasted over a month ago!


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## Taff (May 5, 2015)

roasted on the 12th. Just opening some jampit roasted on the 10th.


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

Taff said:


> roasted on the 12th. Just opening some jampit roasted on the 10th.


So only 6 days after roast for the Hill & Valley? By all accounts much too early.

I have not long finished my first ever lot CC beans.

Guided by other posts by dfk41, I let Brighton lanes rest for 7 days before opening, Mahogany Jampit Hit for 14 days and Hill & Valley for 21 days.

I reckon H & V was at it's best towards the end of my 500g i.e. 26 days after roast.

Could not fault any of them.

Come back to H & V in a week or so and maybe report the difference?


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## Taff (May 5, 2015)

7 days being picky, so should be most of the way there. Trying some Jampit today, which is better! If they need that long to be at their best then they should say so. Can't see another 2 weeks transforming them into something more to my taste though I will leave them and report back.


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

Hey Ho ! Maybe just not the bean for you.


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## Taff (May 5, 2015)

well.. here we are 2 weeks later.. jampit got better with age so trying the H&V as its all I have left!

Blow me if I havent just had a gorgeous shot from these beans. 2 weeks more rest and a crazy 16>42 in the La Pavoni as a straight spro. gorgeous. Tastes like a big ballsy dark coffee, but sweet, a little nutty and maybe even a little fruity. Thanks for making me wait!


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

Taff said:


> well.. here we are 2 weeks later.. jampit got better with age so trying the H&V as its all I have left!
> 
> Blow me if I havent just had a gorgeous shot from these beans. 2 weeks more rest and a crazy 16>42 in the La Pavoni as a straight spro. gorgeous. Tastes like a big ballsy dark coffee, but sweet, a little nutty and maybe even a little fruity. Thanks for making me wait!


That's great.

Patience can be a pain in the @ss but sometimes it's worth the wait.

Enjoy!


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