# PACT Coffee



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

Hi people!

Anyone tried these guys: https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffees/praline-espresso

They seem to be a new coffee roaster. £6.95 per 250g inc next day postage.

That parline espresso blend sounds nice!


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

Tried them a few months ago, very good service and nice website. Wasn't a massive fan of the coffees I received though, possibly a bit dark for me. Will try them again sometime next year I expect; to see if things have changed.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Yes - I've just given them a go.

The Praline Espresso is OK but would not 'float my boat' long term. Can pick out the chocolate & the praline but it is not deep & rich. There are other roasters doing similar & cheaper.

Next delivery in 11 days they have substituted their other espresso to see if I like it any better.

Also a bit too 'pushy' for me. They seem to be seeking positive responses.

Will probably take next delivery & then cancel.


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## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

Thanks for feedback.

Two saying they are ok so will probably use the £1 trial bag and see how it is.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

nekromantik said:


> They seem to be a new coffee roaster. £6.95 per 250g inc next day postage.


Are you sure they are now roasting the coffee themselves and not just repacking coffee roasted by someone else, because that's what they used to do!


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

I have a 'gut' feeling they do not roast their own

They are ALL about marketing


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## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

I may been mistaken then.


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## spune (Oct 3, 2011)

Who roasts for them?


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

I have just asked that question & will put up the reply when received

Now to be fair the Praline Espresso has improved over the 10 days since roasting.

If you like milk choc & nuts maybe give it a try. It's never going to be earth shattering & lacks the deep richness that can be found in other Roasters similar offerings.

Do bear in mind that this week for me its up against some superb beans going through the V.......

I've been using the LSOL Beans, Mahogany Roast Java Jampit Hit & a couple of my own blends focused around Indian MM & 1 or 2 Sweet Brazilians. On top of all those I am now just breaking into the new BB Espresso.

If you're not put off with the 'marketing' perhaps give Pact a go.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

spune said:


> Who roasts for them?


Last time I heard some 6 months ago now it was James Gourmet coffee, but you never know, perhaps they have invested in a Roastery now?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Even if they don't roast their own, it looks like they're shipping close after roasting now.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Pact have replied.



> We have our beans roasted by James Gourmet (Herefordshire) but we aim to be roasting our own within a month


So Dave bang on the button with that one.


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## truegrace (Jan 29, 2014)

I had a bag or 2 from PACT but wasn't overly impressed as espresso, was nice in aeropress though so worth a go for £1!


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

I must admit pact started me on my coffee journey.. I ordered some indian bibi and loved it, i was on supermarket beans and "barista instant" (lol) before and thought it was good... I quickly joined here, and tried rave, hasbean, brought a classic, couple of grinders, aero press, scales, cups, jugs, tampers.. And now i mainly stick to getting beans from the multiple brilliant coffee shops im so lucky to live near.... So i kinda owe it all to that £1 bag of indian bibi from pact.


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## roaringboy (Jun 14, 2014)

Just ordered a bag - I usually use either a local roaster or The Bean Shop but thought i'd give PACT a punt for £1.


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## big dan (Apr 11, 2012)

I gave in to the £1 trial bag and had Praline Espresso. Could definitely taste the toasted nuts and milk chocolate body but tasted a little flat and salty, like it needed that sweet finish at the end but didn't have it.

Have tried their Finca La Montana Espresso which is described as Cinder Toffee and it is better but to me it is ashy with a little sweetness but just falls down compared to other companies.

They are very hands on with their marketing and customer service, its just a shame that their coffees just aren't as good!


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## paul whu (Sep 25, 2014)

I really enjoyed the Praline Espresso. I was quite disappointed when they sent an email telling me that my (automatic subscription) order wasn't going to be fulfilled because they had run out. I got over it however and agreed to try the Fig Pudding blend. Anyway, they did send me a bag of PE followed by the FBE a day later (today). I had only agreed to buy the 1 bag.

The customer service I recieved was first class. They apologised and said that they would credit my account by 1 bag. they also suggested to postpone me next subscription bag on the grounds I am currently well endowed in the beans department.

Haven't yet sampled the Fig Pud but the beans look darker than medium and smell delicious.

My only murmer of complaint with Pact is the magazine. I really don't give a s+++ what they are listening to or what they are reading. I have now recieved the identical edition 3 times. What a waste of time and money. I would sacrifice my copy for paying less for their beans every time.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

As I said earlier the James Gourmet Beans they are using are OK but the 'marketing' ?? is what would keep me away.


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## big dan (Apr 11, 2012)

Their marketing is very slick and modern, i personally don't mind it and their service has been very good. My next coffee has been described as blackcurrant crumble and blackcurrant is my favourite flavour i like in a coffee. So, i am going to give Pact one more bag to see if i keep my subscription going or not.

None of the 2 coffees i have had have been bad its just that none have really blown me away. What i do like is the ability to adjust my subscription as it suits me.


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## skunkyf (Mar 25, 2014)

Their delivery is pretty good. My bud has a weekly subscription and its been bang on everytime. I decided to give it ago and so far so good. Better than the local oily stale crap for sale


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## CrazyH (Jan 14, 2011)

That the beans a pre-roasted didn't bother me at all, it's a perfectly valid model alongside roast to order.

I had a Brazilian from them and it was quite nice but I got the impression it could have been roasted a touch darker.

The subscription model wasn't what I was after but would certainly work for some.


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## big dan (Apr 11, 2012)

Just got my third coffee and i really liked it. So think i will keep my subscription running a bit longer.

I have no problem with their model. Beans are roasted and posted out within a 5 day window so that is fine with me and you can pause and change your order as you wish. I also like that you can change which coffee they send you rather than having it picked for you.

I also get a monthly Hasbean delivery and i must say that i have never had a delivery i haven't enjoyed so i think i prefer Hasbean but that is not saying Pact are bad, just different. Hasbean have been doing this a lot longer than Pact so this is to be expected.

I think Pact are good for when you run out of beans. I tend to go through a bag every few weeks so the once a week In my Mug is too much so i get a bag a month. If i am running low on beans i can adjust my order so that i get some sent out the next Monday. This works really well for me as my other subscriptions are fixed to a specific day of the month.

And on a final note no magazine with my latest order so hopefully they are keeping track of if they have already sent you a magazine to avoid duplication!

Only thing i would like to see is more info about where the beans came from and the farms etc. I like to hear about which farm produced my coffee and what methods they used.


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## bmoone (Aug 8, 2012)

I have been using pact for a few months now. At first I was very nervous of what I assumed was an aggressive sales approach. However when I raised a concern over an issue the customer service and support has been excellent and friendly. I love the flexibility of delivery as my consumption can vary greatly if friends come around etc.

I too enjoyed the praline, chocolate coffee I have more recently had their chocolate orange which I felt left a slightly bitter after taste for me but I guess that is the orange. I also like that on their web forum they hold a strong position on lighter roasting which I prefer.

I was initially pleased to read in their magazine that they are bringing the roasting in house, but then very concerned that having interviewed experienced roasters they decided to give it to someone I house with no previous experience!


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## qpop (Jan 4, 2015)

bmoone said:


> I have been using pact for a few months now. At first I was very nervous of what I assumed was an aggressive sales approach. However when I raised a concern over an issue the customer service and support has been excellent and friendly. I love the flexibility of delivery as my consumption can vary greatly if friends come around etc.
> 
> I too enjoyed the praline, chocolate coffee I have more recently had their chocolate orange which I felt left a slightly bitter after taste for me but I guess that is the orange. I also like that on their web forum they hold a strong position on lighter roasting which I prefer.
> 
> I was initially pleased to read in their magazine that they are bringing the roasting in house, but then very concerned that having interviewed experienced roasters they decided to give it to someone I house with no previous experience!


I used them for a few months for Aeropress brewing and felt they were reasonable.

I since discovered they don't roast in-house and felt they'd misrepresented themselves somewhat.

I'd sooner support an in-house roaster than a broker, and so I ahve moved my subscription elsewhere. I understand they're going to roast in-house imminently but this may bring with it all sorts of unanticipated challenges and it doesn't get around the feeling I have of being misled slightly.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Was given a leaflet about Pact Coffee offering a 250g bag of coffee beans for £1 (if you go via Quidco you can earn £4 in cashback). Didn't realise they only offer a subscription service but they do state you can cancel at any time so I thought I'd give them a go. Signed up just after Christmas and their website advised that they would be closed until 5th January 2015. Went for Chocolate Orange as my trial bag. Must say was kinda disappointed with their selection of beans for espresso, think they only stock 6 or so varieties? Beans were roasted on 5th Jan, dispatched on 6th and received on 7th along with edition 5 of The Perc magazine which on the cover advertises "Our first hand-sourced coffee has arrived at Pact HQ".

Received a phone call plus SMS from them to check if I had received my order and what I thought of the beans. Haven't even opened them yet as I'm leaving the beans to rest for a few days. I emailed them enquiring what period they recommended. Reply stated they don't believe there's any noticeable difference in taste and suggest enjoying the beans as soon as they arrive!

As I haven't tried the beans yet, cannot comment on taste or how long I shall continue my subscription.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Shameless plug but if anyone is thinking of doing the trail please see http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?21146-Pact-£1-bag-with-£4-quidco-cashback

The Quidoco offer has ended but they are still running the referral program to get a free Rhino hand grinder.

It's VERY easy to put the subscription on pause or cancel outright without any problem, just login into your account and click the CANCEL button. A bag of freshly roasted beans for a £1 ?.... surely it would be rude not to try then!

A friend at work has been a subscriber for a year or so now and loves them. In fact he commented to me the other day that he's got some "lovely coffee" at the moment and I'm sure its the Chocolate Orange one you mentioned Doubleshot (Finca El Estrella ?). It'll be interesting to hear your comments on it as my friend uses a Delonghi Bean to Cup machine and still buys Coffees from Costa at lunchtime.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Pact is roasting their coffee in-house now


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## truegrace (Jan 29, 2014)

Glenn said:


> Pact is roasting their coffee in-house now


Might be worth another dabble at some point. Tried them twice before( 7-8 months ago now) and wasnt impressed with the beans, although packing and delivery were pretty good!


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

marcuswar said:


> Shameless plug but if anyone is thinking of doing the trail please see http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?21146-Pact-£1-bag-with-£4-quidco-cashback
> 
> The Quidoco offer has ended but they are still running the referral program to get a free Rhino hand grinder.
> 
> ...


Yes, Finca La Estrella. I'll let you know what I think of them once I've tried them which will be any day now.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Thanks DoubleShot, I'll put my trail bag "on hold" until I get your opinion


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

marcuswar said:


> Thanks DoubleShot, I'll put my trail bag "on hold" until I get your opinion


Have just tried Pact Chocolate Orange. Used almost half of the bag just trying to dial it in, lol! Very bitter. Too bitter for my liking anyway. I'm not used to drinking neat espresso. Tried maybe 3 or 4 as I was adjusting the grind in order to get 18g in and around 30g out in approx. 30 secs. Then drank a flat white (illy 6oz unless I'm mistaken) and that too tasted bitter to me. I don't take sugar in my coffee. Someone commented earlier that they too found these beans bitter. I had Terry's Chocolate Orange in mind when I chose these but in my opinion it tastes more like bitter orange juice that has started to go off and can't say I detected much, if any, chocolate notes. But please bear in mind this was my 'first attempt' on my first proper espresso machine and therefore I'm sure it was far from perfect!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DoubleShot said:


> Have just tried Pact Chocolate Orange. Used almost half of the bag just trying to dial it in, lol! Very bitter. Too bitter for my liking anyway. I'm not used to drinking neat espresso. Tried maybe 3 or 4 as I was adjusting the grind in order to get 18g in and around 30g out in approx. 30 secs. Then drank a flat white (illy 6oz unless I'm mistaken) and that too tasted bitter to me. I don't take sugar in my coffee. Someone commented earlier that they too found these beans bitter. I had Terry's Chocolate Orange in mind when I chose these but in my opinion it tastes more like bitter orange juice that has started to go off and can't say I detected much, if any, chocolate notes. But please bear in mind this was my 'first attempt' on my first proper espresso machine and therefore I'm sure it was far from perfect!


Try lengthening your brew ratio to 18g into 36 g , see if that helps with the bitterness, to do this coarsen the grind and aim for this over 30 seconds again ...see if that imprvoes it

Bitterness can be too high an extraction temp aso but try the above first


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Temperature of brew head was around 91 degrees c according to Eric's Thermometer (PID on Brewtus showed 93 to 94 degrees c).


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DoubleShot said:


> Temperature of brew head was around 91 degrees c according to Eric's Thermometer (PID on Brewtus showed 93 to 94 degrees c).


Ok try 18 into 36 over 30 . Coarsen the grind


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Will do. First signs of espresso into cup was around the 11 to 14 second mark. Thought that was a fair bit longer than 5-7 seconds which I was aiming for.


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