Chapeau! Watts/Crank/Fixed Coffee

There are few times as a cycling reviewer that you are asked to review a coffee, so as a coffee lover, this review was far easier to put together than most others I have done. In fact, I am reviewing as I write with a cup of Chapeau! Fixed Coffee sat next to my computer.

These coffees come in three varieties, Crank, Fixed and Watts. Each is meant to provide a different flavour and power.

I can safely say that each of these coffees were pleasant tasting and great for ether pre or post ride. I personally like to drink deep hydration mixes before I go out, but as a substitute, each of these coffees performed well.

I'll assess each coffee individually, as each has different flavours that will suit different people.

Crank

Described as "A rich, sweet and balanced blend of Brazil Monte Cristo & Colombia Las Acacia coffee beans", it is certainly both rich and sweet. The overall flavour is the middle of the three in terms of power, it is pleasant to drink for most coffee drinkers, but the flavours could be stronger.

This may be down to my preference of coffee as I like mine to be strong and full bodied. However, this may be down to my use of a machine rather than a cafetiere, meaning that I was limited in the volume of coffee that I could use.

Fixed

This is the mildest and smoothest of the three, described as "A bright and fruity blend of Brazil Santa Colomba, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Colombia Las Acacias coffee beans". It is the one that I would have after a long ride where you are looking for a refreshing drink, rather than a full blooded coffee.

Again, like the Crank, I would have liked to have a little more kick, which may have been achieved through adding more coffee to a cafetiere. However, this is not a coffee that is designed to be a pick me up, so this may be the desired flavour and strength for many.

Watts

Of the three, this is the strongest coffee and also my personal favourite. It is described as "A strong, chocolatey and full of caffeine blend of Colombia Huila & Uganda Robusta coffee beans" and does fulfil what it claims in being the strongest of the three.

In terms of flavour is has the kick that the other two lack in the quantities that I used which is what I prefer with my coffees. It also provides the extra caffeine that you would want pre-ride, so this was certainly my choice before riding.

Overall

The three coffees are nice, but the one aspect that would stop me from buying them regularly is the price. At £5.50 per 250g pack they are expensive for what they are. However, the packaging is great, with what look like paper bags, but with a plastic interior that is resealable to keep the coffee fresh.

However, aside from the pricing, I think that the coffees are pleasant and with the three options available, will have a flavour and hit that a variety of coffee loving cyclists will appreciate.

Verdict

Nice coffees, but the price may put some off