16 FOOD AND DRINK
CAFE REVIEW: Throat Punch Coffee By Charlie Ellis CROSSWORD Compiled by David Albury
ACROSS
1 Ordinary wine (3,9)
9 Close-fitting (5)
10 Having a very pleasing taste (9)
11 Study of ancient gods
and heroes (9)
12 Manouevered a vehicle or cattle (5)
13 Usual, typical, not extraordinary (6)
15 Holes, especially in teeth (8)
18 Stimulant found in tea
and coffee (8)
19 Necktie worn with formal attire (3,3)
22 Words of a song (5)
24 To clot or curdle (9)
26 Place where one lives (9)
27 Words spoken to an audience, not
meant to be heard on stage (5)
28 Game designed to provide clues to
a hidden prize (8,4)DOWN
1 Organic compound, often folllowed
by a letter such as A, B, C etc (7)
2 Period of day after sunset (5)
3 Underlying reasons on which a
belief is based (9)
4 Belonging within a building (6)
5 Narrow passage between
buildings (8)
6 Competed against in speed trial (5)
7 One who drives a car (8)
8 Trees that are said to shake (6)
14 Plant trees where ones had been
removed (8)
16 Create immunity to disease (9)
17 The largest snake, a constrictor (8)
18 Grooved leaves of this plant eaten
as a vegetable (6)
20 A basic chemical substance (7)
21 Rich cake, filled with cream (6)
23 Tree native to Lebanon (5)
25 French word for goodbye (5)AS SPECIALTY coffee becomes more
prevalent in the city, it’s good to see
greater diversity.
Throat Punch Coffee in Dalry
definitely offers something different.
Since July 2021, Throat Punch has
been brewing “offensively strong”,
tasty coffee and attracting plenty of
loyal customers and positive reviews.
In general, specialty coffee is
associated with lighter roast, which
allow for a more complex flavour.
This includes coffee which has
distinctive fruity notes, using
arabica beans.
Throat Punch’s point of difference
is using Robusta-based coffee which
has distinctive woody and earthy
notes in its flavour profile. Specialty
coffee connoisseurs often overlook
Robusta coffee.
In their snug café bar on Dalry
Road, Throat Punch uses their
Number Thirty blend, which has a
high percentage of Robusta. The
company also offers their ultra-strong
Indian Cherry Robusta and an
Ethiopian Djimmah Arabica, which
has a more nuanced flavour. Forthose who want a good cup “without
the heart palpitations”, Throat Punch
serves a Mexican Mountain Water
Decaf.
Throat Punch’s coffee should
appeal to those who enjoy Italian-
style espresso. In truth, there are very
few places in the city which offer
Italian coffee made with sufficient
care and attention. Throat Punch
aims to combine the seriousness and
precision associated with specialty
coffee with some of the rich, direct
flavour associated with Italian
espresso.
In my experience, Throat Punch
has achieved a successful blend. The
coffee has a thick crema and intensity
you might normally associate with
Turkish/Greek coffee. It’s right in that
ballpark, and should jolt anyone out
of their afternoon slump. While
Throat Punch’s coffee might not be to
the tastes of those who enjoy lighter
and fruitier specialty coffee, it will
appeal to those who appreciate
unusually strong coffee that is made
with care and attention.
The interior of the shop is, like thebeans, dark and woody in character,
with a slightly gothic tinge. The
battered old armchairs are comfy,
with an eclectic selection of books to
dip into. There is also space to sit at
the bar and at the window. On busy
days, seats are at a premium and most
customers come for takeaway. The
relaxed vibe in the place is maintained
by the music, which is usually a classy
mix of vintage pop and soul.
As well as coffee beans, Throat
Punch sells a range of coffee making
equipment. This includes the V
cones and the rather eccentrically
designed coffee syphons, which look
more like something you would find
in a chemistry lab than a kitchen.
In the last decade, Dalry has
emerged as one of Edinburgh’s top
foodie destinations. Other specialty
coffee places in the area include
Chapter One, Twelve Triangles and
the Luckie Beans coffee stand in
Haymarket Station. Throat Punch
Coffee is an excellent and distinctive
addition to the Dalry blend.
Throat Punch Coffee Company
30 Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2BAThroat Punch Coffee serves up a seriously strong brew
Charting a fabulous course
THE CHEF FROM The Little
Chartroom, Roberta Hall, has
been nominated in the best chef
categoru of the British GQ Food
and Drink Awards.
This is a huge accolade and we
wish her the very best and hope
to hear that she has won when
voting closes.
A GQ spokesperson said last
year that while the restaurant
and hospitality business may
have been inexorably changed
by Covid-19 it has “reinvigorated
our love of brave cooking,
inventive drinking, warm serviceand the simple pleasures of
going out and staying out.
There is another capital name
on the shortlists.
In the Best Hotel category you
will find the new Gleneagles
Townhouse making a good start.
And in the Best Breakthrough
category The Palmerston has
done just that. Changing the
premises from a coffee shop to a
superb restaurant, they are a
worthy nominee.
You may now vote on the GQ
website for those nominated by
the panel of judges.ANSWERS1 Vin ordinaire, 9 Tight, 10 Delicious, 11 Mythology, 12 Drove, 13 Normal, 15 Cavities, Across:18 Caffeine, 19 Bow tie, 22 Lyric, 24 Coagulate, 26 Residence, 27 Aside, 28 Treasure hunt.1 Vitamin, 2 Night, 3 Rationale, 4 Indoor, 5 Alleyway, 6 Raced, 7 Motorist, 8 Aspens, 14 Down:Reforest, 16 Inoculate, 17 Anaconda, 18 Celery, 20 Element, 21 Gateau, 23 Cedar, 25 Adieu.Knockout coffee
Beth rocking a
‘Rise and Grind’ t-shirt