Cold Brew Reviews

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Juicy, tart-leaning, sweetly savory. Pie cherry, cocoa nib, freesia-like flowers, hazelnut toffee, myrrh. Sweet-savory structure with vibrant acidity; delicate, crisp mouthfeel. The savory-sweet theme continues into the finish with undertones of freesia and myrrh.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Rhubarb, Pinot Noir grape, cocoa nib, honeysuckle, sandalwood. Sweet-tart-savory structure with big, juicy acidity; viscous, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of rhubarb and cocoa nib with sandalwood undertones.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Rich, floral-toned, intricate and complex. Notes of wisteria, Keemun black tea, cocoa nib, Meyer lemon, frankincense. Crisp, tart-leaning structure with sweet undertones and juicy acidity; refreshing, velvety mouthfeel. Satisfying, lingering finish with notes of black tea and lemon. Stands up to milk with continued tartness and amplification of the cocoa note.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Chocolaty-rich, deep-toned. Dark chocolate, candied walnut, pear, baking spices, cedar. Sweet structure with gentle, round acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Resonant chocolate-toned finish with undertones of candied walnut and cedar. Milk makes the chocolate notes lift off in this developed roast profile.

A ready-to-drink black coffee tested cold. Subtle, nuanced, attractively bittersweet. Dark chocolate, candied tangerine, cashew butter, lilac, cedar. Balanced structure with gentle but vibrant acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The brisk finish centers around dark chocolate and cedar notes. Milk particularly enlivens dark chocolate, candied citrus, and cashew notes.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Deeply sweet, caramel-toned. Dark caramel, vanilla bean, date, magnolia, fresh-cut oak. Richly sweet in structure with lively acidity; lightly velvety mouthfeel. Consolidates to dark caramel and vanilla bean in the finish. Milk gives this cold coffee a dessert-like quality.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Crisp, sweetly tart, multi-layered. Black cherry, rhododendron, marzipan, oak, baking chocolate. Sweet-tart structure with brisk acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Marzipan and oak carry into the quietly engaging finish. Milk changes the equation entirely; rhododendron and baking chocolate take center stage with levity added by the infused nitrogen.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Bing cherry, sassafras, aromatic orchid, bay tree, brandy. Sweet-tart structure with juicy, bright acidity; lush, mouth-filling viscosity. Long, resonant, flavor-saturated finish that carries over all the notes from the cup. Quiet and elegant in milk, with all flavor notes represented at a lower volume.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Delicate, sweet-toned. Apricot, almond, lime zest, baking chocolate, maple syrup. Sweet-tart structure with gentle, mild acidity; light, almost feathery mouthfeel. Crisp, subtly sweet-tart finish. Baking chocolate and almond notes bloom in milk, while apricot and lime zest recede.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Richly chocolaty, boldly nut-toned, deeply sweet. Chocolate fudge, rhododendron, black cherry, fresh-cut fir, molasses. Sweet-toned structure with mild acidity; crisp, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The chocolaty finish is supported by rhododendron and fresh-cut fir. With a splash of whole milk, fudge-like chocolate notes and undertones of black cherry win the day.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Sweetly brisk yet juicy; original. Flavor notes of crisp, fruit-toned cocoa, fresh-cut cedar, raspberry, passionfruit, violet-like flowers. Satiny, lively mouthfeel. Long finish resonating with cedar, fruit and flowers. Whole milk turns the cedar toward almond, the cocoa toward full-on chocolate, the tart fruit jammy.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Richly sweet with an umami undercurrent. Baker's chocolate, ripe tomato, vanilla, tangerine zest, lavender. Vivacious, sweet-tart structure with a compelling umami anchor. Crisp, full mouthfeel. Notes of ripe tomato, baker's chocolate and lavender carry the long, layered finish. Adding whole milk mediates the umami impression, while amplifying the chocolate and spicy floral notes.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Lively, gently bright and refreshing. Notes of cocoa, roasted cashew, orange zest, green apple, narcissus-like flowers. Crisply and sweetly tart in structure; the body is light but plush. Cocoa and citrus consolidate in a clean, sweet finish. Adding whole milk turns the chocolate caramelly and nut-toned, with a continued floral shimmer.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. High-toned and sweetly bright. Notes of grapefruit zest, cocoa, almond, a hint of sweet flowers. Roundly sweet-tart and lively in structure; satiny in mouthfeel. Balanced and very clean in the finish. Adding whole milk develops a crisp chocolate and nut without completely sacrificing the citrus and flowers.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Briskly vivacious and intricate. Complex berry notes (blueberry, strawberry), almond, sandalwood, lilac-like flowers. Sweetly bright in structure; full and lightly syrupy in mouthfeel. Flavor persists without loss of distinction with added whole milk. A nitro (nitrogenated) version of this blend displayed a livelier mouthfeel though somewhat less clearly articulated flavor.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Full, intriguingly fermenty. Dark chocolate, tangerine zest, Concord grape, fresh vanilla, a hint of tequila barrel. Pungent, richly sweet-tart in structure with a sweet-salty edge; impressively full and smooth/syrupy in mouthfeel. The finish is woody but fragrant with tequila-barrel pungency. Adding whole milk develops the salty-edged chocolate, nicely complicated by a fine floral vanilla nuance.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Deeply and richly sweet, with umami undertones. Notes of toffee, magnolia, scorched mesquite, almond, teriyaki sauce. Sweet-savory structure with round, gentle acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The finish is centered around toffee notes supported by hints of magnolia and scorched mesquite. Whole milk quiets the floral notes, but elevates both toffee and almond.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Sweetly crisp, lightly and refreshingly roast-toned. Notes of cocoa, sweet lemon zest, clover flowers, raisin, oak. Crisp balance of bitter, sweet and tart in structure; lightly satiny in mouthfeel. Citrus, raisin and oak carry into the bittersweet finish. Adding whole milk pushes the cocoa toward full-on chocolate, with continued citrus and oak.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. High-toned, cleanly fruit-forward, chocolaty. Apricot, dark chocolate, pink peppercorn, almond brittle, tamarind. Bittersweet in structure with a crisp, lively acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The richly sweet finish consolidates to dark chocolate and almond, with a hint of tamarind. Adding whole milk softens and harmonizes chocolate, nut and fruit.

A ready-to-drink bottled black coffee tested over ice. Crisp, citrusy. Pink grapefruit, black currant, cocoa powder, cedar, almond. Roundly sweet-tart structure; taut, satiny mouthfeel. The crisp, citrus-toned finish leads with notes of grapefruit in the short, followed by almond and cocoa. Whole milk rounds the citrus notes and foregrounds the cocoa.