Colombe Mocha Expresso Roast Cold Brew-Review
We (me) have been on the cold brew lately and it’s becoming a more thorough survey. Last week, we tried the Colombe Mocha Expresso Roast. Marketed as “Black and Subtly Sweet” and yet also as “Mocha Expresso Roast”, the question for your coffee casual would be- what is it exactly? And is it good? Would I like it?
Well, I’ve been using it to substitute for my morning cup of hot coffee. I get up early and I’m too lazy to turn on the Keurig most of the time, so I’ve found that slugging a cup of this wakes me up pretty efficiently. That’s probably a paltry use for this coffee because I think it really is very good. Iced coffee has, in my opinion, been improving in terms of quality and, let’s be honest, seriousness lately. Once a regarded as a base for “candy coffee” (as my father called it), you can now buy quality cold brew at the store that probably tastes better more consistently than what you can make at home. I already wrote about STOK iced coffee as being good at this. This one might be even better.
There is always the legend and lore of hot black coffee. No matter how homoerotic it may sound, “I take it black” is a top 50 phrase for many American boomers and some people argue that the rise of “candy coffee” is a sign and/or symptom of the wussification and shallow consumerism of the modern American. But as a modern American, I kinda like this coffee, if not for it’s flavor, for it’s convenience. Making and drinking a cup of hot coffee in the morning takes time. They say time is money, but since I have no money, I’ll save some time.
I posed the question of “what is this” in regards to this coffee. Is it supposed to be sweet or rich and bitter or what? Well it threads a very interesting needle and does so quite well. This is a black coffee, there’s no milk, it’s not a latte. Definitely not a “sweet” coffee. And yet- that hint of Mocha is the key. It gives you a richness and hint of natural sweetness that makes this a very drinkable black coffee without it being diluted by sugar or an artificial additive. It’s actually impressive how well it works and how versatile it is in this context. If you really wanted to, you can add sugar or milk and still have a tasty, robust cup of coffee but the ephemeral sweetness present right out of the bottle is enough to make this extremely drinkable for those that may normally fear black coffee. Again, I was impressed with how good it was out of the bottle, but also by it’s overall versatility.
My experience was very pleasant and I’m not sure there’s much need to even say more about this excellent cold brew. I was able to get it for around $6-$7, which you may say is steep for coffee, but I would argue maybe not for iced coffee of this quality. I found it to be great for those tired desperate mornings but also for hot afternoons. The flavor is consistent, rich and distinct, the packaging is cool and it keeps in fridge for several weeks. If you have a little extra money to spend and like iced coffee, this is a must try.
