Ryan ☕️

< Drink Review ☕️ > Simple Kaffa (Taipei) ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: B.B. Zhuzhu Blend (Heirloom Geisha) Region: Ethiopia, Peru Acidity: Medium Body: Medium Flavour: Floral, Oolong, Honey Cost: ~$9.50 / NTD 230 Ratings: Taste: 9/10 Complexity: 4/5 Value: 2/5 + 1 for cup aesthetics Overall: 16/20 Thoughts: Really mellow coffee notes with a great ratio of milk to espresso. Initial caramelised honey notes slowly developed into a floral, almost oolong flavour with a slightly roasted finish. I could definitely tell the care that went into each cup, from choosing ice cubes that looked good and were evenly shaped, to the reminders from the barista to lightly shake it before drinking and last but not least, the super nice to feel cup (with textured paper and lined cut outs). Generally, it’s a try for me but I would say it is quite hard for me to justify the steep price tag of this coffee even though it tastes great (I could find similar levels of satisfaction but with a lower price point) but then again, the texture cup feels nice so +1 for aesthetics? (Just thought I’d add that point because of the design effort lol)

< Drink Review ☕️ > Blue Bottle Coffee (Shinjuku) ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Costa rica Chirripó Rivense Black Honey Region: Costa Rica Acidity: Medium Body: Light Flavour: Floral, Biscotti, Roasted caramel Cost: $6.35 / ¥708 Ratings: Taste: 7/10 Complexity: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 13/20 Thoughts: Honestly similar milk to coffee ratio as arabica so I’m not sure if I’m 100% a fan of that as I generally prefer it with a little more emphasis on the coffee flavours. However, having said that, although the flavours were light and took a while to tease out, the actual nuances of the beans themselves were actually quite pleasant. Initially, the first sip opens with a a slightly flowery biscotti flavour, culminating in a lightly roasted caramel finish. Overall, definitely an instagram worthy cafe with above average coffee, definitely reminiscent of Arabica % tastes profile and white/wood aesthetic. If you enjoy Arabica % iced whites, you’ll definitely love this one. :)

< Drink Review ☕️ > Alchemist ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Finca Lerida Esplendorosa Estate Region: Panama Acidity: Medium Body: Medium Flavour: Jasmine, Light florals/botanicals, ?Earl grey/Peachy finish Cost: $7.50 Ratings: Taste: 9/10 Complexity: 5/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 17/20 Thoughts: Jasmine flavours really hit home on the first sip. Really decadent botanical/flower flavours homogenise well with the milk to almost seem almost like an early grey latte but with all the character of a coffee. Genuinely impressed that despite the addition of milk and despite that it’s not a pure filter coffee (where nuances tend to be easier to sift out), there was so much floral expressed in this iced white. Really enjoyed this cup and would definitely recommend anyone in trying this complex (but yet simple) cup of coffee. It’ll definitely blow your mind as to what flavours can really come out from such tiny beans of coffee :)

< Drink Review ☕️ > ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Region: Ethiopia Acidity: Medium Body: Medium Flavour: Chocolate, light caramel, dried cherry Cost: $6.50 Ratings: Taste: 9/10 Complexity: 2/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 14/20 Thoughts: On first sip, milk chocolate - commercial, typical and a crowd favourite. On second sip, the more nuanced flavours of light caramel begin to surface. Take another few more sips and the beginnings of dried cherry begin to take centre stage, bringing attention to light notes of berries. Overall, a balanced cup of coffee with a great taste and crowd-pleasing profile (although it has more medium acidity than I would expect from a typical cafe standard iced white). Also, the beans are roasted by hello arigato themselves, so that’s a few more respect points for taking ownership of another part of the bean to cup process! Would recommend this! Side note: Sandos were yummy albeit small portioned 🥲

< Drink Review ☕️ > #londonedition ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Blank Street House Blend Region: Brazil, Honduras, Ethiopia Acidity: Medium Body: Medium-Full Flavour: Burnt Caramel, Pecan, Milk Chocolate Cost: £3.20 (~$5.50) Ratings: Taste: 7/10 Complexity: 2/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 12/20 Thoughts: Just a disclaimer that the nutty taste I was getting may or may not be pecan, but that’s what I settled as most similar! Quite a pleasant burnt caramel nutty flavour profile. Although this was a little bit more on the full bodied side, the boldness of the beans was inoffensive and not too striking (which I’m not a fan of). Overall I’d say it’s quite a decent coffee standard for this price point, although I believe my only complaint was the slight metallic ish aftertaste which I couldn’t really put a finger on.

< Drink Review ☕️ > ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Luckin House Blend Region: No idea Acidity: Low Body: Medium Flavour: Milk chocolate Cost: $7 Ratings: Taste: 4/10 Complexity: 1/5 Value: 1/5 Overall: 6/20 Thoughts: On first taste, very strong milky flavour. Genuinely felt like coffee flavoured milk instead of an iced latte. Little to no acidity throughout, fairly average medium bodied flavour. Understandably, I had to lower expectations to make it fair for a commercialised coffee chain, however I was still quite disappointed that it really lacked any flavour other than light milk chocolate. Had to wait 45 minutes for it (likely cos of the long queues from opening promotion). I guess they’re famous for their other signature drinks like coconut latte and all, so my recommendation would be to try those instead of the standard iced latte. Final thoughts: I guess worth it for $0.99 opening promo but…. really wouldn’t recommend to anyone to spend $7 on it. 😅

< Drink Review ☕️ > Equate Coffee (Somerset) ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Locally roasted (Equate) Region: Single Origin Brazil Acidity: Low Body: Full Flavour: Chocolate, Toffee Cost: $6.50 Ratings: Taste: 8/10 Complexity: 1/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 12/20 Thoughts: Deep and rich velvet chocolate flavours are definitely the highlight of this drink. Very bold chocolate flavours, I would say a little too heavy for my personal preference but without a doubt an easy drink to grab on the go if you want something full bodied in the morning rush. Although it lacks complexity in flavours, it is by no means an unpleasant drink and at a fairly reasonable price as well. If you enjoy darker roasts and a full bodied coffee, this one’s for you! On a side note, the “Ondeh” croissant is a must-try, delicious ondeh custard filling with a buttery croissant exterior - a hearty and flavourful munch of pastry

< Drink Review ☕️ > Kōhī Roastery Claymore connect ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Thailand (Doi Ching) Region: Thailand? Acidity: High Body: Medium Flavour: Burnt caramel, macadamia. Cost: TBC (soft launch) but likely $6-7 Ratings: Taste: 7/10 Complexity: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 13/20 Thoughts: Fairly high acidity on the first taste, mellows down a little with a few more sips (maybe habituation haha). Haven’t had any thai bean coffees in quite some time so I’m happy to see some asian representation in the cafe scene. Quite a medium to light body, doesn’t really linger long (might be due to choice of milk, greenfields vs meiji). Finished with a slight burnt caramel taste, maybe a little bit of macadamia tasting notes although it was a little difficult for me to distinguish it in the end as it was rather light. Overall, a balanced cup with initial acidity and a medium body, not very rich or strong flavours, maybe might’ve worked well on filter coffee as well. I would say at the eventual launch price of $6-7, it may not be the most bang for your buck but it is by no means a bad cuppa. I also appreciated the effort to remake the shot when it didn’t come out right initially (rly friendly barista) and I feel that some cafes lack this quality control practice, especially in a rush, so that’s a definite + point for me! Also, they’re currently going by gratuity (tips only, no actual price for the drinks), so you can head down and pay as much as you like! :)

< Drink Review ☕️ > ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Riddle Blend Region: Brazil Royale, Peru Bosque Verdes, Colombia Popayan Acidity: Low Body: Full Flavour: Dark chocolate, pecan Cost: $7.50 Ratings: Taste: 7/10 Complexity: 1/5 Value: 2/5 Overall: 10/20 Thoughts: First thoughts were “this is a pretty dark roast”, very intense chocolatey flavours. Quite typical of a blend (especially from brazil beans). After the initial chocolate notes, slight hints of nutty nuances but somewhat fluctuating with each sip. Generally not a big fan of very rich dark roasts, so maybe I might be a bit biased here. It’s definitely a drink made for the masses, very low to no acidity, easy to down in a rush or when you just want that bitter perk me up in the middle of the day. Slightly disappointed that the body is this full and a bit too overwhelming for my liking, would’ve preferred if they dialed back the roast just a tad to potentially make way for more lighter flavours. However, would say this is a cuppa for those who enjoy darker roasts….but maybe not for me 🫠

< Drink Review ☕️ > Cupping Room Coffee Roasters ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: B-side Region: Colombia, Ethiopia Acidity: Medium Body: Medium Flavour: Blueberry, chocolate Cost: $7 Ratings: Taste: 8/10 Complexity: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 14/20 Thoughts: Nice perky bright initial notes. This gives way to a rich chocolate body and finishes with a slightly blueberry aftertaste. Pretty pleasant and a well balanced cup! I like that the flavour profile changes slightly with each sip, sometimes tasting a bit more chocolate, sometimes a bit more berry. Quite a medium acidity coffee, needs to be mixed well with the milk for it to mellow down. I generally enjoy berry flavoured coffees and this is definitely more towards my liking (so maybe I’m a bit biased 😂). A bit more on the pricey side at $7 a cup but still worth a try in my opinion (but maybe not for everyday consumption).

< Drink Review ☕️ > Coexist Coffee (Keong Saik) ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: Tripppy Blend Region: Papua new guinea, Peru, Panama Acidity: Medium Body: Light Flavour: Cherry, Tart, Floral Cost: $6 Ratings: Taste: 6/10 Complexity: 4/5 Value: 2/5 Overall: 12/20 Thoughts: Quite a bright coffee, fairly fruity and floral on initial notes. Would’ve preferred a slightly richer taste for an iced white, quite light bodied which may taste a bit too thin for some drinkers. Would say it tastes a bit more like iced tea than an iced white, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s fairly interesting in that sense. Feels like I would’ve preferred it over a pour over or potentially a chemex though! However, what it lacks in richness it does make up in more nuanced flavours. Probably wouldn’t recommend to those who aren’t a fan of brighter flavours, as it isn’t balanced out with a richer body and texture. Otherwise, a coffee I might recommend to drinkers who like more delicate flavours with a lighter bodied coffee!

< Drink Review ☕️ > Miracle Coffee ▫️Iced White▫️ Beans: ? Colombia Region: Single origin colombia Acidity: Medium Body: Medium Flavour: Chestnut, Milk chocolate, Light caramel Cost: $6.50 Ratings: Taste: 6/10 Complexity: 2/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 11/20 Thoughts: Initially quite a typical milk chocolatey taste but has a somewhat chestnut flavoured finish. However, did feel that the espresso to milk ratio could be better, was a bit too milky for my liking, had to really focus to taste the nuances of the coffee. However, texture wise it was very smooth, and not an offending cup of coffee. Pleasant and well balanced with a hint of light caramel chocolate. Although I do feel it is quite overpriced for the standard of coffee that you get. I enjoyed the first few sips where the coffee ratio was stronger, maybe a tip for the future is to ask for slightly less milk, or maybe to add an extra shot! Bonus Review for the last pic (Kaya Cloud): Actually quite yummy, would rate this higher than the normal iced white, interesting burnt caramel + kaya flavour in a sort of creme brûlée style drink. Genuinely enjoyed drinking the coffee mixed with the kaya cream, reminiscent of eating kaya toast and having a hot kopi in the morning. Would definitely recommend this signature drink to try! (Although the pricing is a bit steep at $9 a cup)