The last place you’d expect to find solid coffee that can rival even Australia’s legendary cuppas is in a hole in the wall in Tanjong Pagar Xchange right above Tanjong Pagar MRT, but that’s exactly what I found at The Caffeine Experience.

In the interest of full disclosure, my good friend from my army days is a (temporary) barista there, and he brewed up a selection of coffees for me to try after accepting my challenge that truly stellar coffees in Singaporean cafes were impossible to find.

This cup contains the wildest ride you’ll have this week: it’s a black pepper and honey latte. You heard that right. Black. Pepper. Honey. Latte. Now now, put down those pitchforks and torches first folks, let me explain the method behind his madness.

Honey binds well with black pepper, but that combo requires an extremely delicate balance of coffee and pepper. Not only that, but the beans used must have a very specific flavor profile. It took my pal a long time to figure it all out, but he finally did. The right amount of black pepper is added into the coffee grind, ground fresh from Costa Rican beans, and is then brewed up before the honey and milk foam are added.

The pepper contributes a nice, controlled spiciness into the fruity and acidic latte and tempers the acidity of the coffee rather suitably. The honey sweetens the latte better than any caramel syrup or raw sugar ever could, and serves to lift the body a little lighter than normal.

Needless to say, I was enjoying every single sip and second of this wild coffee ride.