Coffee

A rather small bottle for $6 🤔 From a tiny takeaway stand at International Plaza.

This isn't cold brew, but coffee which had been brewed hot and then chilled. It was a tad too acidic for iced coffee and a very light body. The flavor notes didn't particularly jump out at me, so it didn't strike me as a particular outstanding coffee. I think this bottle is definitely one for coffee newbies.

P.S. You can return the glass bottle for reusing if you feel it's slightly wasteful to throw it away. Also they give $0.20 off your beverage if you bring your own cup. 👌

The four ristretto shots swirling in the cylindrical glass of chilled Hokkaido milk created an ombre effect and I knew this was going to be a heck of a potent drink ($6), even to my caffeine-ignorant body.

But it was surprisingly very smooth and creamy. The coffee taste wasn't as bold or as bitter as I had imagined. They have their own house blend known as "Ubuntu" and it gave the drink a delicious, rich nutty and cocoa flavor. I really enjoyed this drink and I particularly appreciated that it wasn't served with ice cubes that might have diluted the otherwise perfect coffee and milk ratio.

9/10

Not technically a coffee and I normally wouldn't drink these hipster-ish kind of thing but I was really intrigued by this brilliant blue drink ($6.20) so I decided to give it a shot. It was served in a glass cup that showed off the perfectly aerated foam and its deep blue hue.

The milk gets its color from blue pea flower and its made with coconut milk. It's got a really exotic pandan-ish flavor. I like that coconut milk is thinner and not as rich and creamy as dairy milk which can get jelak.

Overall a very interesting drink indeed! Not something I'd order again, but something that I'd definitely remember about TBB.

At $7.20, this cappuccino doesn't exactly run for cheap but I thoroughly enjoyed it. TBB gets their beans from a local roaster, Common Man Coffee Roasters and their beans are really of superior quality.

That delicious deep nutty flavor paired perfectly with the rich, buttery pastries TBB sells. The foam is well-aerated, smooth and creamy. That hint of chocolatey bitterness from the cocoa powder on top was the cherry on the cake.

They have a choice of several milks and I had this made with low-fat milk. Still tasted really creamy though; the magic of aerating milk. 😊

Nylon Coffee Roasters is this cozy little roastery cum coffee bar that is nestled in Everton Park. I ordered their filter brew ($5) to go and it was done in a pourover brewing method by the skilful barista.

I really liked how it tasted!! It had a very clean acidity due to the brewing method. There were very distinct fruity flavors (lime and peach) and apparently there's supposed to be an earl grey note in there too? I didn't taste it but there was a slight floral scent at the back so I suppose that's where the earl grey might have come from.

There were many friendly baristas milling around the tiny space and it was just a great environment to enjoy, appreciate and celebrate coffee.

7.5/10

Upon my first sip of this coffee I was so immediately impressed that I ordered another ($5.80). ABC gets its beans from Toby's Estate, a local specialty coffee roaster.

The nutty flavors were not subtle at all, and just hit me like a flavor bomb. It is a crisp, full-bodied coffee with a low acidity, which gradually increased as it cooled down. I didn't let it cool down much though, the cup was gone before the coffee had turned lukewarm.

And the cafe itself is gorgeous too; such a cosy, inviting environment to do a spot of studying.

9/10

How I love me a good cold brew ($6). This coffee was named after the era which coffee was most popular in Japan. You can ask for a lid to bring the bottle home after you finish, which is what I did.

Its definitely one of the better cold brews and tasted like a labor of love. Its not too bitter or full-bodied, with a medium acidity. Its tasting notes are rather complex; I detected a faint caramelly aftertaste as well as some fruity notes. It was so smooth though, so easy to drink without being harsh or jarring.

8/10

Lola's Cafe uses a blend from Colombia, Brazil and Ethiopia, and I really love the blend because of how different it tastes as both black and white. I'm glad this remarkably affordable platter ($5) allowed me to have the best of both worlds.

As a piccolo latte the coffee was so smooth and rich. The chocolatey, nutty notes so characteristic of Latin American coffee shone through beautifully. As black coffee the beans had this bright, crisp acidity, citrus notes and was definitely more lighter-bodied. Definitely the Ethiopian roots of the coffee practically glowing.

Lola's Cafe certainly takes its coffee seriously. A coffee aficionado (like me *cough*) would definitely enjoy a visit here and sipping a cuppa in a beautifully decorated, cosy little cafe.

9/10

I wasn't so keen on this $6.20 cup of cold brew as I felt it was way too acidic. I believe this was brewed with El Salvador beans if I remember correctly, and while I appreciated that delicious crisp nutty flavor that comes from Latin American beans, it wasn't smooth like I expected cold brew to be.

Perhaps a dash of milk might have helped with that acidity. Still, it was refreshing and enjoyable, and very worth it since Jewel Coffee runs in-house 1-for-1 promos from time to time.

PS. They don't have straws here. Was mildly irritated by that fact. Was on the way to lecture and didn't want to risk an uncovered drink splashing around.

7/10

I added a dash of low fat milk into this Long Black ($4.50). Patisserie G uses coffee beans from Liberty Coffee and has a lovely La Marzocco espresso machine to pull shots from.

I enjoyed this cuppa! Its full-bodied with a mild acidity and tasting notes of cocoa. Its not too strong and bitter, although there's a slight astringency to it. But overall really not bad and my caffeine craving has been quite satisfied. There is an array of delicious looking cakes and pastries in the window and a seating area where you can enjoy your drinks and food in peace (which might explain the price tag for such a small cup of coffee). I am loving OUE Downtown nowadays, its a peaceful oasis in the hubbub of the CBD.

8.5/10

I am starting to enjoy this journey of documenting the cold brews all over our sunny and very hot island. :)

Creamier's version cost $7 and was served in a glass bottle, and gets points for the cute (albeit wasteful) presentation. When I poured it out, the layer of coffee oil was apparently floating on the top of the ice cubes, which while didn't affect the taste, made the drink look rather unappetizing.

The cold brew itself was okay, as it was smooth with distinctively fruity notes and a rather high acidity for a cold brew. It wasn't as strong and 'gao' as I would have preferred. But still, it made a good accompaniment to the star of Creamier's show, which is their ice cream and waffles.

6.5/10

To me, the perfect cold brew should have a deep, intense flavor, full-bodied, smooth and strong.

This cup ($4.20, which is remarkably low for a cold brew) ticked none of those boxes at all. I couldn't taste any flavor notes at all, it was overly bitter and it tasted really badly diluted/watery to me. I believe it was underextracted (a cold brew should have at least 16 hours of steeping). I was quite disappointed by this cup, an iced Americano might have tasted better. There's an option to add milk into it if that's your thing. Their pastries (especially their chocolate cake) looked quite appetizing though.

3/10