122 – On Bottled Caffeine Fixes: Triptych 15

I’m sure there was a time you relied on bottled coffee to keep you awake. There’s not much of a difference between canned and bottled coffee, if you ask me. Whether you are a student or a member of the working class, all that matters is that it provides a much-needed shot of caffeine when the Z’s arrive. In this post, I’ll be trying out three different bottled coffee brands—including one of the more popular (and effective). Do note that these are available in convenience stores near you such as 7-Eleven, Mini Stop, Family Mart, and more.

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Ah, the infamous Kopiko 78°C Coffee Latte. Many have lauded it on social media because of its affordable price and potency. It’s a good choice for P20 a bottle. The coffee gets its name from its brewing temperature – 78 degrees Celsius – which brings out the full flavor of the beans alongside the caffeine content. The brew is then mixed with milk to give it smoothness and tone down its potency.

Its taste reminds me of an iced version of Kopiko Brown, a 3-in-1 coffee mix powder from the same company behind the 78°C. Incidentally, Kopiko is much known for their instant coffee mixes and their foray into the bottled coffee market was an astounding success. However, I read a post about a student getting palpitations due to drinking a number of bottles. Well, as they say—too much of something is not a good thing. I can personally attest to its strength that a maximum of only TWO bottles a day should be consumed.

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Made by Lucio Tan’s Asia Brewery, Barista’s Best Cafe Latte is slightly expensive at P26 per bottle. It was initially introduced alongside the Barista’s Best Matcha Latte, which appealed more towards those looking for an affordable matcha fix. However, the Cafe Latte isn’t exactly gaining much ground compared to the Kopiko 78°C. You know why?

It’s more milk than coffee, to sum it up. Maybe the barista added too much? Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate a bit of milk with my coffee, but not too much that it mutes the latter’s strong flavor. You’ll be able to taste a small hint of coffee with Barista’s Best, but the milk really overwhelms it. This would be good if you just ate something spicy and would want to wash it down. Just a bit of fixing on the coffee and milk ratio, and this is good to go.

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Nescafe has been in the Philippine market for a long time now, but their take on bottled coffee is not exactly a noteworthy product—to say the least. The Nescafe Smoovlatte is by far the most expensive in this lot, at about P40 per bottle. The bottle being smaller than the two above doesn’t help a bit, leaving one with a smaller amount of coffee to enjoy. I was expecting some sort of redeeming quality to it despite the expensive price, but I was wrong.

The Smoovlatte does live up to its name as a “smooth latte”, but doesn’t really provide that necessary caffeine kick to keep one awake. Yes, it’s smooth and the mix of coffee and milk is just right. The problem is, it’s too smooth that it no longer resembles a coffee drink. More of a latte, but none of the coffee taste one typically looks for in bottled variants. The only time this drink would be perfect is when you are trying to introduce iced coffee – or coffee in general – to a person who isn’t used to it. Start off by giving them this, then progress with higher doses.

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That ends this short post of mine. I hope you enjoy your coffee – whether it’s canned, bottled, brewed, or 3-in-1. (Incidentally, my previous triptych was all about coffee too!)

Until the next post, bon appetit.

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