Let’s start 2022 right with how most of us would start our regular day – with coffee, of course! My blog is no stranger to bottled coffee. In fact, one of the most-viewed posts here is my bottled coffee triptych from April 2016. While that post featured three bottled coffee drinks from that period, this one will feature two such beverages I purchased back in mid-November 2021.
I found these two drinks at the imported goods section of a major supermarket. These are often more expensive than the usual, so I took the risk and bought them. Now, let’s get right to the bottom of things and compare these two!
Binggrae Acafela Vanilla Latte:
Hallyu packed in a small bottle
Hailing from South Korea, the Binggrae Acafela Vanila Latte is a mainstay at Korean grocery stores. It boasts of using NY2-graded coffee beans from Brazil. Its 240 ml size makes it a convenient drink to put in your bag and enjoy everywhere.
Despite being a coffee drink, it had a more pronounced vanilla scent – with the vanilla taste overpowering. The coffee had a rather mild aftertaste, with the vanilla’s sweetness dominating. Overall, I found that it tastes more like vanilla ice cream than coffee.
Mr. Brown French Vanilla Coffee Drink:
Fine Formosa brew
On the other hand, the Taiwanese Mr. Brown French Vanilla Coffee Drink is a mainstay in several big groceries. It comes in a larger 330 ml bottle that lets you enjoy more coffee. The drink boasts of using 100% coffee extract – which emerges as soon as you open the bottle.
While the coffee extract hits you at first sniff, it mellows down and becomes more subtle. It has the right amount of sweetness with hints of milk and minimal vanilla. I eventually perceived a more pronounced coffee aftertaste upon finishing the bottle.
Will it be this Binggrae Acafela Vanila Latte or that Mr. Brown French Vanilla Coffee Drink?
This time, my vote goes to that Mr. Brown French Vanilla Coffee Drink. There are times that I need a strong coffee drink to get me on my toes, and the Mr. Brown French Vanilla Coffee Drink fits the bill perfectly. While the Binggrae Acafela Vanila Latte is equally commendable, I find it more appropriate as a dessert-type drink due to its sweetness.
And that’s it for this short post. Until the next entry, bon appetit and wishing you a prosperous 2022 ahead!
The Monching's Guide 
I’ve had Mr. Brown Iced coffee before and it’s very good. It’s so hard to find where I live. I was lucky if I could get it back at home.
Good to hear that you enjoyed Mr. Brown Iced Coffee too!
The Korean manufacturer is called Binggrae 빙그레 🙂
Oh, I see! Thank you for the heads-up; very much appreciate the correction. 😊
The older I get, the more difficult it is to drink coffee. Sad fact of life, lol
True…and you’re in a country known for Ipoh white coffee. 😢
I used to drink iced coffee drinks quite some time ago but I stopped due to the plastic bottles I don’t like. Back then, Mr. Brown was always my favorite. It’s as close to a coffee as an iced drink in a plastic bottle can be 😉
Have you ever tried cold brewed iced coffee? I completely forgot the name but there’s a brand here in Indonesia that is sold in glass bottles and it’s a super huge difference! Coffee from glass tastes just so much better. 😋 (I am still looking for the brand, if I find it, I’ll let you know)
Aaaaah! I just found it: it’s called Gambino. It’s terribly expensive here in Indonesia, that’s why I switched to brewing and cooling our own coffee if we want some iced one 😉
I see; that’s the first time I heard of the brand. If anything, Kopiko is the more ubiquitous brand of instant coffee here in Manila 😂
I don’t even know if it’s exclusive to Indonesia. Could be because all the coffee is brewed here. 🤔
Point taken! I mean, Indonesia is home to Java and Sumatra — both known for their coffee plantations. ☕
Cool! I didn’t know Mr. Brown was a common brand there in Indonesia too! 😃
Hmm…well, the closest to that I tried was from CBTL and another local café here in Manila. I remember the glass bottles looking like those antique amber-colored ones used for medicines.
Ya, the Gambino is sold in the same apothecary style brown glass bottles with metal caps. 😊👍
Hey. Di ko pa natry yang Binggrae. Tama ba spelling ko? Meron ba yan sa Pinas? hehehe
Yes! Madalas tinitinda siya sa mga local Korean groceries. Sa SM Supermarket ko nabili pareho. 🙂 Makikita mong katabi niyan madalas is yung BTS Coffee 😂
luh… hahaha sige icheck ko nga yan buti sinabi mo kasi akala ko sa ibang bansa ko pa mabibili yan eh hahaha
Happy New Year! I love this post because I have never had bottled coffee nor heard of any of these brands because I just live on another side of the world, yet it was so interesting to read your review of them 😁
Thank you! I don’t know if Asian grocers near you stock them, but they oftentimes do haha 😊
Yummmm!!!! Can’t go wrong with a good coffee drink! They both look good!
Indeed! Best check them out at an Asian grocer near you 😁👍
Tried the Acafela coffee once – nakita ko sa Korean store here. I agree na it’s a dessert kind of drink sa tamis at flavor. I like it though but not exactly something I’d like to have often.
Thank you for sharing! But looking at it now, mabuti pala at maliit lang yung bottle niya. I couldn’t imagine kung malaki yun — sayang pag di maubos!
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