The first time I had a cold brew was from Starbucks years ago. It was also the only cold brew that I had seen at the supermarket. Somehow, I never really got to watch nor hear people talk about cold brew, especially in Indonesia at that time. However, lately, I see it resurfacing once again, and it's a current hype.
So, what exactly is a cold brew?
Cold-brew is a brewing method that involves steeping the coffee overnight and then strain it the next day, leaving it a potent concentrate that can be stored longer than a regular brew with the standard method. In this brewing method, you will need a coarse tea-body like beans. And this, of course, as the name suggests, served on ice. One more important thing to note, cold brew is not necessarily the same as bottled coffee. Some cafes serve bottled coffee that is made without steeping the coffee at a particular time. Some even use instant coffee to make a bottled coffee that is often sold for 500ml to 1lt. The price of cold brew is generally higher priced than a bottled coffee.
Gambino Coffee is a company from Indonesia that specializes in cold brew coffee. However, they also sell white coffee variants and even energy drinks. White coffee isn't an espresso with a creamer, preferably in Indonesia; it means lightly roasted coffee beans; hence the color is more delicate than its counterpart. It also has a shorter roasting time with possible of containing more caffeine. However, it is still debatable whether this variety has more caffeine than the beans from the regular coffee method. Even according to above-average coffee blog, white coffee is still new to the worldwide coffee industry.
The first time I walked to the drinks aisle, I spotted a bottle that looks like a whisky. I wished that was the case. But as I looked closer, it was bottled coffee, except it was not in plastic like I used to buy from a coffee shop. So, I screened through the taste, and I decided to pick Gula Aren or palm sugar.
I did not set any expectations since I am generally quite picky with my coffee. If I don't know the bean variety or the smell, I most likely won't drink it. As much as I am desperate to get a caffeine kick and jittery, I vowed never to drink a cheap instant coffee anymore. Okay, back to this coffee.
I think they do the product design quite thoughtfully. The bottle is excellent, and even the label is pretty unique and gives ethnic vibes to it.
The smell was relatively smooth, and at first, I did not expect that it would be white coffee variety until I visited the manufacturer page and spotted that it is a white coffee variant. When I first tasted it, it was more light and savory than my regular brew. The palm sugar and the milk are not overpowering the actual taste of the coffee. Instead, it enhances it.
After sipping some, I can already feel the caffeine rush. If you are very sensitive to caffeine, this variant might not be for you; as I mentioned earlier, it might contain more caffeine than regular dark roast coffee. I will also need to remind you that caffeine's safest consumption is 400mg according to the mayo clinic. It's easy to lose track, especially if you get the caffeine from sources like energy drink or coffee. And if you are already drinking too much and get a little bit cranky, you might want to start sweating out.
Drinking this coffee was unpredictable as I thought it would have mild hints with the milk combination and the flavoring added. But apparently, drinking even a sip will cause an extra energy spike and even instant jitters. Thankfully, after having some caffeine overdose in the past, I know a couple of tricks to get rid of it fast, including taking magnesium + zinc multivitamin and HIIT exercise. Typically this kind of coffee is more suitable during workdays instead of the weekend because this coffee gives you the energy to powers you up through your day. I would definitely get another variant from this company as I think that the price is worth it.
