Bold and Smooth Unsweet - STōK Cold Brew Coffee Review
There is nothing quite so refreshing as an iced cold brew while sitting outside in the south Texas heat as the cicadas serenade you with summer songs. Although we love making our own cold brew, STōK Cold Brew’s have caught our eye and we decided there was no time like Texas in July to give one a go. So we brought home the unsweetened Bold and Smooth.
The unsweetened black coffee is the best way to test out the quality of roasting and steeping and gives us the best indicators of whether this coffee needs additional sweetness. So, since we don’t have any brewing to do ourselves, let’s pop this top and pour a glass.
Bold and Smooth has a slightly nutty aroma, blending with a rich earthiness which is slightly grassy and slightly smoky. It smells dark and bold and inviting. It carries a distinct cold-brew flavor, which can be slightly watery and thin in my opinion, but the aforementioned aromas come through in flavor, coating the palate with a darkly-roasted smoky quality. There is a slight bitterness which I predict is from how dark roasted the beans are, but there is no acidity (as there shouldn’t be in a proper cold-brew process).
Barista Note: This cold brew is a great base for making sweetened at-home iced cold brews. Pour the amount of coffee you want, add a teaspoon of your favorite sweetener, a splash of milk, and you are set. We mixed up a brew with mocha and salted caramel (for me, Mrs. Brew) and one with only salted caramel (for Mr. Brew), both with a splash of milk. It calmed the slightly bitter, smoky flavor and resulted in a bright, refreshing cup of iced coffee.
STōK brews their cold brew blends “low and slow” using cold water and a ten hour steep time. This is the same thing we do at home! Only, you don’t have to mess with the grounds afterwards. If you are looking for the easy pour-and-go cold brew addition to your summer fun, this is a great place to explore.
They have different flavor options, from Bright and Mellow to Espresso, from Cappuccino to Not Too Sweet. (I even saw a limited edition Creamy Pumpkin on their website…) Their website offers a brew finder, or you can check the cold shelves at your local grocer.
Cheers,
Mrs. Brew