Madrinas Coffee

by Madrinas Brands, LLC.

Review: Madrinas Cold Brew Coffee

Posted: Jun 03, 2016 at 10:54 AM (Last Updated: Jun 03, 2016 at 10:54 AM)
Madrinas Cold Brew Coffee

Covers Products: Madrinas Cold Brew - Black, Madrinas Cold Brew + Milk

Madrinas Cold Brew is made by Madrinas Brands, whose Horchata and Cafe con Leche were the subject of a review back in 2011, is a line of ready-to-drink Fair Trade cold brew coffees. Currently available in two flavors, Cold Brew Black and Cold Brew + Milk, the products are packaged in 15 oz. cans.

The containers carry a vibe reminiscent of the energy drink category: This starts with the black tops and the shiny green pull tabs, which are in effect the Monster Energy color palette. From there, the design is busy, text-heavy, and somewhat in-your-face, which again are things that seem more appropriate for an energy drink than a cold-brew coffee.

Inside the cans, the flavor of the product has a somewhat burnt flavor. This is more apparent in the milk variety than the black variety, but it’s present nonetheless. That causes some of the traditional benefits of cold brew -- a smoother, less acidic taste -- to be less apparent in these products. We’re not sure what the technical reason for this is, but it is definitely something that Madrinas should work on.

Furthermore, we feel strongly that the current look of the product is something that’s going to position this product in a way that limits its potential. Right now, the choice of an energy drink can and design feels at odds with the rest of the cold-brew segment, which is, at least right now, still a premium one.. What they’ve done simply doesn’t feel at the same level as the competition, so it’s hard to understand why someone would purchase this over other similar products (or coffee-based energy drinks).

Overall, we feel as though Madrinas needs to reevaluate their approach, both in terms of the flavor and the packaging.

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