Stumptown Coffee Roasters

by Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Review: Stumptown Sparkling Cold Brews Mix Up Some Incredible Flavor

Posted: Apr 26, 2017 at 2:21 PM (Last Updated: Apr 26, 2017 at 3:30 PM)

Covers Products: Ginger Citrus , Honey Lemon Cold Brew , Sparkling Original

Born from experimentation at their cafes, Stumptown’s latest effort is, at least in our opinion, their most innovative and audacious offering to date. On the surface, the concept of blending carbonation with cold brew might not sound that exciting, but what they’ve created is much more interesting.

In effect they’ve morphed cold brew coffee into something that straddles both the coffee and craft soda spaces. The three offerings, which include Original, Ginger Citrus, and Honey Lemon, blend carbonated cold brew, sugar, and juice, which is the only source of flavoring, to create products that are truly top notch.

Of the trio, the Original is the purest coffee experience, although it, too, features a touch of juice -- lemon juice to be precise -- at the finish. That, combined with the sweetness, make this an incredibly addictive product. Next, there’s Ginger Citrus, which tastes like the combination of a ginger beer and cold brew. Yes, this isn’t a combo that sounds like peanut butter and jelly, but it works -- perfectly. The spice of the ginger, a bit of lime juice, and a dash of orange oil make this product complex but smooth. Finally, there’s Honey Lemon, which is made with cold brew, honey, lemon, and sugar. The earthy sweetness of the honey and a sharp note of citrus are a super refreshing and flavorful complement to the cold brew.

All in all, these products, each of which clock in at 100 calories per 12 oz. can, are truly standout. They not only offer a unique cold brew experience that you won’t find in any other ready to drink line, but all three of the products also manage to nail their respective formulations. That’s also a rarity when it comes to coffee drink product lines.

On the outside, this product line utilizes a slightly more retro version of Stumptown’s branding. It utilizes a script typeface instead of the block font that you’ll find on most of their other products. This helps the product have an aesthetic that almost looks the part of a craft beer, which is a similar thought that we had when we first saw their canned nitro cold brew. It’s clean, easy to read, and really catches the eye.

In the end, there’s honestly nothing that we’d change about this product. It’s timely, innovative, has a clean ingredient list, great flavor, and awesome looking packaging. Perfection in the cold-brew coffee category is something that is pretty elusive, especially given the relative subjectivity of flavor profile when it comes to strength and flavor of particular beans and roasts, but Stumptown’s Sparkling Cold Brew has, at least in our eyes, created something that’s deserving of our highest rating.

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