Cheap thrill or nah? 

These past couple months, I slacked a little when it comes to purchasing my monthly coffees. Before I was pretty much OBSESSED with finding a new coffee brand and coffee variant to try. Like no kidding, I would spend a good few hours in Shopee just searching for bags of coffees, bookmarking them for future purchases, putting them in my cart, removing them- the cycle goes on and on until I settle for one bag for that month. I know, kinda dramatic but it is what it is. But lately, I'm just not feeling the whole routine. Maybe it's because my focus has shifted on other things and coffee took the backseat for a while. Admittedly, today's coffee is something I purchased on a whim. I saw it then purchased it, not because it's something interesting and different but because I just needed my monthly coffee supply. 

Today's coffee is the UCC Coffee Creations Ground Coffee for Family Mart. It comes in a 250g bag and by default, it's already ground. A little product description: "A deep-roasted drip-type regular coffee with a flavor that tastes great black or together with milk. Finely roasted so that you can also enjoy a aromatic coffee flavor when making cafe au lait. This is economical and has a rich, flavorsome taste that can be enjoyed by the whole family."  It also stated that it has a nutty aroma that the coffee can be enjoyed hot or cold. I haven't tried Family Mart's coffee so honestly, I had no idea what to expect.

When I received it, it was pretty obvious that the coffee wasn't freshly ground. I've had coffee grounds and beans before that was very aromatic even when they were still tightly sealed but this one- nada. There was also no roast date anywhere in the packaging so I knew the chances of it not being 100% fresh is high. 

Flavor-wise, it's a bit one-note for me. Yes, it's dark and not overly bitter but that's pretty much it. It's straightforward black coffee that is, to put it quite bluntly, so-so. It's also not too aromatic when brewed, again probably because it's not at its freshest state. It's a good coffee to have lying around and it'll get you by- it's not bad, but I've had better. Oh, one good thing, though, is that it doesn't have that sour/acidic aftertaste so it's good with or without milk.

I've had it both hot and cold and honestly, I prefer using it for cold brew. I feel like it tastes cleaner when cold and I don't know, I can taste its nuttiness better than when I brew it hot. It pairs really well with ice and milk and it's just better overall when it's cold. So there's that.

Overall, as I've said before, it's an okay coffee. It's for those who want it simple and straightforward and for those who aren't fond of acid coffee. It's a good buy at P99 and at the end of the day, I kinda get what you pay for. Would I recommend? Yes for those who are on a budget, yes for cold brew. No if you prefer it brewed or drip style.

On to the next!