Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, reviewed

Cold brewed coffee isn’t a new idea, but it is a relatively hot trend for iced coffee drinks this summer. One advantage of cold brewed coffee is that the slow brewing process allows the coffee to maintain it’s flavor for a long period of time (unlike hot brewed coffee, which starts to taste “stale” after a while). This means that cold brewed coffee is a better candidate for packaging. Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate is just one example of cold brewed coffee that is now available in stores. It’s a super strong bottled coffee that is brewed using a cold brew process, yielding a concentrate that has a smooth, chocolaty flavor and relatively low acidity. I liked the flavor of the coffee, which tasted quite rich and satisfying – like they used a decent quality bean to start out with to give the coffee some character. It’s not a super premium coffee, of course, but it made a nice glass of iced coffee that definitely hit the spot on a hot day.

TJ’s recommends mixing one part concentrate with two parts milk or water to make your coffee drinks. It is definitely a little on the strong side with a 1:1 ratio, but I liked a little bit more coffee than the 1:2 suggestion – especially when I was adding ice to the coffee. It’s very handy to have on hand, since the compact bottle will make at least 8-12 servings (depending or your serving size) and will keep well in the fridge once it has been opened.