Top o’ the morning to ye! Get ready to feel festive, and dish out pinches this weekend! For my #tryday last week, I tried the Luck of the Matcha frapp from Midtown Coffeehouse! I’ve tried matcha from Starbucks, and a few other places in the past, with greatly underwhelming results. Read: I didn’t like it. This one was a lovely change of speed to that established trend. I was super excited to give this one a try, because, well I saw the post.
Literally, how could I not be absolutely ecstatic for that? I mean, typically, I like tea. And of course, my immature self loves marshmallows. So, hypothetically this is right up my alley! I was a little hesitant to order it, but curiosity was pushing me in the door to place my order.
The first thing I noticed was that the scent of the drink was very mild, which followed suit with the flavor. While the color itself is somewhat unappetizing to the anti-festive, being a pastel shade of green, I found it quite spring appropriate. It was more akin to drinking an iced green tea than I’m used to from my coffeeshops. It wasn’t overly sweetened, or maybe it was, since you guys know how I like my sugar; abundant. That slight propensity does skew my tastebuds.
I found the sweetness to be subtle and soft, for my tastes. It was tempered with a light earthy flavor, kind of like cinnamon if I had to pick the closest spice that it reminded me of. But, probably closer to how the air smells when tea is brewing. If that had a flavor. I found myself enjoying it, despite the odds being against this drink, due to the matcha thing. The marshmallows, which I could have used to sweeten it more, ended up sitting on top of the whipped cream and being eaten alone since I didn’t need their services so much after all.
My rating on this is….
Taste: /5
I can think of no other rating to award the kind folks over at Midtown Coffeehouse, than a well-deserved 5/5 for making me venture outside of my comfort zone with this one. I was really hesitant to try it, and seriously, Iwhen told my Fiance` I was going to try it. His response? “You don’t like matcha.” I looked at him before leaving, “I know, but I gotta try it.” And try it, I did. And you know what else?
Hey guys, it’s your favorite punctual blogger! I’m so sorry that I’ve fallen behind on you, I do have a quick update on the youtubey stuff, though! I have been filming two videos and I aim to have one or the other of them up next week! I don’t want to spoil too much, but I’m kind of hype! I’m definitely planning to do a lot of reviews, while I get my bearings with the whole filming thing.
This last week I took myself back to Midtown Coffeehouse to see what kind of new stuff they had. You guys know they always have something new every time I visit! I checked out the board, which you can see above. After looking at it for a good thirty seconds and debating, I stepped up to the counter and order the Haze. My only thought was literally, “I hope I like this,” because I know how picky I can be with flavors. Despite trying to force myself out of my comfort zone, it’s extremely hard to introduce myself to new flavor, like the haze.
The Haze is a delectable mix of Cinnamon,White Chocolate and Hazelnut, the latter of which I’ve never liked. I took a chance on this one after the reassurance of the lovely lady behind the counter. I was ecstatic. So, quick thanks for getting me to give the haze a go!
My immediate impression was that it had a nice earthy richness, not of espresso, but just a mild nuttiness. That’s the thing I generally despise about Hazelnut, because I don’t like “peanut-y” flavors from my coffee. I’m used to espresso, but just straight up trailmix nuttiness? Nah. I was surprised by the way the mocha and cinnamon mingled to mask the hazelnut with a soft sweetness…. dare I say, haze?
The cinnamon, being the primary flavor, lent a nice coolness to the subtle espresso vibes that lurked underneath the richness. It was a richness that felt a little heavy on the tongue, and not in an unpleasant way. I would definitely say the Haze is another one for the people who don’t like espresso.
I literally can’t wait to start this next leg and have time to do my editing for the videos! Guys, I’m working on them, pretty actively, aside from school work. I just… have to do something with all this makeup that’s piling up. In the meantime, while I get this started, go check out Smokey Glow, my latest favorite youtuber!
Midtown Coffeehouse has been a staple in my coffee habit since I discovered them about a year ago. I’ve written a bit about them previously, like the Razzle Dazzle and the Caramelnilla. Both of those are solid choices, but to bring in new interesting content for you guys, I need to branch out. What better time to branch out than a new Series that I’ve decided to dub Tryday?
If you follow the twitter or facebook, you may have seen my curiosity about coffee soda. (< Link) The consensus when I made it at home, was not good. I didn’t like it initially and I continued to not like it after I tried to make it more “mine”. A real bummer, but I intend to revisit it and see if I can make one that I do like. Surely it exists, and I will find it.
This evening after walking into Midtown Coffee, I noticed their chalkboard that usually has their specials had something different. It enticed me to ask about Barista’s Choice selections. Always in the spirit to test my taste buds, I obliged and was introduced to a menu outlining their personal favorites. All of them off-menu and all unique in their own way.
The one that especially stood out to me was the Dirty Vanilla Coke. Coffee and Soda? Where have I heard that before? Right….
It scared me and piqued my curiosity- so hesitant (and somehow excited), I ordered it. While in various stages of preparation, it foamed intensely and they had to cull some, if not, most of it. Once the drink was in my hand, I took the chance and tried it in front of the barista. And the panel says….
Still not my thing. The carbonation from the coke mixed discordantly with the espresso making a very strange aftertaste. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone with the recipe and done the double shot. It’s a really unique and jarring contrast of saccharine sweetness and espresso. I don’t feel like it meshes too well. The flavors are a little too different to be able to go together in a pleasant way. I enjoy the coke flavor, but only for a split second before the espresso chimes in. It has a vaguely fruity flavor that I think is being amplified by the sugar content.
Ultimately not my thing in the least, I do want to make it clear that this is not a reflection on Midtown. You win some, you lose some when you take a gamble on a new treat and I’m going to call this one a loss. But, I will say that it tastes pretty similar to my attempt, which means that I did it right. So… win?
BUT, I returned to the counter with my tail between my legs and admitted that I had to surrender to the Dirty Vanilla Coka. They suggested the Choddy, which is Cold Brew, Milk and Mocha. I was dubious, since I had been burned by my latest encounter with Coffee Soda.
Midtown’s Choddy- yum!
I’m happy to report, that while I have never been altogether too fond of cold brew, I’m happy I took the chance. They described it as “Chocolate milk with a nice coffee flavor”, which is quite accurate. It smells a bit bold and has a nice edge to the sweet smell of chocolate. The predominant flavor is much like dark chocolate. Which, is to say, it’s sweet with a little bitterness to temper it.
Though they use the same beans in this beverage, I’m not picking up any hint of the fruitiness that I was getting from the other one and I’m almost 100% sure that it was coke over-exaggerating the undertones. I do suggest a hearty sloshing around of this one, as it does get a touch more bitter if you let it sit still for a few minutes. Definitely not one to chug, this one should sipped slow and savored.
Taste; /5
For my ratings, unfortunately since I still don’t like the Coffee/Soda duo, this one gets a 1 out of 5. I’m still curious as to where that fruity undertone was coming from.
Taste; /5
My second rating, for the strangely named Choddy is a 5/5 because I was completely in love with every drop in that cup. I was legitimately sad to look down and see that it was empty. Coffee and Chocolate milk? Amazing pairing!
/5
/5
/5
Java and Jeans 