Well, look at what we’ve got here! Thanks to my sister who’s fresh from a business trip to Melbourne (and my brother who picked it up for me), I’ve got a new coffee to try.

So far, I haven’t featured any bottled coffees yet, but I just felt that this is more than deserving of its own post.

Bottled coffees are much harder to get right than fresh ones. Maybe it’s the coffee-milk-sugar ratio that’s the kicker, but of all the ones I’ve tried, I can count only a few that I truly enjoyed enough to want to buy them again. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy since some are imported. There’s Starbucks Frappuccino (that one I’m able to buy here), Baristar Coffee from Korea (I love ’em Korean coffees) and the local Nescafe canned iced coffees do okay in a pinch. Most others I’ve tried were either too watery, too milky or too sweet.

Let’s talk about Dare. The first thing that got me excited was, of course, the Double Espresso part. To be honest, I was also a bit leery about it, thinking that it might be too strong or bitter. I’m not one to back down from a coffee challenge, though. The other thing that I liked was the bottle size–it’s 500mL, meaning that it will last for more than one serving (especially since I am cutting down on my daily caffeine intake), unlike others that I’m able to finish in practically one swill.

So there I was, eagerly anticipating that first rush of liquid caffeine. First impression? It was quite milky. From its name, I expected a more overtly bitter coffee flavor. I could still taste it, but subtly. I liked it because it’s not the type of drink that you’d get sick of after a few sips, it actually keeps getting better and better. I was wondering about the whole double espresso thing though.

BUUUT. To my amazement, I ended up tossing and turning the whole night, barely sleeping a wink. Considering how coffee doesn’t usually have a long-term effect for me, that’s huge.

I’m a believer now. 

Awesome Dare Double Espresso!!! ❤ I wish they’d sell it here. Would anyone be kind enough to ship me a whole boxful of that coffee? So perfect for marathon writing.

Now that’s what bottled coffee’s supposed to taste like! I’m quite tempted to go out and buy the bottled Starbucks Frappe just for comparison’s sake. Maybe next time 🙂