CAFE BUSTELO

My enthusiasm for this project has waned ever since I made the jump to drinking real coffee. But since this can says cafe bustelo on it I thought I’d give it a shot seeing as I mentioned drinking cafe bustelo in a previous review about UCC milk coffee. I thought now would be a good time to talk about my current coffee setup and how much it’s changed since this time last year.

Christmas this year was rough, but we got lots of coffee things! A nice Braun coffeemaker, a grinder, and some nice beans from my girlfriends sister. Altogether, my morning coffee tastes far, far better than it did before! It makes these canned coffees rather redundant, and makes most of them look like awful value. Like this one, which was more than four dollars at Sheetz. A large fresh coffee with however much cream you want is less than that I’m pretty sure. Shoot a small coffee of the same volume is three dollars! Coffee at these gas stations is so cheap for how much you get, and they usually don’t have chunks in them. Yeah, considering the last few American canned coffees had chunks floating in them I’m not holding my breath for this one.

Pouring it into a glass, it’s formed a small foamy head which is sort of a nice touch. The flavor is, ok. It’s alright but it’s not real you know? Preservatives and fake milks that I once found endearing hallmarks of these drinks is now something I dread. But then I take the second sip, and I stop noticing the artificial taste and start feeling with my heart. I’m in Minnesota, on a sunny warm saturday or maybe sunday, I’m not sure. I’m driving on state highway seven out to Hutchinson, then north to Darwin for a picnic across from the twine ball. I have a UCC in one hand, bought from Asia Mall, because even that is still barely cheaper than Caribou. It’s sweet, and I have the windows down, leaving Saint Louis Park. I will get lost on this trip, and make frequent stops to take film photos of the roadside attractions I see. One of those photos hangs in my hall now, another few above my desk. It’s, nice. I’m happy to be there again. Taste is a powerful thing.

Does it taste like cafe bustelo? A little, its a bit more bitter than other canned coffees. But it mostly just tastes like a slightly more bitter UCC. Don’t get this if UCC is an option, it’s two dollars cheaper. Taste is a powerful thing, it can bring you back to a place and time more than a photo, or a sound, or anything really. Because taste is a sensation of all five senses in a way, you see the can and hear it open, feel the condensation on your fingers and smell the aroma as it goes down.

Also, I wrote this review around new years and it took a few months for me to actually put it on the site. Sorry!

FLAVOR SCORE-5/8

VALUE SCORE-2/8