Califia Farms Cold Brew XX Espresso

I got this bottle of Califia Farms from a Target in Michigan, near the Canadian border, for $2.69.

Taste

This cold brew has an interesting rum/whisky aroma with a hint of sweet chocolate cake. The taste is heavy on the almond milk, pretty much all throughout. When the almond milk is not dominating your tastebuds, you get hints of vanilla, cocoa and just a bit of coffee near the end of the finish. Very subtle rum hints do appear in the aftertaste, but unlike the aroma, they are not present in the taste.

I was surprised this beverage didn't have a strong coffee flavor near the finish, or even less than subtle hints in the aftertaste.

Energy

According to the Califia Farms website, the bottle contains 150 mg of caffeine, which is exactly what you would get from most 473 mL energy drinks. The energy delivery is much smoother though thanks to the lack of jitters and the boost in focus that you get within 10 minutes. The kick lasts for about 3-4 hours and finishes without any drama.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 8.4/10

Overall - 16.4/20...more of an almond milk flavor, but it is smooth and has an excellent kick