Califia Fams Cold Brew Mocha Mexica

I found this cold brew at a Target in Michigan for $2.69.

Taste

The Mocha Mexica has an interesting chocolate cake aroma with a bit of almonds poking through. The mouthfeel is fairly heavy due to addition of almond milk, but the beverage goes down smoothly. Almond milk and cinnamon are the predominant flavors at first, but give it a few moments and you will be hit with a bit of chili and sweet chocolate. Don't worry, it isn't that spicy. There is just enough chili to give your tongue a tingle and warm the back of your throat a little. However, please note that I do like spicy foods so maybe if you are someone with low tolerance, you shouldn't try this one.

Coffee doesn't come in until the finish and when it comes, it isn't very strong. The finish and aftertaste are dominated by cinnamon and remnants of the sweet chocolate flavors with a bit of funk from the almond milk and a tiny bit of salt.

The cinnamon, chili and sweet chocolate was a very unique and interesting combination. There is a moment right in between the finish and aftertaste where you can taste only chili and cinnamon, which gives this beverage a very interesting clarity.

Energy

There is no caffeine content listed anywhere on the label, but I can tell you that this drink works quickly. I woke up with a foggy mind that was cleared within minutes by the chili/cinnamon combo. While my mind was clearing up, I did look up the caffeine content on the Internet and found through Califia Farms website that there are 110 mg of caffeine in this bottle. Not very much, but still a respectable amount.

Within 10-15 minutes after my mind cleared, I was already feeling pretty energized. I was a bit jittery, but not as much compared to an energy drink. The kick lasted for a couple of hours and just slowly faded away without much drama.

General Comments

This beverage has tons of labels on it - GMO free, Vegan, Gluten Free, BPA free and Carrageenan free. The bottle also contains around 45% of your recommended daily intake of calcium.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 7.8/10

Overall - 16.6/20...thick, a bit spicy with a decent kick