Thailand's Khao Shong Espresso Instant Coffee Review

I was in Phuket about a year back and of course I had to try the instant coffees there too. The only one that I brought back is this Khao Shong brand coffee cos it's got 5 coffees in one!

I tried the Espresso one first.

5 different coffees in one! So many to try!

Much text and colours. All Thai which I do not understand. It could say rat for all I know!

Interestingly the instructions are slightly different. Add 120ml not 180ml of water.

Thailand's Khao Shong Espresso Instant Coffee 

It's quite obvious that there is much less coffee powder in this one

But it still turns out nice and dark. Colour looks darker than usual though

Taste Review

Aroma - 5/10

Quite a normal coffee caramel aroma. It... smells pretty normal.

Taste - 7/10

It actually has a pretty good balance of sweet and bitter. Both sweet and bitter seem to play together nicely. The sweetness seems to be a sort of condensed milk sweetness. Not to coy either. There is a slight bit of acidity lurking in the back too which is not unpleasant and is something I don't taste in the instant coffees back home. It also has a clean after taste.

Cost - NA

Cos I forgot how much I paid for it. LOL

Tasting Notes

Nothing much more to add actually. It's easily found in convenient stores and mini marts in Phuket so I'm guessing it's easily found in Thailand. Just remember to use less water when brewing.

TLDR version
A pretty good cuppa from Thailand!

Nescafe Gao Siew Dai Ipoh Instant White Coffee Review

So this looks kinda new-ish to me and being the festive period, the promoters are on overdrive and pushing the Nescafe hard. 

Nescafe Gao Siew Dai Ipoh White Coffee

The stick's pretty big and there's quite a large amount of coffee mix there

Nice and brown

Hey! Instructions on how to make an iced version. Oh... just add ice. Lol

Taste Review

Aroma - 4/10

Strong coffee aroma and equally strong caramel tones. Both seem to be fighting each other... So that's not good. The balance is basically off. The smell also does not remind me of white coffee either. Hmm

Taste - 5/10

First taste is a mix of bitterness and sweetness. It even borders on coy and actually does not taste like white coffee. There is a slight lingering bitterness. The sweetness stays with you too for a while after the coffee's gone down. (I tot this is siew dai?) I personally do not like lingering sweetness in my coffee but... maybe that's just my preference.

Cost - 5/10

At $5 for 15 sticks it's $0.333 per stick. Not too bad but I seriously expected something better at this price and you CAN get something better and at a better price too! Seriously, you might as well get the Essenso!

Tasting Notes

Coffee is gao as advertised. It's very thick and slides down my throat almost like jelly. But this thing is sweet when it's supposed to be less sweet! Bah

TLDR version
A very confused coffee that advertises itself as white but tastes more like a normal kopi. It advertises siew dai but it is still quite sweet.

Gold Kili Traditional Kopi-O Coffee Review

Today I decided to man up and try a straight up black coffee aka the dreaded Kopi-O. 

Gold Kili Traditional Kopi-O Coffee

It's not even a soluble powder! Old skool lah!

Tell me that ain't road tar

While waiting for the brew to steep... I was curious about the instructions and whether it'd be the same as typical soluble instant coffees. Andddd.... well it's kinda the same. Amount of water is similar but they don't state what temperature should be used.

Also the instructions are very universal. Pictures only!

Taste Review

Aroma - 7/10

It's got a good decent strength coffee aroma that is the signature, unmistakable, pure unadulterated smell of a good kopi (aka local coffee if you only speak white people's language). Medicinal & turpeny. This brew is obviously very different from other instant blends that contain milk.

Taste - 8/10

Sweet at first followed by a medium acidity and bitterness which lingers. I was kinda surprised by the sweetness then I realised this is a 2-in-1. Surprise surprise! There was sugar in the pouch. That sweetness really helped ease me in before the other flavors hit. The combination of bitter and sour notes after the sweet is quite characteristic of some local brews. This mimics that well. 

Cost - 10/10

I got mine at $2.55 for 20 sachets. That's $0.1275 per sachet which is 10x cheaper than heading down to the kopitiam! If your kopitiam serves shitty kopi, then this is for you! And yeah I have tasted some really really shitty coffee in kopitiams. Not all are good you know.

Tasting Notes

This stuff usually smells like liquid tar, tastes like liquid tar and I always suspected it to be liquid tar. It's a drink for masochists or old people whose taste buds are long dead. But I gotta say, this Gold Kili's blend is pretty ok. I could drink this.

TLDR version
A gentle introduction to the world of kopi-o, land of the brave and masochistic.

Super 3-in-1 Low Fat Instant Coffee Review

Another ubiquitous pantry favorite, cos you know, it's cheap ass. It's Super coffee mix!

Super 3-in-1 Low Fat Instant Coffee

Nothing special to see here except the packet is a fugly yellow

Nice colour there

Taste Review

Aroma - 7/10

A pretty neat aroma. It actually smells distinctly different from the Nescafe instant coffee. It's got a slightly richer bolder aroma with just the right hint of caramel sweetness.

Taste - 6/10

A mellow sweetness followed by a milky smooth finish. No bitterness at all. Oh wait. The aftertaste does have a little teeny bit of bitterness, like its trying to tell you it does contain some coffee in it. 

Cost - 10/10

At an offer price of $8.95 for 2 packs of 40 sticks each, this comes to $0.112 per stick. This is really cheap.

Tasting Notes

This actually reminds me of Taiwanese coffee. Very mellow. Quite nice if you like a smooth coffee with just a little bit of Singapore kopi flavor.

TLDR version
Very smooth but not much coffee kick.

Nescafe Original Instant Coffee Review

The ubiquitous Nescafe original! Found in office pantries island wide and bane to office workers who don't BYO instant coffee or whoever ran out of coffee. Cos this thing is mofo cheapass.

I am, of course, also a cheapass and I swiped one from an office pantry. 

*cough* Not my office pantry but an office pantry. 

Nescafe Original Instant Coffee

Looks like milo

Brews like milo too

Taste Review

Aroma - 6/10

It's got a pretty standard local kopi coffee aroma. A sweet caramel aroma that says I'm coffee made with a condensed milk base! So yeah it's got a kopitiam kopi smell which is pretty nice except it's not strong enough imho.

Taste - 5/10

The first taste you get is sugary sweetness, then a mild nutty coffee flavor before ending with a very very faint bitterness which then abruptly disappears which is... a bit unsatisfying. It's got a clean taste but it is also sorely lacking in character. The coffee taste just doesn't stay with you and it's really an instant hit. 

Cost - 9/10

$5.75 for 35 sticks when there are no promotions. That's $0.164 per stick. It's surprisingly more expensive than Indocafe but will probably be much cheaper when there's some promotional offer though seriously... who buys this?! Just grab a few from your office pantry! Haha

Tasting Notes

Mild in strength, flavor and aroma, this coffee feels like it's trying not to piss off anyone and would be, I guess, a good place to indoctrinate any non-coffee drinker. Seasoned coffee drinkers would scoff at this.

TLDR version
Wussy coffee for people who have never ever drunk local kopi and needs hand holding for their first drink. 

Killiney 3-in-1 Premium White Coffee Review

You know how Pokemon has different versions. Killiney's White Coffee also comes in two forms. This review will be shorter and more succinct as its essentially the same as the Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee but with sugar. Previous review here. 

Killiney 3-in-1 Premium White Coffee

Unappetizing orange package lol

The coffee does have a nicer dark brown colour

Taste Review

Aroma - 10/10

Excellent aroma just like its sugarless cousin.

Taste - 7/10

The taste is much sweeter (Duh) and interestingly, its bitterness is more pronounced. The sweetness also does not sit quite well in the coffee. The sweetness kinda clashes with the rest of the flavors swirling in the brew. And this time round, there is that signature nauseating aftertaste which I have experienced before. It's an unmistakable sweet bitterness that sticks to the back of my throat. Urgh.

Cost - 4/10

It's the same as its sugarless cousin too. A box costs about $7.90 for 15 sachets. That's about $0.527 per sachet. Not a cheap brew.

Tasting Notes

It maybe personal preference but I very much prefer the sugarless version. The sugar in this coffee really doesn't sit well with the rest of the brew.

TLDR version
This is like the evil sugared twin of the Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee. I did not like it. 

PSA! How to... Made Instant Coffee for Dummies

Public Service Announcement!

How to Make Instant Coffee for Dummies

Did you know you can read instructions?

Did you know most instant coffees have instructions on how to best make that perfect cuppa?

There're usually instructions printed on each stick or sachet and the golden ratio is usually 150ml of water at 80deg Celsius.

Ok End of PSA!

Essenso 2-in-1 Microground Coffee Review

Super brand instant coffee goes atas with this 100% Arabica coffee. I first heard about this during a coffee appreciation class at Highlander Coffee (this was the course I took) and I remember the barista saying some positive things about it so of course I had to give it a try and I got to say Essenso is pretty good! 

Essenso 2-in-1 Microground Coffee

White goodness. Like crystal meth. Except legal

It's got a good milo like colour

Taste Review

Aroma - 8/10

Very nice aroma. A good balance that tells this is a nice roast without being too cloyingly sweet or milky.

Taste - 9/10

It has a very good strong pleasant nutty taste that goes down with a nice milky smoothness. Very clean after taste that leaves a slight lingering bitterness that reminds you of the small piece of heaven in a cup that came in an instant coffee stick.

Cost - 8/10

This is quite friendly on the wallet at $5.95 for a pack of 25 sticks while on offer at NTUC. This comes up to $0.238 a stick. While it is double the price compared to the cheaper varieties. If you're feeling rich, just chug this every morning. If you want to skimp and save, then keep this in your pantry and have it whenever you need to treat yourself better.

100% Arabica beans cos its atas

Tasting Notes

The coffee actually feels quite strong BUT being made from Arabica beans, its caffeine count is very unlikely to be high. Typical coffees found in Singapore are made from Robusta beans which have a much higher caffeine content than Arabica beans.

TLDR version
This is high up on the list for quality instant coffee if you can spare a few extra cents. 

Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee Review

Like a rare Pokemon, this is a coffee that's hard to find... It's the Killiney 2-in-1 premium white coffee! It's only sold at some NTUC and Killiney outlets and if you've ever tried to order white coffee at any Killiney outlet, they just break out this sachet and add hot water too! So erm I guess legit? Lol

Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee

The sachet is really big

The brown is quite intense

Taste Review

Aroma - 10/10

Once you pour in the hot water and start stirring, the rich strong wonderful aroma will freaking assault your senses. You will smell it. Your cubicle neighbors will smell it. Your whole damn office will smell it. Everyone will come around seeking the source of this holy smell. You'll be like the Pied Piper.

Taste - 9/10

Taste is STRONG and robust with a nutty finish lurking beneath a medium bitterness. The coffee is thick too. I could feel it sliding down my throat almost like a piece of jelly. Though this may be because I am using less water as the cup I am using it a bit smaller than a normal coffee mug...

Cost - 4/10

This can only be found in selected NTUC supermarkets and selected Killiney Kopitiam outlets. A box (yes it comes in a box) costs about $7.90 for 15 sachets. That's about $0.527 per sachet. This is not kind on the wallet at all.

Tasting Notes

By far THE most aromatic instant coffees of all. I think Killiney just puts in a ton of coffee in that huge sachet. There's no denying its rightful place as the instant coffee with the most powerful aroma.

Now there is a quirk to this coffee. I've ever drunk this 3 days in a row and somehow, the aftertaste started to change and it actually became nauseating. There is a sickly bitter aftertaste that is a bit like a badly prepared powdered milk drink. I don't quite know how to describe it but urgh it was bad. Put me off this coffee for a long time. However, after going about 3 months without drinking it, it was fine again. No idea what's going on but that was my experience! Honest truth!

TLDR version
Super strong aroma that is irresistible but watch out for that weird aftertaste if you drink it often. 

G7 Trung Nguyen 3-in-1 Instant Coffee Review

Another day another instant coffee. What's life without a bit of variety eh. Today I'm having communist coffee!

Nothing says communist like the red star. Erm kinda?

Yes I'm talking about G7 coffee!

G7 Trung Nguyen 3-in-1 Instant Coffee

That huge amount of white should mean a lot of milk or something.

Very nice strong brown

Taste Review

Aroma - 8/10

Very strong distinct fragrance that tells you this is Vietnamese coffee. It's unmistakable. Also comes with a strong caramel coffee fragrance.

Taste - 8/10

Very sweet and milky with just a light hint of bitterness lurking in the back. The after taste is sweeeeeet but quickly fades. Very clean tasting which is an odd term to use for coffee. Surprisingly easy to go down. Why? Because if you have ever drunk Vietnamese coffee in Vietnam, it delivers caffeine content that is feels enough to kill a horse. 

Cost - 6/10

When it's not on offer, it costs $6.60 for 40 sachets. That's exactly $0.165 per sachet. Not too bad!

Tasting Notes

Nothing beats the real Vietnamese coffee experience of watching black tar coffee drip into sweet white condensed milk while watching the world go by.
This instant version does a decent job of mimicking the Vietnamese coffee taste for plebeians like you and me but much faster like 10,000x faster cos it's instant! (hur hur hur)
Connoisseurs will probably stick their noses up at this but we working class have limited precious coffee time to escape our slave jobs for our economic masters.

At $0.165 per sachet, the communist revolution has succeed on this front in bringing coffee to the masses!
Eh wait or should this be attributed to Capitalism... Since they are exporting this to make money... wait... or are they.... maybe they are exporting this at a loss but doing so in a bid to spread influence and instill communist sympathies within the local population...

Ermmm....

Viva La Revolution!!!!

This one's just totally out of point :p

TLDR version
A very good instant coffee version of Vietnamese coffee. G7 hits the spot if you want some strong stuff. 

Nescafe 2-in-1 Original Zero Sugar Added Review

So I am also a person who's addicted to free samples and I got this in the mail. Am so drinking it.

Nescafe 2-in-1 Original Zero Sugar Added

Usual flat lay lol

Oooh nice brown

Taste Review

Aroma - 7/10

pleasant sweet caramel fragrance

Taste - 6/10

Very mild creaminess and mild coffee flavor that starts off with a light bitterness that puts you into a false sense of comfort before it progressively starts to kick you in the shins harder and harder with a build up of medium strength bitterness that lingers for a short while of approximately 10sec or so.

Cost - 9/10

Nescafe is like the flies of coffee. It's everywhere and has a huge variety. This one's $5.75 when on offer and they throw in 8 extra sticks too. So average cost comes up to.... $0.13 per stick. Ha! It still loses to Indocafe White Coffee!

Tasting Notes

Just like Indocafe, this is another working man's coffee that's cheap and gets the job done. The difference between this and Indocafe is the level of bitterness so choose your poison.
Coffee strength seems stronger than Indocafe and it should keep you running for the better part of the day.



TLDR version
This coffee is basically a master piece, it's engineered to mimic the relationship of an abusive spouse. Gentle and loving at first and then the bitterness builds up and wham! You get a hit of caffeine and peak bitterness then that bitterness and hate just dissipates. Now repeat daily. 

Indocafe White Coffee Review

For my very first review, it's going to be something we all can't live without. COFFEE!

One of the most common ones you're bound to encounter will be Indocafe. It's cheap, ubiquitous and exists in a few varieties. The one I always stock at home is Indocafe white coffee which is actually a 2-in-1 coffee.

Indocafe White Coffee

Very distinct white and black powder

Nice light brown colour

Taste Review

Aroma - 6/10

light sweet caramel fragrance

Taste - 6/10

Creamy with a mild coffee flavor and light bitterness that lingers

Cost - 10/10

Frequently on offer for $5.95 for 2 packs of 30 sticks each. Averages about 0.09cents per stick. This is waayyyyy cheap. It's like 10-12x cheaper than the coffeeshop! And I'll bet this is actually better than some of the horrible brews made by dispassionate kopi kias in some coffeeshops. 

Tasting Notes

It's a working man's coffee in that its cheap as hell and I mean real cheap. You can buy a truck load of this and literally guzzle it without burning a hole in your pocket. Taste won't be your top priority if you buy this but it will do a decent job of getting your engines started. The strength seems to be mild but baring any lab analysis, it's all just guess work and my guess is you'll need a midday pick me up with this coffee. Probably one that tastes better and also gives you an excuse to leave the desk for a coffee run to the coffeeshop or office pantry peppered with some small talk along the way. Contains instant coffee (probably mainly Arabica beans + the usual nanyang style coffee fillers of maize / corn and roasted with butter?) and a non-diary creamer. Definitely not for fussies!

TLDR version
This is a workhorse coffee that's cheap and decent. Get it to save your pocket!