20
FDC Skull Crushing Espresso
(thelemmy.club)
Shit, this coffee is insane. Now, it costs 9 bucks and change in Walmart, and it tastes like 9 bucks and change coffee. I am however spoiled on coffee so this is a bit arrogant of me to claim.
That being said, that caffeine hits really hard, I could feel my pulse. I was up and really zoned in on work. I have not had a hit like this in years. If you need a cold start, this is a bear slap to the face in the middle of winter. Going to be drinking this for awhile.
It's cheap, so I expect it to taste cheap as well. However. I don't think you really care about quality to begin with if you even consider this kind of marketing.
I'm curious how this could contain more caffeine than regular coffee? Have they added caffeine themselves or what?
For real. I would say you don’t really care about quality if you’re buying any coffee that labels itself as espresso. Burnt black dark roast is more like it. Is it espresso if I brew it via pour over, French press, moka pot?
I believe that some label the coffee as "espresso" to make it easier for regular people to know if it's a good fit for espresso or not. It doesn't have to mean that the coffee is of low quality.
PS. If you burn your coffee beans when you're roasting them, you're obviously doing something wrong. ;)
They’re probably using Robusta beans. Robusta has much more caffeine, but tastes more bitter as a result compared to most other coffee which uses Arabica beans to avoid the bad taste thing. I think some other instant/flavored coffees use Robusta, but most use Arabica.
I don't I have ever tried robusta. :) And you're aboslutely right, I remember reading about robusta having more caffeine than Arabica beans.
My decision was not based on marketing at all, but caffeine. If the packaging is to be believed, pure coffee. It is strong, which is the only reason I bought it, to get me through a series of work projects that I am pulling one-nighters over. This was after I tried Nescafe chicory, which is way more terrible, and makes my pee stink.
I am not sure where the additional caffeine comes from, but, it is there in spades. And it burns slow too. Some coffee gives you a short kick, this is now going to ~9h (albeit two cups) and its there. I can feel it. I added a bit of cocoa powder to manage the taste, makes a bit of difference.
Would I buy it as a daily driver? Nope.
The issue here is this: the roasting method doesn't really impact the volume of caffeine that gets preserved, especially not when making espresso.
However. Espresso contains more caffeine than pour over coffee. So. This is either a) shitty marketing or b) they have added caffeine themselves. :)
Also. Caffeine is always the same molecule. Your body can't tell the differene. And it always breaks down at the same speed. However. Depending on how you consume it (coffee vs energy drink) you might have a different experience and it might feel different, but the effect of caffeine is always the same.
I understand your point, but I honestly do not know. I cannot say whether anything has been added to it, or even what type of coffee it is. I bought it for its effect, and in that respect, it works exceptionally well. It is stronger than anything else I have tried, and the effects last considerably longer. If anything has been added, however, the label does not disclose it.