Feedback from Jojo Colina, Coffee Roaster and Owner of Verdant Roasters
I have mostly avoided milk and other dairy products with my coffee. The milk I feel masks the nuances in the taste of my coffee. I am also mildly lactose intolerant as is a large number of adults. Artificial creamers are never going be in my coffee cup as my coffee deserves to be natural.
I have tried supermarket soy milk and other dairy substitutes but while they address my intolerance to lactose, they still mask the coffee flavor.
Recently though I have found a couple of natural milk substitutes that I find enhances the flavor of my coffee. I was skeptical given my past tries with soy milk but I gave it a try.
I had roasted some Mt. Apo peaberry beans and made a latte with Bonsoy, a soy milk product. The result was a latte which did not disappoint. The flavor notes of the Mt. Apo peaberry were still there along with a very subtle hint of nuttiness that I attribute to Bonsoy being a soy milk. The finish was very pleasant and enjoyed letting the taste linger in my mouth for quite a while. I usually wash a dairy-based latte down quickly with water as the finish turns sour to my palate.
I then tried Minor Figures, oat milk that is specifically made to go with coffee. This one I paired with an SCA 85 rated Bukidnon Arabica typica. This pairing really stood out. The fruit and caramel notes of the Bukidnon Arabica were still very evident and a smooth creaminess with a very slight and pleasant oat nuttiness rounded out this cup. I could not get enough of it. The finish was very pleasant and did not need to be washed down.
As I had stored the open cartons of these milks in our family fridge, they caught the interest of my daughters and paired them with crushed fresh strawberries and used them to make overnight oats. They too liked the clean taste.
Bonsoy and Minor Figures have added fresh new options to my coffee experience. Thanks to We Eat Organic for introducing me to these great milks to pair with my coffee.