Coffee heads, wya? Kyoto-style cold brew is hands down one of my favorite cups of coffee. Recently reunited with this beautiful contraption known as the drip tower at @portolacoffee in Costa Mesa, I was reminded of its elegance and blog-worthy experience.

After having being romantically involved with someone from Japanese descent for well over a decade, I’ve noticed so many underlying nuances about Japanese culture with one universal theme: attention to detail. Moreover, intention for detail. As a creative, y’all know that’s everything to me.

Everything in Japanese culture is so deliberate and artfully executed. It never ceases to amaze me. Fanciful food, futuristic fashion, you name it – they’ve done it. And well.

Kyoto-style iced coffee is a complete 180 experience from the cold brew on tap you get at Starbucks. Trust me, I’ve make gallons of that shit in college lol. It’s mass produced grounds soaked in a Toddy for 24-48 hours. Decent stuff, but no match to the Japanese approach.

Unlike traditional American cold brew coffee, Kyoto iced coffee relies on a slow, unrushed drip-a-second method cycling through a triple chamber system. On average, it takes six hours to complete a small batch. Coffee in its purest form.

The end result is an astounding difference in taste profiles – less acidity with a broad range of the bean’s true flavor essence showcasing particular notes that were carefully extracted.

Next time you’re in OC or SD, grab a cup and let me know what you think! For Kyoto cold brew reccs, I’d check out Portola coffee for a bomb single origin offering. Also Bird Rock Coffee Roasters does it right.

Wondering if I should cop a drip tower for the crib, we shall see. Might get roasted.

Have a great morning. Thanks for stopping by and reading! Stay classy and stay caffeinated.