I've been trying different types of coffees with butter and coconut milk, but came across a most unusual variation that I'd never seen before at Elephant Grounds. They call it "Bulletproof", and it costs around S$9+ including all the various surcharges, but it was really unique and interesting, and worth the price to try it at least once.
While they had no official description of the drink, I spoke to the staff to find out what they did to make it. It is super simple. They apparently blend hot coffee (I believe it is an Americano) with actual butter and coconut oil, and then just pour it into the cup. The blender produces the foam, not a milk foamer, which explains the light tan foam. And this is possible for an Americano probably because of the butter and coconut oil, as coffee on its own wouldn't produce such a thick and fine foam.
As for the taste, overall, this is probably the first acidic and sourish coffee without milk or sugar that I actually liked.
The dark roasted and nutty notes hit first - it was a blend of roasted coffee and nutty coconut notes.
The flavour then opened up into a very delicate and bright sourness with a hint of acidity. This sourness was very complex and pleasant, and resembled the mellow sourness from yoghurt or cheese, not the sharper tangyness from fruits. It also reminded me a bit of cultured butter due to how similar this sourness was to yoghurt.
Finally, the taste journey ends with a very fragrant tropical aftertaste of coconut again.
The mouthfeel and taste was extremely smooth across all these transitions, which is something I had never experienced before. It was a colourful journey in each sip.
As you can see in the photo above, there is no milk in the coffee. Beneath the foam, it is relatively clear or transluscent and a dark caramel or toffee colour. It is lighter than the usual americano, possibly due to the butter. Although it might look a bit like diluted coffee, the intensity of the taste matched that of a well brewed americano, which is more intense than drip coffees.
There was no sugar, and they did not have an iced version, which makes sense given that the butter might have coagulated if the temperature dropped.
I also think that the recipe is so simple that it would be easy to do at home. You could always try different amounts of butter and coconut oil, and experiment with different beans at home.
But I still highly recommend trying this at least once, just so you know what a good cup tastes like!
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