Canary is a new cold brew subscription service that was created to combine high quality cold brew with modern convenience. They got started in the fall of 2018 with their Kickstarter campaign. They offer subscriptions of 24 cans every two, four, six or eight weeks. Their two current options for cold brew include:
- The Original Blend, which has a full dose of caffeine (200mg) and is sourced with beans from the Chiapas region of Mexico.
- The Afternoon Blend, which has only 100mg of caffeine and is made of a blend of beans from around the world.
Flavor
The cold brew from Canary tasted great. Unlike some cold brews that feel over roasted to cover the imperfections of lower quality beans, Canary was a light, refreshing brew with lots of personality. I tasted subtle, sweeter fruit notes layered with darker chocolate notes. The coffee was balanced and incredibly smooth. Canary runs the coffee concentrate through a nanofiltration system, which leads to the really smooth taste by eliminating bitterness and acidity.
While they had similarities, I could definitely taste the difference between the Original and Afternoon Blend. Flavor-wise the Original Blend was the better coffee in my opinion. The Afternoon Blend had a little more sharpness & bitterness to the taste compared to the incredibly smooth Original Blend.
Price
At $3 per 8 oz can, Canary pushes the higher threshold of price for ready to drink cold brew. The added convenience of having them shipped to your door on the schedule you set does give some added value to the $3/can price point.
Quality/Ingredients
The only ingredients are organic coffee and water—no added sugar or flavorings. They source their beans from farms in Mexico, Central America, and Africa, all of which is fair trade and organic. The quality of the coffee absolutely tastes like they are using specialty coffee beans that give the depth and complexity of flavor you’d expect in a pour over or other specialty coffee drink.
Complexity
As I mentioned in the flavor section, there is some great complexity of the coffee. There are a depth to the flavors that you don’t get in many pre-packaged cold brews.
The Bottom Line
If you are a daily cold brew drinker and looking for an easy way to never run out, Canary is a great option. While it is a bit more expensive, it is high quality and has great flavor.