The Best Store-Bought Iced Coffee Isn't Starbucks Or Dunkin'

For many of you reading this, coffee isn't just something you love — it's something that you depend on. It sounds dramatic because it is. On most days, sipping from your mug in the morning is the only moment of solitude you'll get, helping you ease into the turmoil of the day ahead of you. Without it and the jolt of caffeine it provides, even some of the most mundane of tasks can feel next to impossible. But, coffee isn't just the fuel for your productivity. It's also an opportunity to pause, savor, and enjoy.

For that, you'll need the very best, and you'll need it there, ready for you at any given moment. So, say hello to the best store-bought ice coffee: Stumptown's Original Cold Brew. In Tasting Table's ranking of over 20 store-bought iced coffees, Stumptown Coffee Roaster's Original Cold Brew outdid them all — yes, even Starbucks and Dunkin'. Unsurprisingly, this Portland, Oregon bred blend blew taste testers away with its full-body flavor and smoothness. Every spectrum of flavor came across in each sip — from fruity citrus and plum to warm chocolate and hazelnut.

While much smoother than your usual dark roast, Stumptown's Original Cold Brew still delivers the boldness and depth to balance out creamers and sweeteners. Give it a splash of the absolute best oat milk creamer, and you'll be in heaven — or, enjoy it black. Just keep in mind that it delivers more caffeine per ounce than many other store-bought iced coffees on the market.

Read more: 31 Popular Coffee Brands, Ranked

What Makes Stumptown Cold Brew Better Than The Competition?

Stumptown's cold brew is a reflection of the company's passion for coffee. Beginning with some of the highest quality coffee beans, extracted in cold water for 12 hours low and slow, the cold brew is filtered once and then twice before being bottled and sold to happy customers like the Tasting Table taste testers. The truth is, though, that the process of creating Stumptown's quality cold brew — and all of its coffee products, really — begins much earlier than that.

Stumptown's been a B-Corp certified company since 2018, and they've had a direct-trade relationship with the Aguirre family's farm in Guatemala since 2003, which only goes to show that its commitment to community and sustainability goes hand in hand with its mission to source the best coffee you can get. By all accounts, and specifically by Tasting Table's high ranking of its original cold brew, Stumptown seems to be succeeding in the mission. That's not only because they double filter the coffee, but because they look after people who grow it and the land it grows on. And that type of quality shines through in all of Stumptown's coffee, not just the cold brew.

If you like Stumptown's Original Cold Brew, try out some of the other flavors it comes in. Stumptown now sells single-serve cartons of it with Oatly oat milk, in flavors like original, chocolate, and horchata, along with a whole range of ethically sourced beans and blends.

Read the original article on Tasting Table