The quest for the perfect warm caffeinated beverage: Colin & Co

I have an addictive personality.

A couple of years ago I discovered a substance called caffeine. It revolutionised my life. In those days, I loathed the taste of coffee. The smell of coffee would make me gag. I soon discovered some caffeinated chocolates to the tune of one-and-a-half-espresso-shots in each tasty bitesized square and I was set. Until they stopped importing into Australia.

Roll forward a few years to today. I still do not like the taste of coffee, however the smell has taken on new connotations. The smell now has become linked with the feeling and I have begun to enjoy the scent of gently roasting beans because I know how buzzy I will feel having injested them. 

I have in the past had a very healthy double-shot-espresso-with-two-tablespoons-of-sugar-a-day caffeine addiction. Yes, I did write tablespoons. I brutally weaned myself out of this addiction using green tea, but continue to have phases where I require caffeine on a regular almost daily basis.

Now, you may have noticed dear reader that I am writing caffeine, not coffee. This is because my poison of choice is the mochachino.

The mocha.

A travesty to true coffee aficionados and a disappointment for hot chocolate drinkers,  the mocha combines two of my favourite things: chocolate and caffeine. 

Therefore, after this rather lengthy introduction, I have decided to review the humble mocha. There are four elements to the judging process: amount and consistency of froth, chocolateyness (aka can I taste any coffee?), temperature and cost. 

Colin & Co, Rundle Place. 

I had a sneaky solo coffee here on Saturday at about 4pm, getting close to winding down time. Here are my thinkings:

Froth: 2/5. Froth was tasty, not coffee tasting at all but too thin and not enough. I like a good inch of froth and a couple of millimetres just doesn't cut it, no matter how little it tastes like coffee. I should really rate froth out of 10 because it is my favourite part and also the cause for the most disappointment. I'd have a cup of froth if it contained the same amount of caffeine...

Chocolateyness: 4/5. Nicely chocolately, to the point where I wondered if there was any coffee in it at all. 

Temperature: 5/5. I need to be able to drink it immediately. No burning of my tongue. If my tongue is burnt it means you fail as a barista and you have BURNT THE MILK AND MADE BABY JESUS CRY WITH YOUR INATTENTIVENESS. Put you hands around the milk jug and when it becomes almost too hot to touch, fucking STOP. Deep breath.

Cost: 2/5. A reasonably pricey coffee at $3.90 especially with my lack of froth disappointment.

All in all an agreeable coffee, although the disappointing froth factor will make me think twice about returning. Overall 3/5.