Coffee Bar Collective: Coffee to blow you away

Coffee Bar Collective on Temple Row in Birmingham city centre is basically a pilgrimage for us at this point. We have been many many times and still the team there manage to surprise us with the drinks they serve up.

Their ever-changing selection of insane coffees constantly push the boundaries of what you might think coffee can be and it is this that always draws us back.

With both a fantastically solid house espresso and a funkier guest roast, they supplement this with the experimental Frozen Doses menu and a rotation of house V60 options.

It had been a while since we had made the trip there, so on a sunny Sunday afternoon, it was high time that we went to give our palates a treat.

On arrival, it was predictably busy in the cosy space they currently occupy. However, this will not be a problem in the new spot which will be opening soon! You can follow updates on their Instagram page here.

Luckily, there were a couple of spare seats so we headed to the counter to enquire about the latest options and were met with the usual warmth and expertise of Brad.

After some serious deliberation, we plumped for a couple of short blacks with their guest espresso from Dak, as well as a super exciting pour-over from the Frozen Doses menu by Manhattan.

First up came the short blacks and, of course, they were superb. The Amsterdam-based Dak are known for producing bright and funky coffees, so this Frosty Grape espresso was bound to be delicious.

The Colombian 'Frosty Grape' espresso from Dak

A Colombian coffee of the lesser seen Papayo variety, the washed process kept it clean and bright, but allowed the grape and date syrup flavours to cut through. There was also a crisp, citrus acidity to the finish and the mouthfeel was beautifully silky.

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Due to the size of the serving board for our V60, we were very kindly afforded a space at the window bar to allow room for us to enjoy the experience fully.

It came presented on a gorgeous dark wood board, with some sleek Kinto glassware, Loveramics cups and the beans in a glass dish that allowed you to smell the aromas of the coffee before tasting.

The 'El Paraiso' from 'Manhattan'; a true treat of a coffee

This was another Colombian coffee, but this was the much vaunted Geisha variety. The anti-maceration process really highlighted the punchy notes of this coffee, with very strong cherry flavours and a boozy hit that made it feel like drinking Kirsch rather than coffee.

With the Frozen Doses menu soon to change and this coffee running out, we were stoked to have finally tried it and it certainly did not disappoint. There was very much a luxurious feeling to this coffee and not one for the feint hearted but it was a definite hit with us both.

All in all, this was yet another excellent trip to Coffee Bar and we're already looking forward to seeing what the new era will bring.