by Nigel Ong
Davidoff may be more known for its fragrances or tobacco, but surprisingly, it also has a line of coffee products. Will their Fine Aroma instant coffee be able to compete with other premium instant coffee? I picked up a bottle to find out.
In this post, I will review the Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee. I will make cups of it and drink it black and with other flavorings. I’ll also compare it with other instant coffee before deciding if you should try it.
About Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee
Davidoff is a brand focusing on luxury goods, founded by Zino Davidoff in 1875. You may know Davidoff for its range of tobacco and fragrance products.
The company also carries many other products, including coffee. Within its range of instant coffee, Davidoff offers several blends, including:
- Davidoff Fine Aroma
- Davidoff Rich Aroma
- Davidoff Espresso 57
- Davidoff Crema Intense
These varieties may feature different intensity levels, roasting profiles, and flavor notes, ranging from mild and balanced to robust.
These blends are made from 100% Arabica beans, which helps to give this instant coffee a smooth taste. It is also less earthy and acidic than common instant coffee, which usually uses Robusta beans.
The Fine Aroma blend specifically offers a delicate yet deeply satisfying taste, catering to coffee enthusiasts who appreciate a refined coffee experience without brewing equipment.
Davidoff’s venture into coffee has been well-received in popularity, particularly among brand loyalists or those looking for a premium instant coffee experience.
First Impression
My bottle of Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee screams premium. It has a glass bottle with a shiny, dark blue plastic cap. The bottle is not straight either, with curves that make it easy to grab with your hands.
The packaging label combines white, dark blue, and gold. Further showcasing its premium status. Just by looking at it, you know it belongs side by side with premium instant coffees such as Illy, Nescafe Gold, and so on.
Davidoff grades the intensity of their coffee from 1-12, with 1 being the lightest and 12 being the most intense. In the case of Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee, it is a 7, indicating it is a medium roast. The beans are 100% Arabica sourced from Central and South America.
I popped open the lid and saw the freshness seal inside. The seals remind me of Nescafe’s – they do not come off in a single piece. This may make removals a slight hassle.
The coffee granules are large and flat, similar to other premium instant coffees such as Nescafe Gold, Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso, or Maxim. Aroma-wise, it has a rich, slightly mushroomy smell that I think is inviting.
Alright, enough with the description. Let’s make some coffee and start sampling.
How Does Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee Taste?
Black
The coffee does not have a very strong aroma when dried. However, add in hot water, and the aroma releases itself. The coffee instantly filled my kitchen with a creamy, rich smell. Very inviting indeed.
I took a slow sip and found the coffee smooth, without the usual overbearing earthiness. This should point to the use of Arabica beans and not Robusta. The coffee is also soft, which should work well if you like less intense coffee.
There is some creaminess and a soft herbal-like taste within the smoothness. I would describe the herbal note as mushroomy. The creaminess also made the coffee enjoyable, especially for me, as I like milky, creamy tastes.
I would enjoy drinking this premium instant coffee black, as I do not need to mask any flavor issues from it.
With Sugar
Before I proceed, I would like to mention that I am not a fan of sugary coffee. To me, sugar masks the flavor and alters the coffee, making me unable to sample the original characteristics.
On top of that, I think many roasters and coffee makers want people to drink their coffee independently to sample their hard work.
However, I also understand that many enjoy their coffee sweet, so I continued this experiment. I added a coarse, brown sugar stick to my Davidoff Fine Aroma instant coffee cup.
To me, sugar works quite well with this coffee. The sugar blends well with the creamy notes in the coffee, making it more indulgent. The sugar also slightly brings down the mushroom notes, making it more enjoyable.
With Sweetener
Now, not everyone takes sugar these days since sucrose can cause diabetes. Considering this, I thought I’d experiment with some sweeteners here.
I added two drops of Equal artificial sweetener into my Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee cup. The results? Not as good as sugar.
I have issues with artificial sweeteners generally. Stevia tastes odd, and with Equal (Aspartame), it has some kind of a ‘delayed fuse’ to me. The sweetness tends to come slightly later and lingers for too long in my mouth. I prefer my cup with cane sugar.
With Milk
Before I continue, here’s another confession – I like my coffee with milk, which means I might be a bit more positive about how Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee tastes with milk.
Here, I added a shot of warm, whole, UHT cow’s milk into my cup of coffee. A shot is about 30ml, or an ounce to those on imperial. The coffee instantly turns a cloudy, brownish color, looking very inviting to me simultaneously.
What milk does it to further accentuate the coffee’s plus sides. Already smooth and creamy, milk amped up these characteristics further. On top of that, the milk’s lactose also helps sweeten the coffee slightly.
The result? An indulgent, almost decadent cup of instant coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed my cup here, and if you like milked coffee, I believe you would, too.
With Creamer
I made a fresh cup of Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee and added two teaspoons of Coffee Mate creamer.
Coffee Mate creamer is made of palm oil. It is intended to replace milk since there are many lactose-intolerant people. Creamers are also usually lower in fat, which is better for those watching their waistlines.
I think the creamer added similar creaminess to the coffee compared with milk. It accentuates the softness and creaminess of Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee.
The coffee also becomes slightly sweeter with the creamer, although not as sweet as with milk.
However, the creaminess lacks depth and does not stay on the palate longer than milk. The sweetness also is not as natural as milk. My palate may sometimes be inconsistent, but I prefer the milked version.
With Vanilla Syrup
I usually do not try vanilla syrup with my coffee. Still, since the Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee is quite creamy, I wonder if vanilla syrup will make the coffee taste good.
I added two teaspoons of vanilla syrup to my coffee before drinking it.
Here, the vanilla enhances the creamy note of this coffee and adds a soft kick of vanilla to it. The sugar in the syrup also added sweetness to the coffee, making it an indulgent drink.
I cheekily added a splash of milk into the coffee, instantly becoming a decadent coffee drink that will probably make you overdrink and widen your waistline.
Iced
Finally, I filled a glass to the brim with ice. I poured a fresh cup of Ediya Beanist Original Americano instant coffee into it. I made the coffee slightly more concentrated to consider how the hot coffee would melt some ice and become diluted in flavor.
To me, the ice elevated the slight earthy note of the coffee. This is quite normal, as ice tends to make coffee more bitter. However, unlike regular instant coffee, the bitterness here is more complex and does not make the coffee taste like dirt.
On top of that, the smoothness and creaminess of the coffee remain, making the coffee good to sip when cold and chilled down.
There is a slightly acidic taste, although not very strong. To some, the slightly acidic taste may be more enjoyable. To me, I am not too bothered by it.
Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee vs. Other Davidoff Instant Coffee
Aside from the Fine Aroma, I have two more bottles of Davidoff instant coffee in the stash. I thought I’d take them out, make coffee with them, and compare their tastes.
These are the two other Davidoff instant coffees I have:
- Davidoff Rich Aroma
- Davidoff Espresso 57
I would say that the fine aroma resonates with my palates the best. The Davidoff Rich Aroma is a little strong and intense here. This coffee may work for those who think the Fine Aroma is too soft for their palate.
As for the Espresso 57, this is strong, bold, and intense. This instant coffee may work well for you if you like dark roasts. As for myself, I’ll stay away from it.
Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee vs. Premium Instant Coffee
Since Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee is a premium instant coffee, it only makes sense that I pit it against other premium instant coffee I have in my collection:
- Nescafe Gold Regular
- Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia
- Illy Classico
- Maxim Instant Coffee
- Starbucks Premium Instant Medium Roast
I made black coffee out of each instant coffee on the list. I sampled them alongside the Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee.
I would say that Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee is very competitive here. It has the right taste profile that I enjoy, and I would rank it a joint first with the Illy Clasico instant coffee.
The Cap Colombia and Nescafe Gold Regular are close behind, losing out for being a little more earthy and bitter.
Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee vs. Regular Coffee
Now, comparing instant coffee with brewed coffee may not be fair. They are not made to taste the same generally.
Still, I made it a point to compare every coffee I reviewed against a regular brewed coffee. I mean those you can get for regular coffee from the convenience store or the gas station. So I’ll do the same again here.
I grabbed a cup of 7-Eleven Americano and drank it with Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee. In this case, I think the regular coffee wins by a small margin.
Gas station or convenience store coffee is brewed from real coffee grounds, which should produce better-tasting coffee than instant coffee. They should also have more depth in taste despite how flat they are.
However, the Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee is very competitive here. In fact, I would say the distance is much closer than I anticipated.
Is Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee Something For You?
After sampling the Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee, I would say it is an excellent instant coffee. It is incredibly smooth and creamy for instant coffee.
It has a light taste and does not try to smother your palate with smoke. Instead, you get a creamy, slightly herbal, and acidic taste. This makes it an excellent instant coffee to be drunk on its own, without any additives.
The light taste also made it a good choice for those who like their coffee lighter. The Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee should taste easy on your palate if you enjoy light and medium roasts.
However, if you like your coffee with milk or creamer, be easy on the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia. It is not strong, which means a lot of milk or creamer can easily drown its flavors out. The Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee is an excellent candidate if you are looking for a decent replacement for brewing your own coffee every day without losing too much quality. Here’s where you can find Davidoff Fine Aroma Instant Coffee.