From celebrity lead-investor Patrick Mahomes, Throne Sport Coffee has a strong lineup of cold brew and flavored latte functional beverages that blend coffee, protein, and electrolytes. Michael Fedele of BODYARMOR fame provides the industry know-how for the brand and it's athlete and creator centric funding base which also includes Lex Bregman, Breanna Stewart, and Chris Brickley. Generally, the drinks are targeted as recovery beverages with lower sugar content and natural caffeine when compared to traditional sports and energy drinks. This can in particular is part of the latte line featuring natural Madagascar vanilla. I got this as a free sample through the QuickTrip app, but they typically go for $3-$4 a can.
🌍Origin: Arabica from Central/South America
🔥Roast Level: Unknown, likely medium-dark.
🧪Brew Method: Industrial cold water extraction (immersion). Like consumer cold brew, this has less acid prevalence that hot methods.
📗Ingredients:
Throne lattes feature ultra-filtered skim milk treated with lactase enzymes to remain lactose-free while still providing natural protein from the milk. My understanding is that the milk is mechanically concentrated with membrane filtration in order to fit the 10g into the 11oz container while leaving room for coffee (would take the full volume to get out of whole milk alone).
- Caffeine - 150mg
- Protein - 10g
- Vitamins - B2 Riboflavin 1.3mg 100%, B3 Niacin 16mg 100%, B6 1.7mg 100%
- Electrolytes - Potassium 290mg 6%. and Sodium 115mg 5%
- BCAA - Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine
👅Experience: It's a three man band of vanilla, protein shake, and coffee with the java playing a clear third chair. Vanilla is perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. Mouthfeel is thick and slightly filmy on the tongue which is think is probably due to the heat-treating/thermal processing required to make it shelf stable. Based on the lack of whey or soy isolate, I was a bit surprised by the protein shake effect, but I think this is due to the elevated vitamin mix, protein concentration, and amino acids which all have some impact on flavor.
🏆 Score: 3/5 - Good - When compared to a traditional protein shake, Throne Sport Coffee's Vanilla Latte is way more tasty, but as compared to canned coffees, I have some reservations. The vanilla is well executed and there is enough coffee taste that I wouldn't confuse this with a Yoo-hoo, but for having a third of the protein as a whey shake I'm not convinced this is worth the trade-off. Would
💵Would buy again? I'm interested to try other flavors, but I would only grab this one in passing through an airport or if on deep discount.
⚖️Scale:
1 | Bad | Don't Drink it | I Wouldn't Drink it
2 | Poor | I would drink it if there was nothing else or it was free
3 | Good | Serviceable | Like it | Grab it on sale
4 | Great | A Cut Above | Love it | Buy at full price
5 | Excellent | Standout in the Category | A Favorite | Pay venue prices
