Sleepy Owl Hot Brew Coffees Review – We Tried 5 Variants

The idea of cafe-style coffees in a brew bag sounds as unachievable as full marks in an English essay. Sleepy Owl came into being because the founders wanted three things from their coffee – to taste good, easy availability, and be convenient to make.

Earlier we reviewed the Sleepy Owl Cold Brew Coffee and Cold Coffee and LOVED them for their strong, smooth coffee flavor. To check out their range of hot brew bags, we picked up three flavors of Sleepy owl Hot Brew Coffees – Original, Dark Roast, Cinnamon, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut. 

Our Sleepy Owl Hot Brew Coffees Review discusses the flavor, strength, and smoothness of the coffee. We also reveal if it’s quick and easy to make a perfect cuppa using these coffee bags. 

What were we looking for while reviewing Sleepy Owl Hot Brew?

Coffee is not just about taste. It is an amalgamation of various sensory experiences. For our Sleepy Owl Hot Brew Coffees review, we set five core parameters. They helped us identify the deeper flavors, smoothness, and strength of the coffee.

To make the coffee we followed the exact instructions given on the box. We tried them without milk and sugar.

1. Flavor

Coffee made using Arabica beans has a citrusy acidity with sweeter tones which can be floral, fruity, nutty or chocolaty.

While tasting the coffee we answered questions like – Is the coffee too bitter and acidic? Smooth tasting or not? What flavor does it lend to our cup? Are the specified flavors on the box detectable? If yes, are they underwhelming or balanced? 

2. Aroma

The aroma of well-roasted coffee beans, freshly ground is heavenly. Through our review, we wanted to know how strong and robust was the coffee aroma when we opened the pack? How intense is the coffee aroma? In the flavored variants, could we smell any hints of vanilla and hazelnut? 

3.  Strength Of The Coffee

When we say the strength of the coffee, we do not mean the caffeine content. We mean the ground coffee to water ratio. We checked for strength with the recommended instructions on the pack.

4. Convenience

The fact that the USP of the brand is convenience, this was a major parameter.

5. Value For Money

Does the quality of the product justify the price? Is this coffee a value for money option?

Here is what we found-

Ingredients, brewing, consumption, all you need to know about our Sleepy Owl Hot Brew experience is discussed in this section.

#1 Sleepy Owl Original Hot Brew Coffee

Sleepy Owl’s Coffee (Original Hot Brew) comes in an indigo and white-colored box. We ordered a box with 10 bags. As soon as we opened the coffee bag, we got a strong whiff of freshly ground coffee. These brew bags are sealed well which is why it locks in the aroma.

We brewed the coffee for five minutes, as mentioned. The coffee made using the Original Brew Bag has a very bold aroma. It is dark brown in color. People who like their coffees a little less intense can brew for a lesser amount of time. 

We detected slight citrusy notes synonymous with Arabica coffee. This is a very smooth coffee and the flavor is indicative of well-roasted beans. This hot brew coffee is neither bitter nor too acidic and the balance of flavor is spot on. 

A small amount of coffee residue tends to settle down in the cup.

Sleepy Owl Dark Roast Hot Brew Coffee

Right as we opened the carton, a strong, captivating aroma of freshly ground coffee enveloped the Test Kitchen. 

Dark roasts are bold. With a rich, full-bodied texture, coffee prepared from dark roasted beans can range from toasty to bittersweet-tasting. The roasting process brings in unique flavor profiles that partially overshadow the original flavor of the coffee.

We added 200 ml of hot water and let one 12.5-gram coffee bag brew for 5 minutes, as suggested.  

Sleepy Owl Dark Roast features an intense, partially burnt aroma. 

PS- over-roasted coffee beans feature this aroma. However, the coffee still tastes smooth. 

The acidity is reduced while the characteristic taste of coffee is enhanced. 

We let the coffee brew for a little longer than 5 minutes and found the taste turns even bolder. 

The aftertaste is a lingering burnt flavor, but desirable nonetheless. 

Sleepy Owl Cinnamon Hot Brew

In addition to the enticing coffee aroma, we whiffed subtle yet inviting cinnamony undertones. The coffee bags are sealed tightly that retains the intensity, since the bags are not exposed to any moisture or light. 

The packaging is commendable. All coffee bags are individually sealed in plastic-free packs. The bags are tightly wrapped using a cotton thread, and NOT staple pins!

As part of our review, we cut open a bag to gauge the texture. This was not a fine powder like instant coffee. It was coarse and granular. 

After letting the coffee bag brew in hot water for 5 minutes, we commenced the taste test.

SMOOTH! This was our collective first observation. Sleepy Owl Hot Brew in Cinnamon features a superior taste. We also tasted the warm sweetness that cinnamon has with the characteristic citrusy flavor of Arabica beans. 

Though the brand recommends brewing the coffee bag for 5 minutes, we tested it after half the time (around three minutes), after five minutes (as recommended), and after seven and a half minutes. Surprisingly, the taste strengthens marginally but the coffee does not turn bitter at all. The cinnamon flavor is subtle but present. 

Sleepy Owl French Vanilla Hot Brew Coffee

Vanilla inherently has sweeter tones. The combination of vanilla and coffee is showcased wonderfully in this variant, be it the flavor or the aroma.

The sweet vanilla combined with the strong coffee aroma is most certainly captivating as soon as we cut open the sealed pouch. The vanilla flavor marginally lowers the intensity of coffee which is good for people looking for coffees that are a small step down intensity-wise. 

The smooth coffee and the playfully sweet vanilla undertones are lovely!

Sleepy Owl Hazelnut Hot Brew Coffee

Sleepy Owl Hazelnut Hot Brew Coffee comes in a brown and white carton. Each box contains 10 brew bags. As soon as we opened the paper pack of the brew bag, we got a strong coffee aroma and extremely subtle nutty tones.

The color of the coffee is a little lighter than the other two variants. The nuttiness of the hazelnuts is not as prominent and lingers somewhere in the background. The coffee flavor is also lower in intensity as compared to the original one. 

During our Sleepy Owl Hot Brew Coffees Review, we checked them for their flavor, convenience, and aroma. Sleepy Owl’s Original Hot Brew Coffee is a must-have for people who love their coffee strong and free from any flavors.

We also recommend the Cinnamon variant. Its natural warming sweetness is something we’re fans of. Add a splash of milk and some sweetener if you like to have your coffee with milk.

If you are looking for a subtler coffee intensity with sweeter tones, we recommend the French Vanilla Coffee by Sleepy Owl.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Sleepy Owl Hot Brew Coffees.

If you’re someone who is always pressed for time but cannot do without your daily cuppa made to perfection, you will love the Sleepy Owl’s Hot Brew Coffee. It requires minimal effort and the flavor of this coffee can give decent competition to a cup of coffee made at your go-to coffeehouse. 

The best part? You don’t require expensive equipment or special tools. Just dip and there you have it! As we said earlier, getting this quality of coffee at home without any additional effort is exceptional.

Have you tried Sleepy Owl Hot Brew Coffee before? How was the experience? Let us know in the comment section below. 

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.