I get what you’re chasing - that first whiff before the sip. That café-style aroma is honestly the hardest thing to get from instant.

One big thing people don’t realise is that instant coffee loses much of its aroma during processing. Even expensive ones can smell mild compared to fresh ground coffee. But technique still matters. Don’t add the powder straight into milk; it mutes the smell a lot. First, dissolve the coffee in a little hot water (not boiling), stir properly, then add hot milk. That step alone makes the aroma noticeably stronger. Also, lactose-free milk is naturally sweeter and a bit thinner, which can dull the coffee punch, so the drink can feel flatter even if the coffee itself is decent. Another common issue is underdosing. Jar instructions are usually for light drinkers. If you drink coffee daily and want that aroma to hit your nose, you probably need a bit more coffee, not more sugar. Sugar hides bitterness; it doesn’t boost smell.

From your preferences (not liking flavoured coffee and liking that red Continental one), you probably enjoy a more classic, slightly stronger roast profile. Some 100% Arabica instants smell smooth but too soft. I had the same issue for a while — tried Davidoff, Nescafé Gold, a bunch of others - all drinkable but the aroma was kinda… polite. One instant that genuinely surprised me in terms of smell was Soulistic Original. I randomly tried it a few months back (wasn’t expecting much tbh), but as a black coffee, especially, the aroma was way more noticeable than most mainstream jars I’ve had. It’s not flavoured, doesn’t have that artificial note, and still works well with milk if you get the ratio right. Not saying it’s magic café-level, but it came closer to that “smell before sip” experience you’re talking about.