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Nespresso Caramello
Barista CreationsNespresso
This is a review of the Nespresso Caramello coffee capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nespresso Caramello coffee for the Original Line, which is part of the Barista Creations series of coffee. The coffee beans used in the Caramello are Latin American arabicas, plus a small amount of flavoring. Nespresso mentions notes that are creamy caramel with also biscuit notes. I received three sample packs with three of these capsules, so I’ve only had a chance to evaluate them based on those samples.

Aroma

The Nespresso Caramel Caramello coffee has a very strong caramel aromas to it. The aromas are very nice and makes the coffee very appealing. I’m also sensing a light coconut and/or vanilla aromas. The Caramello has a medium to dark crema.

The aromas are less pronounced when brewed as a Lungo shot and the crema is denser.

Taste

I brewed the Nespresso Caramello coffee first as a espresso shot and it tastes really nice for a flavored coffee. It has sweet notes and it’s almost like creme and caramel with light coconut notes to it. The coffee is very enjoyable to drink. I’m personally not fond of flavored drinks, but this coffee is very nice in that the flavors are not very strong and overpowering, and it doesn’t taste artificial.

On a second day I tried brewing as a Lungo (recommended by Nespresso) just to see how that tastes like. The taste is not as good as when brewed as an espresso shot and tastes watered down. I’m not sure if even adding milk this way would be a good idea. Seems better to brew as an espresso and add milk. I’m getting a lot more acidic notes this way, and it doesn’t taste that great.

Result

The Nespresso Caramello coffee is a very nice flavored coffee that you can drink straight black (no milk or sugar) and really enjoy when brewed as an espresso shot. I would not recommend brewing as a Lungo shot at all.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6849
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Segafredo Espresso Encore
Segafredo
This is a review of the Segafredo Espresso Encore coffee capsule for Nespresso Original Line machines.
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Introduction

The Segafredo Zanetti “Espresso Encore” capsules are an aluminum capsule made in Italy and distributed in the US by Massimo Zanetti out of Suffolk Virginia. The coffee is rated at an intensity of 10 and tasting notes mentioned on the box are: berry, malty and toasted almonds. There is a date stamp on the side of the box indicating the best before date, and mine showed 11/15/2025, which is more than a year and half from my date of purchase. These are aluminum capsules and are sealed in nitrogen, so I’ve had them recently and the coffee is as fresh as when I got them.

Aroma

The Segafredo Espresso Encore coffee has very light aromas. Possibly cereal and maybe slight fruit like notes to it. The crema is thin and light colored and dissipates quickly.

Taste

The Espresso Encore coffee has medium bitterness to it. I’m getting slight sour notes, but regardless the sour notes are nice. I just don’t get any real strong character notes to this coffee. But if you like a coffee that is strong and has bitterness, then this should work well for you. When brewed as a ristretto shot, this doesn’t improve the taste or aromas at all.

Result

The Espresso Encore coffee is an okay coffee, but I’m not happy that there is not real character to the coffee at all.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6157
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Nespresso Vaniglia
Barista CreationsNespresso
This is a review of the Nespresso Vaniglia coffee capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nespresso Barista Creations Vaniglia coffee for the Original Line machines, which is part of the Barista Creations series of coffee. The coffee beans used in the Vaniglia are Latin American arabicas, plus a small amount of flavoring. Nespresso mentions notes that are vanilla and sweet biscuit notes. I received three sample packs with three of these capsules, so I’ve only had a chance to evaluate them based on those samples. Each capsule contains 5 grams of coffee and Nespresso mentions to brew them as Lungo shots – this seems that they may be over extracted.

Aroma

The Nespresso Vaniglia coffee has a very thick crema that is also bubbly. The crema is light brown but persists for a long time – I’m really impressed. I’m getting honey and sugary like aromas.

Taste

The Nespresso Vaniglia coffee tastes does have vanillia like tastes. I’m getting slight acidity notes. It feels very creamy in the mouth and thick. I’m actually really impressed with this coffee, although I really don’t like flavored coffees. It seems to be really high quality.

Even though Nespresso suggests brewing this one as a Lungo, I highly suggest you brew this one as an espresso. It tastes best as an espresso shot. Even if you use milk, brew as an espresso and add milk later.

Result

The Nespresso Vaniglia coffee is a very nice flavored coffee that you can drink straight black (no milk or sugar) and really enjoy.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6852
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Nespresso Ispirazione Palermo Compostable Capsule Review
Ispirazione ItalianaNespresso
This is a review of the Nespresso Ispirazione Palermo coffee capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nespresso Ispirazione Palermo coffee capsule, which is part of Nespresso’s new compostable paper capsules. These currently are only available in some European countries like France, Belgium, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Italy – no idea if they will ever come to the US. The packaging is a nitrogen sealed composite light blue colored plastic/foil package, and you can buy a wooden Nespresso clip to clip on the one end to keep the package sealed and fresh. Supposedly the capsules can keep fresh if sealed with the clip for up to 4 weeks. A picture of the package and clip is shown here, and each package contains 10 capsules.

This is the highest intensity coffee for the compostable series. The Nespresso Ispirazione Palermo uses 80% Indian robusta beans, and the rest is 20% Brazilian arabicas. It’s a dual roast with one longer dark roast and a second shorter one. The intensity is 10 and notes mentioned are “spicy & woody”; I suspect it’s similar to Kazaar. It mentions the ideal shot is a ristretto but also can be brewed as an espresso shot. Here is a link to the Italian site if you want to read more about it.

Without actually trying this one, I personally think it might be the best one for the whole compostable series.

When inserting these, pull the lever down slowly to prevent crushing instead of piercing. Brew them and wait a number of seconds (maybe at least a minute?) before trying to eject them. I had zero issues with my Inissia doing it this way. NOTE: I did one time leave the a capsule in my machine after use for about 30 minutes, it was soft and when I tried to eject it, it didn’t drop down, so I had to push it down – but it was easy.

Thanks so much to reddit user u/Ecatexy for providing this sample package for me to evaluate. I really appreciate all those samples she’s provided. Also, for anyone else that is wanting me to evaluate any other coffee, please get in touch with me on reddit.

Aroma

The Ispirazione Palermo compostable capsule coffee has slight woody aromas and very nice dark colored crema which is also very dense.

I noticed that when I brewed this as an espresso shot, the extraction is incredible, and the coffee stays really dark almost to the end of extraction.

Taste

Wow! When brewed as a ristretto shot, the Ispirazione Palermo coffee is just a really nice intense coffee with good bitter notes. Slight spicy notes, and a touch of acidity, and I’m also getting very light tobacco like notes. It’s not like the Kazaar, but more like a cuban style coffee, with intense roasting. I’m really liking this one!

When brewed as a espresso shot, the Ispirazione Palermo compostable capsule coffee is also really nice. I’m not sensing any paper notes at all. It got slight smoky notes and a touch of spicy notes, and good bitterness. I believe this one is tasting much better when brewed as a ristretto shot, but it’s also really excellent when brewed as an espresso shot.

Result

The Ispirazione Palermo is a fantastic tasting coffee. And hats off to Nespresso for making this really nice compoastable paper format for capsules – they indeed are really a great idea. I highly recommend brewing this one as a ristretto shot, to get almost like a cuban style coffee. I suspect these will be really popular.

I was also contemplating that if these happen to become released in the US whether I would prefer this over the Kazaar (which is one of my favorite Nespresso coffees), and I tried this ones at different times of the day and also breaking for a few days and re-trying it; I find this is such an excellent coffee, that I would probably puchase more of the Palermo rather than the Kazaar. It’s really that good.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6946
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Segafredo Espresso Forte
Segafredo
This is a review of the Segafredo Espresso Forte coffee capsule for Original Line machines.
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Introduction

The Segafredo Zanetti “Espresso Forte” capsules are an aluminum capsule made in Italy and distributed in the US by Massimo Zanetti out of Suffolk Virginia. The box nor the website mentions the type of coffee beans using in this blend, it is most likely a blend of arabicas and robustas, but no origins are mentioned. The taste notes mentioned are smokey and toasted. The box also mentions there is 5.1 grams of coffee per capsule.

The box is a flip open lid and the capsules are made out of aluminum for freshness. I bought the 4 variety sample pack on Amazon, since the price was very reasonable at about $0.54 per capsule.

Aroma

I tried brewing the Espresso Forte first as a ristretto size pour, since I first tried another blend and it seemed a bit weak. The Espresso Forte coffee has a very thin crema and is medium color and dissipates quickly. I’m just getting smokey like aromas, and definitely smells like robusta beans.

Taste

Wow! This blend is pretty nice. The Espresso Forte coffee has a slight sweetness to it. I’m getting earthy, and also smokey like tastes and overall is a nice intense coffee. This should go really well with milk.

Result

The Espresso Forte coffee is an excellent 3rd party choice. To get the best taste, you’ll want to brew these shorter as a ristretto shot, and also if you want to use milk, you might need to use two capsules for better results.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6151
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Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil
Nescafe Farmers OriginsNespressoNescafe
This is a review of the Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil capsule for the Original Line machines. The Nescafé Farmers Origins capsules are currently not sold in North America; They are available in parts of Europe (France, Italy, and Spain for sure), New Zealand and Australia. They are essentially exactly the same capsule format as Nespresso capsules, and the sleeve is the same size with 10 capsules per sleeve. The only difference is Nescafé branding.

The Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil is a medium intensity coffee rated at level 8 and uses arabicas from Brazil. You can read more about it at this Farmers Origins link. The coffee appears to be very high quality coffee just like Nespresso. This coffee is intended to be brewed as a Lungo sized shot – I’ll see how it fairs.

Hats off to reddit user u/Ecatexy for providing this sample sleeve for me to use to evaluate. I really appreciate that. Also, for anyone else that is wanting me to evaluate any other coffee, please get in touch with me on reddit.

Aroma

The Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil when brewed as a Lungo shot, has a very thick crema and is light colored. The aroma is sweet and slightly floral.

On a second day I brewed as an espresso shot. The aromas seem stronger and definitely are vegetal notes. Possibly like snow peas plus sugary notes. The crema is still very thick and light colored.

Taste

Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil when brewed as a Lungo shot, tastes a little too watery. It has a sweet taste, possibly like apple, with slight bitterness (probably from over extraction).

When brewed as an espresso shot, the Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil has very nice sweet tasting notes. I would almost say something like apple pie. It’s rated at intensity 8, but I would say it feels like a lot less intensity, maybe more like 5.

I also tried brewing the Farmers Origins Brazil as a ristretto shot, and it’s really good this way. I would almost recommend somewhere between a ristretto and a espresso shot size for optimal flavor profile. It’s still got the sweet and apple pie notes, but it’s a lot strong and tastes better.

Result

The Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil overall is an absolutely excellent coffee. The sweet tastes are often desired by coffee connoisseurs, and the crema thickness shows how fresh an good quality the coffee is. I would definitely recommend brewing this ideally as a ristretto shot or alternatively as an espresso shot, because the Lungo shot just seems to be way too watery.

Checkout my reviews of Nespresso Master Crafted Single Origin coffees for Nespresso coffees that are of similar quality for comparison to the Nescafé Farmers Origins Brazil coffee.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6964
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Nescafé Farmers Origins South Asia
Nescafe Farmers OriginsNespressoNescafe
This is a review of the Nescafe Farmers Origins South Asia capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nescafé Farmers Origins South Asia capsule for the Original Line machines. The Nescafé Farmers Origins capsules are currently not sold in North America; They are available in parts of Europe (France, Italy, and Spain for sure), New Zealand and Australia. They are essentially exactly the same capsule format as Nespresso capsules, and the sleeve is the same size with 10 capsules per sleeve. The only difference is Nescafé branding.

The Nescafé Farmers Origins South Asia is an intense coffee rated at level 12 and uses robusta beans from Vietnam and India. You can read more about it here at this link. They appear to be very high quality coffee just like Nespresso. The notes mentioned are woody and spicy. The coffee is intended to be brewed as an espresso sized shot.

Many thanks to reddit user u/Ecatexy for providing this sample sleeve for me to evaluate. I really appreciate that. Also, for anyone else that is wanting me to evaluate any other coffee, please get in touch with me on reddit.

Aroma

The Nescafé Farmers Origins South Asia has a thick dark colored crema and it lasts long. The aromas are really strong and are smoky and spicy notes.

Taste

Wow! The Nescafé Farmers Origins South Asia is a fantastic dark roast. Not too overpowering and thick in the mouth. I get spicy, and woody notes with nice bitterness. It is not as strong and smooth as the Nespresso Kazaar capsule, but it is really good.

I was concerned that this coffee would have some “rubbery” notes that are typical of poor quality 3rd party capsules for Nespresso that you can get or like the Nespresso Paris Espresso coffee. But I’m not getting that with this coffee at all. I do feel a powerful kick after drinking it, but in a really excellent way.

Result

The Nescafé Farmers Origins South Asia is a really nice dark roast coffee and I highly recommend it. The South Asia tastes a lot like the Nespresso Kazaar, and if you like the Kazaar or Napoli you will love this one.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6954
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Nespresso Café Joyeux Review
EspressoNespresso
This is a review of the Nespresso Café Joyeux coffee capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nespresso Café Joyeux coffee capsule for the original line machines, which consists of Arabicas from Yunan China and Uganda. The Yunan beans are slow roasted and Ugandan beans are short roasted and with a high temperature. This is coffee is a low intensity coffee with a rating of 5. The coffee proceeds are intended to help support inclusion of intellectual and developmental disabilities in the workplace. Check my famous spreadsheet for more ratings and caffeine content values.

Aroma

The Nespresso Café Joyeux has absolutely wonderful and strong buttery toast like aromas, possibly floral like aromas. The crema is thin and light colored but persists.

Taste

The Café Joyeux has a cereal and slight hazelnut (maybe walnut?) like taste to it. It is mild and with a touch of bitterness. It is definitely a low intensity coffee.

I wasn’t impressed with the espresso shot taste, so I tried brewing as a (restricted) ristretto shot. The Café Joyeux this way has strong acidity, but really nice tasting. Possibly like nectarine tastes, with nice (stronger) bitterness afterwards. Also there are really nice light malt notes when brewed this way. I’m recommending then it’s better to be brewed as a ristretto.

Results

The Café Joyeux is too light a fair for my preferences, but if you like lighter roasts, this one might be for you. I would definitely recommend brewing this as a ristretto shot, and it is really nice that way.

Enjoy your coffee!


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6927
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Starbucks by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala
NespressoStarbucks by Nespresso
This is a review of the Single-Origin Guatemala Starbucks by Nespresso capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction
A picture of the Starbucks by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala sleeve end.

This is a review of the Starbucks by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala coffee for the Original Line machines. It is a blond style roast and uses only arabicas from Guatemala. The Single-Origin Guatemala has an intensity of 5 and has 5.2 grams of coffee per capsule. Starbucks mentions notes of citrus and caramel.

Note: The Single-Origin Guatemala may only be available in certain regions (like Great Britain and Italy). Here is a link to the Single-Origin Great Britain site.

I would like to give a big shout out to the reddit user u/Ecatexy for providing a sample sleeve of the Single-Origin Guatemala for me to use to evaluate. I really appreciate that. Also, for anyone else that is wanting me to evaluate any other coffee, please get in touch with me on reddit.

A picture of the Starbucks by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala sleeve with a capsule.
Aroma

The Starbucks by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala has a marshmello like aroma, but very light, and I’m also sensing mint aromas. The crema is light to medium in color and slightly bubbly plus it is dense and thick.

I tried brewing the Guatemala on a second day as a Lungo shot. The crema is a lot more bubbly and thick. I am now getting nice lemon like aromas and still the marshmello like notes. The crema thickess is one of the thickess cremas I’ve experienced for Starbucks by Nespresso capsules.

Taste

When brewed as an espresso, the Starbucks Single-Origin Guatemala has a very nice lemon like taste, and a creamy feel in the mouth. It’s very nice and has noticable acidity. It’s a light roast, so definitely an intensity of 5 rating.

Picture of Lungo shot of Starbuck by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala coffee.

When brewed as a Lungo, there are still lemon notes and creamy feeling in the mouth. This coffee might go well with a touch of milk.

I haven’t decided whether this is best brewed as a Lungo or as an Espresso shot, but seems like a Lungo shot is better.

Result

The Starbucks by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala is an excellent alternative to Nespresso coffees.If you like lighter acidic tasting coffees, you will love this one! I personally like stronger coffee, so I probably won’t be getting more of this one.

For more reviews of Starbucks by Nespresso coffees for the Original Line machine, please check my article Starbucks by Nespresso, which has links to all of my Starbucks by Nespresso reviews.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

img_20260303_074157
alvinbunk
A picture of the Starbucks by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala sleeve with a capsule.
Picture of Lungo shot of Starbuck by Nespresso Single-Origin Guatemala coffee.
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6866
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Nespresso Arpeggio Extra
Ispirazione ItalianaNespresso
This is a review of the Nespresso Appegio Extra coffee capsule for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nespresso Appegio Extra Original Line capsule. The coffee consists of Arabicas from both Brazil and Guatemala; although I seem to remember Nespresso advertising that beans from Costa Rica were also used (but I can’t confirm this). NOTE: Nespresso has grouped this coffee in the “Ispirazione Italiana” line of coffee representing Italian styles of coffee. The coffee is an intense roast with an intensity rating of 9 with 5.3 grams of coffee per capsules, and 95 mg of caffeine. It’s called extra because extra caffeine is added, and should be almost identical to the standard Arpeggio which has only 63 mg of caffeine. See my Nespresso spreadsheet for a comprehensive list of capsules and caffeine content of almost every Nespresso capsule. Nespresso mentions the coffee has notes of cocoa & intensely roasted.

Nespresso has used a very similar sleeve design to the original Arpeggio, and the only noticable difference is the grey Nespresso logo on the end of the sleeve and that the extra caffeine is indicated on the front. The capsule itself has a grey band near the bottom to distinguish it, and has “EXTRA” words printed on the top.

Aroma

When brewed as a ristretto, the Nespresso Appegio Extra has a medium colored crema which is thick but sparse. I’m getting very light chocolate aromas when brewed as a ristretto.

Here’s a link to my video on how to make a ristretto shot if you only have just an espresso button: https://youtube.com/shorts/KNHssxYUFH4?si=LyNBmK6LxFhLgcce

When brewed as an espresso shot the crema is thicker and medium dark color. Still get just chocolate like notes.

Taste

When brewed as a ristretto shot, The Appegio Extra has a very thick feel in the mouth with both woody and strong cocoa notes. I can taste medium acidity notes kind of like apple notes, and with a bready aftertaste.

When brewed as an espresso shot I find the taste overall is better. There are stronger woody notes, and a touch of spice notes with cocoa tastes as well. I’m not sensing the acidity as much this way, but still get a bready aftertaste.

NOTE: Even and hour or two after drinking this coffee, I notice the effect of the extra caffeine. It seems to be more pronounced than even just drinking a single Kazaar capsule; which is the Nespresso capsule that has the most caffeine (for Original Line).

Result

The Nespresso Appegio Extra is a very nice addition to the Ispirzione Italiana line of coffees. It has its own unique character to it which I really enjoy.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

img_20260213_084729
alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6759
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Nespresso Caffè Florian Limited Edition
Ispirazione ItalianaLimited EditionNespresso
This is a review of the Nespresso Caffè Florian coffee for the Original Line machines.
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Introduction

This is a review of the Nespresso Caffè Florian Limited Edition capsule for the Original Line machine. The Caffè Florian collaboration between the Caffè Florian in Venice and Nespresso, to produce a traditional Limited Edition coffee that represents a typical Italian espresso. The Caffè Florian uses arabica beans from both Brazil and the Honduras. Nespresso mentions woody, earthy, and spicy notes and that this capsule can be brewed as an espresso or ristretto sized cup (although the sleeve shows ristretto only). The sleeve also mentions chocolate and nutty notes.

Technical Details (click to expand)
Grams of coffee5.3 gramsIntensity9Bitterness4Acidity3Body4Roasting4Caffeine content65 mg

The sleeve is a light red color represeting the style of the Caffè Florian in Venice, and it also has artistic edge carvings on the front.

Aroma

The Caffè Florian has aroma notes of chocolate, with possible woody notes and is a pleasant aroma. Crema color is very light and slighly thin.

When brewed as an espresso, there is a lot more crema and it is medium light in color. Still get the chocolate and slight woody notes.

Taste

When brewed as a ristretto, I’m getting slight chocolate notes with subtle sour (acidic) notes. Also there are both woody and spice notes. You get the spice notes as an aftertaste.

When brewed as an espresso there is definitely more acidic notes, and the chocoloate notes are not as pronounced. There is both stronger woody and spicy notes to it as well. I’m thinking the ristretto pour is better.

Result

The result Nespresso Caffè Florian is a nice coffee, but given it’s a Limited Edition coffee it lacks any unique character that I’m looking for in a Limited Edition release. The price is reasonable for a LE at $1.05 a capsule, but there are a lot of regular Nespresso coffee capsules that have much more enjoyable characteristics.

I highly suggest you check out the Lisbon Bica capsule if you want a Limited Edition with more character than the Florian, and in my opinion better tasting.


Please go to my ko-fi buy me a coffee page at: https://ko-fi.com/alvinbunk to support and donate to me for writing coffee reviews. Thank you!

alvinbunk
http://alvinbunk.wordpress.com/?p=6745
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