I tried Nespresso’s Christmassy new Sweet Almond and Hibiscus coffee, and it was like sipping a marzipan-infused latte
Nespresso has just launched its latest advent calendar, which includes a set of new festive flavors to replace your usual morning brew. Some of the highlights include Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind and Festive Double Espresso, but the one that particularly piqued my interest was the unusual combo of Sweet Almond and Hibiscus.
I tend to associate the taste of hibiscus with herbal teas, where it often serves as a backdrop to fruit flavors, but I’ve never encountered it in coffee before, so I was curious to see how well it would co-ordinate with the beans. It’s not a flavor that I’d typically associate with Christmas, but almond certainly is. I love old-fashioned Christmas cake with a layer of marzipan under the icing, so I hoped that this coffee would evoke that flavor, with the fruity arabica beans taking the place of the traditional dense fruit cake.
The Sweet Almond and Hibiscus pods are tucked away in this year’s Nespresso advent calendar, but you can also buy them in packs of 10, in Nespresso Original or Vertuo form.
When buying your coffee pods, it’s important to choose the ones that are compatible with your machine. Vertuo pods are dome-shaped, and only work with Nespresso Vertuo machines. They come in different sizes, and your coffee maker will detect the type you’ve inserted and brew the appropriate volume.
The Hibiscus and Sweet Almond capsules, for example, will make a 230ml mug of coffee, whereas the Festive Double Espresso pods will make a shorter 80ml drink.
Nespresso Original pods, which are shaped a bit like top hats, work with third-party machines like the Grind One and the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System. That’s because Nestlé no longer owns the patent on this style of pod. If you use Nespresso Original capsules, the volume of your drink will be determined by the machine. You might get a choice or you might not, but many give you a choice of single or double shots.
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My machine is a Nespresso Vertuo Pop, so I opted for the rounded pods. The Vertuo Pop is an excellent option if you have a small kitchen, and has long held a place in our guide to the best Nespresso Machines thanks to its low price and great performance.
It has a small water tank that can brew two mugs of coffee at a push before it needs refilling, but is otherwise easy to recommend. If there are multiple coffee-drinkers in your household then the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ is very similar, but with a bigger tank for more brews.
Both machines often get a generous discount for Black Friday, sometimes dropping down to half the list price, and make a great Christmas gift if you have a friend or loved one who enjoys experimenting with different types of coffee.
Despite its small size, the Vertuo Pop is fast to heat, and less than a minute after inserting the Sweet Almond and Hibiscus pod, I had a mug full of fragrant coffee ready to sample – and it was delicious. I can’t say I really noticed the hibiscus flavor very much, but the almond really comes to the fore, reminding me of traditional German marzipan cookies, or a huge slab of almond nougat purchased at a Christmas market after having a little too much glühwein (hey, it happens).
Despite its name, the drink isn’t excessively sweet, which was a pleasant surprise. Some other coffees with added flavors can be a little on the sickly side, but that’s not the case here, and although the almond is quite strong, it complements the medium-roasted arabica beans rather than competing with them.
It’s a taste that handles dairy particularly well, and I’ve been enjoying it with a generous splash of full-fat milk (though plant-based alternatives would be great as well). If you’re using one of the Nespresso Original pods to make an espresso, it would be perfect as part of a creamy latte.
If you want something more indulgent, Nespresso provides a recipe for a Golden Hibiscus Latte on its website, which involves the addition of milk, honey, and cherries in syrup, all topped with edible dried rose petals. Who needs pumpkin spice?
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Nespresso has just launched its latest advent calendar, which includes a set of new festive flavors to replace your usual morning brew. Some of the highlights include Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind and Festive Double Espresso, but the one that particularly piqued my interest was the unusual combo of Sweet Almond…
