Starbucks is kicking off the new year with the launch of its winter menu, arriving in stores today (Tuesday, January 4th), featuring the returning Pistachio Latte, back by popular demand for its second year.
Pistachio Latte
The Pistachio Latte features cozy flavours of sweet pistachio and rich brown butter paired with espresso and steamed milk, specially crafted to keep coffee lovers comforted in the new year.
The Pistachio Latte can be ordered hot or iced at stores in Canada for a limited time while supplies last. Learn more about the inspiration behind this returning fan-favourite beverage.
Taste Test
We tried out the Pistachio Latte and it was ok. I would suggest adding an extra shot of espresso so the coffee can shine through the sweeteners. You get a lot more flavours when it’s hot
You can enjoy the brink hot, iced, or blended. Also modifying the drink to have oat milk instead of milk is another good option.
Nespresso Coffee is always coming up with new capsules for their different machines. With the pandemic, having a good source of coffee in our home is a life saver. We’ve been able to save so much money by not making regular trips to the cafe.
Aged Sumatra, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica are the latest capsules to be released and it’s actually our favourite capsules too.
Aged Sumatra
Intensity: 8 Espresso: 40ml
The Aged Sumatra single origin coffee is split into two batches for roasting. The first is roasted intensely for a short time, reaching a medium dark colour. The second is roasted longer, thus adding intensity. The flavour profile is woody with a slight sweet after taste.
It is smooth and we love making it into a latte with oat milk.
Ethiopia
Intensity:4 Grand Lungo: 150ml
The Ethiopia Master Origins coffee is roasted in two splits. One is light and the other is medium roasted to keep the aromatic flavours alive. It’s very smooth. It is naturally flowery coffee which gains fruitiness and complexity due to their drying method. You can notice hints of blueberry and a touch of musk.
There is hardly any bitterness and it’s become one of our favourites with a bit of oat milk to pair. This is my personal favourite.
Costa Rica
Intensity: 7 Gran Lungo: 150ml
The Coasta Rica has a roastiness and full body taste with low acidity. It gives it a malty and cereal flavour profile. Similar to the other coffee, they split the roast to develop the flavours. Another solid coffee and like the other ones, we add a touch of oat milk to it.
Final thoughts
Of the three new capsules, I absolutely love the Ethiopia the most. Costa Rica is a family favourite too. I would usually gravitate towards espresso like the Aged Sumatra, but the others blends did impress us.
Nespresso has launched 2 new capsules from their Ispirazione Italiana collection – Ispirazione Venezia and Ispirazione Napoli. These will be joining Ristretto Italiano, Firense, Roma, Genova, and Palermo capsules.
These are only for the original machines and not the Vertuo.
We were invited to a media night to try these two capsules in an assortment of beverages.
Ispirazione Napoli
This is one of the most intense capsules with an intensity of 13. This is a dark roast and it is creamy. It makes an excellent espresso and it has low acidity. It’s not for everyone but I was personally drawn to this as I enjoy dark roasts with low acidity.
You can also spice things up by creating a Siciliano Cocktail using:
2oz Sweet Italian Vermouth
1.5oz of Averna amaro
1.5oz of Cooled Nespresso Ispirazione Napoli
Sparking Water
Orang swath
You pour all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice to chill completely. Then you stain into a chilled glass and garnish with an orange swath.
Ispirazione Venezia
This comes at an intensity of 8 and is a middle dark roast. It is very well balanced with a good mouthfeel. Also excellent if you enjoy darker roasts. I had this in an affogato as well as an espresso and it was really easy to drink. Don’t forget to ad some cherries or shaved chocolate on top to sweeten the deal.
Final Thoughts
My favourite way to enjoy both is to have it as a shot of espresso and then adding some frothed milk to it was a dash of sugar. Simple and delicious.
You can now get the Ispirazione Venezia and Ispirazione Napoli capsules in-stores or online.
Nespresso has created their holiday capsule collection around the Nordic culture and influences. As Scandinavian-inspired cultural trends like Hygge have been quite popular in the last year. They have partnered up with renowned Danish designer, Louise Campbell, to create a range oflimited edition Original and Vertuo coffees, which take design and flavour inspiration from the Nordic countries.
For those who love original long black coffees, they have created the Nordic Black. It makes a light-bodied long black coffee with a medium intensity, but you can always add some milk and sugar to make it smoother.
It isn’t too acidic and it is smooth and has some subtle sweet notes. There are hints of cereal and spice in the aftertaste. This was my favourite of the 3 pods as I prefer my coffees unflavoured.
Nordic Cinnamon Swirl
230ml | Intensity 5
The Nordic Cinnamon Swirlbrings together a smooth aroma of cinnamon bun notes, and medium intensity of a half Caffeinato blend.
This is a flavoured coffee and on its own, I personally didn’t like it as much. When paired with a sweet treat like a cookie, it’s better.
Nordic Vanilla Princess Cake
230ml | Intensity 5
Nordic Vanilla Princess Cake is based on the iconic Swedish green cake, Prinsesstårta, featuring an indulgent creamy vanilla taste, marzipan sweetness and subtle hint of raspberry paired with the smooth and medium intensity of a Half Caffeinato blend.
Similar with the Cinnamon Swirl, I didn’t like it black. The vanilla and raspberry notes really shined through when eating something sweet as well.
Final Thoughts
It’s an interesting collection that blends a taste of Scandanavia into coffee format. As the holidays are filled with sweet goodies, they have crafted flavoured coffees like the Cinnamon Swirl and Nordic Vanilla Princess Cake that pair well. If you’re more traditional, the Nordic Black is more for you. I’m personally more traditional too.
There are also Nordic Almond Cake and Nordic Cloudberry available for the original machine. We have only reviewed the capsules for the Vertuo machine.
Nespresso has brought back the Pumpkin Spice Cake coffee exclusively for the VERTUO system for a very limited time only. They launch limited time only flavours of capsules seasonally, so I was actually curious what they would craft up for the Fall. Similarly with other companies, pumpkin spice is on the top of that list.
Pumpkin Spice Cake
The capsules are a 5 on the intensity scale and makes a 230ml cup of coffee. It has cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and sweet pumpkin flavours blended with Arabicas from Ethiopia and Brazil to give you a taste of Fall.
When it brews in the machine, you really get the aroma of pumpkin spice and sets the tone of the season. You just want to curl up on the couch and sip away at the cup of coffee.
Add a Bit of Milk
When you add a bit of milk, the pumpkin notes are softened for a sweeter and smoother coffee. I actually prefer this way as it tones down the acidity.
To further enhance the taste, you can add your favourite syrup too. They suggest adding chestnut syrup if you are a fan of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL). I just added a hint of simple syrup to mine. Whichever way you decide to do it, there are great combinations to be made.
Below is their recipe for Nespresso’s White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake Latte:
White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake Latte
Ingredients
1 capsule Pumpkin Spice Cake
2 tbs. white chocolate sauce
2-3 oz. milk
Caramel sauce, optional
Directions
1) Pour white chocolate sauce into bottom of mug 2) Froth milk. Add frothed milk and foam to glass 3) Brew capsule directly into mug 4) Drizzle with caramel sauce, or more white chocolate sauce
Final Thoughts
You have to enjoy Pumpkin Spice to like this variation of coffee. You either love it or hate it. The coffee does have the pumpkin spice notes which are quite incredible.
Nespresso has introduced Barista Creations – their new range of coffees specially designed to go with milk. There are 5 new capsules launched for this line. 3 for the Original machine and 2 for the Vertuo machine.
These were inspired by the expertise of baristas, they make it easy to create coffee and milk recipes in the comfort of your home. It all starts with getting the coffee blend just right.
Chiaro, Scuro and Corto are created for the Original capsules. For the purpose of this review, I have a Vertuo machine, we are reviewing the Bianco Leggero and Bianco Forte.
Bianco Leggero
Bianco Leggero is inspired by the baristas of Brooklyn, who love the natural sweetness of coffee and try to preserve it. To achieve this, Nespresso chose Arabicas from Indonesia and Kenya and applied a uniquely light roast, to create a long cup with smooth, decadent notes of caramel and sweet biscuit when combined with milk.
Each capsule makes 80ml of coffee and recommends you add 120ml of frothed milk on top. Unlike the other Vertuo capsules, they don’t state an intensity as these were made to blend with milk.
I really enjoyed the Bianco Leggero. It’s strong and works really well with the milk. It is definitely smooth and you can taste the subtle sweetness as well. For my personal taste, I like the strong shot of coffee and then more milk added on top.
Bianco Forte
Bianco Forte was to emulate the robust, yet balanced recipes of Melbourne baristas in a large cup. To achieve this, they carefully selected Arabicas from Colombia and Kenya and gave them a contrasting split roast. The result is a rich, roasted and cereal notes that push through the sweetness of the milk you add thus creating a double cappuccino.
Each capsule makes 230ml of coffee and recommends you add 50ml of cold milk then the coffee, thus creating a Reverso Intenso. Unlike the other Vertuo capsules, they don’t state an intensity as these were made to blend with milk. You get quite a lot of natural crema on top with the bold coffee.
Final Thoughts
It’s great that they created these capsules that are tuned to blend with milk. Of the two, I liked the Bianco Leggero a lot compared to the Bianco Forte as its more smooth.
You can now get these Barista Creations capsules in stores or online.
Nespresso launched Reviving Origins, a new program to restore coffee farming in regions where it is under threat. Through its AAA Sustainable Quality Program, Nespresso is working with farmers in regions that have been blighted by conflicts, economic hardships or environmental disasters.
The announcement comes alongside the launch of new single-origin coffees from Eastern Zimbabwe and Caquetá, Colombia. These exquisite and rare coffees are virtually unknown, and have been slowly disappearing for decades. As a result of Nespresso’s investment and the commitment of partners, coffee farmers in these two regions are starting to rebuild sustainable livelihoods, restore their local economies and bring much-needed development to their rural communities.
Both these capsules made for the Original and Vertuo machines. For this review, these are the Vertuo capsules that we used.
Esperanza de Colombia
For more than 50 years, Caquetá, hidden away in the remote Colombian Amazonas region, endured the turmoil of internal conflict. It’s only fitting then, that the direct translation of this new coffee’s name is ‘Hope of Colombia’.
Esperanza de Colombia is a rich and balanced Arabica espresso, with fruity notes and fine acidity. Each year the Caquetá farmers develop their skills to ensure they continue to achieve such a unique flavour.
The is at an intensity level of 3 and the Vertuo capsule makes a 230ml cup of coffee. You can definitely taste the fruity notes and definitely not too acidic compared to the Tumuka mu Zimbabwe. Good for those who enjoy a smooth cup of coffee in the morning.
Tumuka mu Zimbabwe
Once world famous for the coffee it cultivated, Zimbabwe has suffered 20 years of economic and political crisis. But since the peaceful political transition in 2017, Nespresso has made it their mission to reignite coffee farming in the Honde Valley of Zimbabwe.
Tumuka mu Zimbabwe is a flowery espresso from Honde Valley. It has complex fruitiness and a zesty bright acidity, full of character, with notes of red berries, currants, and cranberries.
The is at an intensity level of 5 and the Vertuo capsule makes a 40ml cup of espresso. Compared to the Esperanza de Colombia, you can taste more of the acidity and it’s nice and bold. You can have it as a shot or mix it with some milk or turn it into an Americano to soften the acidity.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really admire Nespresso for reinvigorating these two areas that have been burdened by conflicts through the Reviving Origins program. It’s also giving customers a taste of coffee from these two regions and ensuring the farmers and their communities are thriving.
We enjoyed both the Esperanza de Colombia and the Tumuka mu Zimbabwe were great and I would drink them depending on if I want a large cup of coffee or a smaller one. Both aren’t overly acidic as it’s at a 3 and 5, which is not bad compared to a 11.
You can now get these Reviving Origins capsules in stores or online.
