• Reviews

    Pumpkin Spice Cake Review

    Origin: Bourbon from Brazil and washed Arabica beans from Colombia Body: 2 Roastiness: 2 Acidity: 3 Bitterness: 2 Order: Buy Pumpkin Spice Cake at Amazon (Vertuo) Light brown foam. Strong cinnamon aroma, sweet and long lasting. The cinnamon overcomes most other smells but a roasty aroma is powerful enough to be smelled too. Pumpkin is barely noticeable at the nose. A pod with a medium body, quite creamy overall, with a velvety mouthfeel. Initially rather bitter and only slightly acidic. That changes when the coffee gets lukewarm, with bitterness becoming less pronounced. Some sweetness from the pumpkin is clearly present but not too intense. Good aftertaste made of sweet and…

  • Reviews

    Gimoka Brasil Review

    Origin: single origin Arabica beans from Brazil Intensity: 8 Light brown foam. Sweet aroma, not particularly intense, rather delicate. Slightly floral. At the taste the sweetness is present, of milky qualities. This sweetness gives the coffee a taste similar to one with a splash of real milk in it. Quite low intensity, despite the 8 score given by Gimoka. Some bitterness is present, mostly in the aftertaste. Acidity barely noticeable instead. Light-bodied. At lower temperatures the sweetness, bitterness, and acidity balance out. Cocoa and milk are the main flavors, with hints of dried fruits. Weak crema, quickly disappearing. Not extremely flavorful, it definitely need a bit of sugar to bring…

  • Reviews

    Caffé Borbone Gold Blend Review

    Origin: a blend of Robusta and Arabica beans Order: Buy Caffé Borbone Gold Blend at Amazon One of the blends of the south Italy company headquartered in Naples. Dark brown foam. Typically roasted aroma, with strong hints of acidity from the Arabica beans. Milk-based acidity flanked with notes of cereals and nuts make the major parts of the aroma. Definitely an heavy-bodied coffee, with a thick crema and lots of roasted notes in the aftertaste. A Robusta-leaning pod, but only slightly. Caffeine content should accordingly be high. A vivacious acidity is present since the first sips. Milky, nearly yogurt-like, acidity. It is accompanied but not overcome by a strong bitterness…

  • Thoughts

    Why Nespresso compatible pods are underrated

    Many Nespresso drinkers swear by the official Nespresso pods and disregard any compatible pods, no matter the brand. The assumption being that these capsules aren’t the same quality of the Nespresso ones, nor created with the same craft, or that you get what you pay (thus, less). 3rd party Nespresso pods are seen as a cheaper alternative that rarely lives up to the expectations. But, is it true? Is it accurate to consider the Nespresso original pods as the best pods you can purchase for your Nespresso machine? We’d say that it is not. There are some compatible pods that are absolutely worth checking. To establish that we will go…

  • Reviews

    Liminha Over Ice Review

    Origin: Arabica beans from Indonesia and Kenya, among the others. Roasting: 3 A flavored limited edition capsule, in the Barista Creations line. Light brown foam. A coffee with a stark mint aroma, decidedly intense. Some lime can be smelled as well but the mint overwhelms everything else, included the typical coffee aroma notes. A medium-bodied pod. Slightly more bitter at the taste that the aroma would have suggested. It is a largely acidic capsule, heavy on a citrusy acidity. Clearly the lime flavoring shows here by enhancing this aspect of the beans. At the taste, despite the well-present lime notes, the mint remains the strongest flavor, especially in the aftertaste.…

  • Istanbul Espresso
    Reviews

    Istanbul Espresso Review

    Origin: Ethiopian Arabica and Indian Robusta Intensity: 8 Body: 3 Roasting: 4 Acidity: 3 Bitterness: 3 An Istanbul-inspired limited edition pod within the World Explorations line. Light brown foam. Delicate cereals’ aroma, nicely roasted, with a feeble milky sweetness and a tad of acidity. A light-medium bodied pod, smooth and with little aftertaste when hot. Predominantly bitter but not excessively so. Acidity is definitely also present from the beginning and becoming more noticeable as the coffee cools down. Intensity is moderate. The taste profile is complex: a mix of aromatics as pepper and paprika, with a light grapefruit’s acidity merge with a predominant almond flavour. Especially in the aftertaste and…

  • Rio de Janeiro Espresso
    Reviews

    Rio de Janeiro Espresso Review

    Origin: 100% Brazilian Arabica Intensity: 9 Body: 4 Roasting: 1 Acidity: 4 Bitterness: 4 A limited edition pod inspired by the coffee culture of Rio de Janeiro. Another capsule belonging to the World Explorations line. Light brown foam. Intense aroma of roasted coffee, walnuts and a bit of cocoa. Some light sweetness can be discerned. At the taste it is heavy-boded, with the bitterness prevailing over a gentle sweetness and a touch of acidity. Dry aftertaste. The bitterness has the feeling of enveloping the palate, totally, for a fair amount of time. The taste profile is dominated by hazelnuts and walnuts flavours, with accompanying herbal qualities. It is a pod…