This is the Nespresso Limited Edition Seasonal Delight Spice from the festive blend for Christmas 2023. The coffee was flavoured with a ‘mix of citrus fruit [and] a melange of spices’ and primarily consisted of a blend of dark split-roasted beans sourced from Honduras and Uganda, both fully washed and 100% Arabicas, complemented by lightly roasted beans to achieve an overall medium roast.

It came in a red capsule adorned with a gold diamond pattern, and, as a flavoured coffee, did not feature the typical intensity rating for Nespresso’s capsules.

Nespresso recommended preparing this capsule as a lungo for black coffee or as an espresso for milk coffee.

The coffee had the fragrance of spices commonly used in meat marinades, prominently featuring notes of cloves, evoking a savoury association for my Asian palate rather than conjuring memories of Christmas cakes and puddings as it might for a Western palate. When served black, the coffee proved undrinkable, as the bitterness of the coffee clashed with the harshness of the spices, along with winey and citrus notes. Opting for a flat white (120 mL milk) resulted in a smoother and unassuming coffee base that was less bold than the lingering spiced flavors, which remained jarring. The addition of sweetener finally muted the harshness from the spices, though their flavor persisted.

In summary, this Nespresso festive capsule proved to be an unpleasant experience. As a spiced festive coffee, it ranked similarly to the Starbucks Eggnog Latte, although the latter might have been more enjoyable, as the roasted and bitter coffee notes remained present, rather than being dominated by the spices.

This Nespresso Limited Editional Seasonal Delight Spices Flavour contained 49 g (4.9 g x 10 capsules). It was produced in Switzerland and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2023.