Review 7: Nespresso 'Lungo Forte'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 29 April 2014
Country: South America
Beans: Not stated
Preparation: Nespresso machine (Lungo)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Rich, Dark brown, with orangey tint
Nose of brew: A hint of vegetable aromas
Early flavours: Light, creamy
Finish: Long, smooth, fairly bitter finish

Tasting notes:

Review 6.1: Nespresso 'Livanto' - update

Source: Nespresso
Date: 11 April 2014
Country: Central/South America
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Nespresso machine (espresso)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Colour of brew: Caramel brown
Nose of brew: Caramel and vegetable aroma (maybe asparagus?)
Early flavours: Sharp and a bit sweet
Finish: Strong finish with a balance to it - still a bit sharp.

Tasting notes:
Having had the Livanto in a Lungo shot, i thought I'd do what was recommended and try it in an espresso shot. The main reason was I felt that the original was a bit weak and watery. The result was a much more interesting coffee. The flavours were more intense, with some of the original notes coming out a bit stronger. However, it was still not the strongest - it feels like it's just a more delicately flavoured drink.

Office Coffee 1: Astra Necta

Source: Astra Necta coffee machine, office building, Paris
Date: 04 April 2014
Country: No information given
Beans: "100% Arabica" according to the machine
Preparation: 'Expresso' (Selection 12)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Nose of brew: Creamy, slightly bitter aroma
Early flavours: Slightly nutty, rounded coffee flavours
Finish: Bold, fairly long finish

Tasting notes:

Review 6: Nespresso 'Livanto'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 8 April 2014
Country: Central/South America
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Nespresso machine (lungo)

Nose of grounds: N/A
Nose of brew: Bitter and sharp (though not unpleasant)
Color of brew: dull brown
Early flavours: Rounded, broad based coffee flavours
Finish: Not much there.

Tasting notes:
This is another of the Nespresso offerings that I found while based in a client office. Having been slightly disappointed with the Vivalto Lungo, I wondered whether the Livanto would be any more interesting.

There was a decent broad base to this coffee to start off with but I found that it was a little watery towards the finish. There were some interesting flavours in there, though none of them dominated and indeed it was a little difficult to detect exactly what they were. This may be because according to the Nespresso website, the capsule is designed to be had as a short drink (i.e. espresso/ristretto). It may be that this is the reason why the coffee felt a touch weak to me. Then again, I would argue that to have a type of drink that is so restricted isn't that great either.

On the whole, quite an interesting coffee, but could use a little more depth when served long.

Coffee maker's notes:
"A pure Arabica from South and Central America, Livanto is a well-balanced espresso characterised by roasted caramalised notes."

Review 5: Nespresso 'Vivalto Lungo'

Source: Nespresso
Date: 24 March 2014
Country: South America/East Africa
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Nespresso machine (Lungo)

Nose of grounds: N/A (capsule)
Nose of brew: Bitter, spicy aroma, with a definite edge
Early flavours: Flowery, almost like rosewater
Finish: Not too strong but with a bit of tang

Tasting notes:

I've always been impressed by the simplicity of the Nespresso machines and the fact that you can get good coffee quickly and (I imagine) without too much mess. I decided to give a test to the different flavours of the Nespresso machine.

The flavours that hit you are sharpness and delicate flavours combined. It's an interesting combination and the coffee feels like it does not have the broad base of strong coffee flavour, instead emphasising the 'higher', interesting flavours. I like these flavours which are all interesting and in a well-balanced combination, though ultimately I find the coffee a little unsatisfying. It's worth noting that I went for the 'Lungo' brew - the larger cup where the machine creates a full cup (as opposed to an espresso with added hot water). If I had made it myself, I'd have probably put a little less hot water to retain strength, but then I doubt it would have that broad coffee base but simply be a little sharper and a little spicier.

On the whole, though, I was impressed!

Coffee maker's notes:

"Vivalto Lungo is a balanced coffee made from a complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas, combining roasted and subtle floral notes."

Coffee Kit: Travel mug

Aladdin Travel mug

Recently I was given a travel mug for Christmas. It's the Aladdin recycled plastic mug which does a great job for a number of reasons.

No odd taste

This was actually the most important part for me. I've owned a number of different travel mugs/vacuum flasks, but most of them have metal on the inside, which makes the coffee taste funny. And when you care about the taste of coffee enough to write a blog about it, then this matters. There are apparently a number of methods you can use to eliminate this, but they sound a bit complex. This mug has no discernible impact on the taste of the coffee, though I should say I have only tried it with my standard Lavazza-in-a-cafetiere morning coffee routine.

It's recycled

It's made of other plastic bits. Usually that's a good thing (I say usually because there are some recycling processes that are worse than starting from scratch), and here they claim to use up to 95% recycled plastic. And the mug can be re-recycled, according to their website.

It's watertight

I don't know why this is not more common, but so many travel mugs have slide openings at the top which are not actually watertight. They're completely fine if you're just carrying the mug from home on the train or similar, but you can't put them in a bag (in case they fall over) and there's always a bit of concern if you're putting them in a car and they slosh around a bit.

These mugs don't have that issue - the lid clips shut and I've had no qualms about putting it in my bag even upside down (though there's no need to tempt fate). Better yet - you can still open and close it with one hand, though reassuringly it's not very easy.

It actually keeps your drink quite hot

Though this is the weakest point, the mug does a great job at keeping the drink inside hot. You can put it in your bag when you leave home and half an hour later it's at a great temperature. I reckon a neoprene sleeve would cover over the weakness of it not keeping it hot for hours, but for a commuter mug it's great.

Any downsides?

Apart from the fact that it won't act as a long-term solution, the only downside that I could think of is that it can't be put in a dishwasher. But as I'm using it every weekday, that isn't really a problem. And washing it out on a daily basis keeps the likelihood of an odd taste creeping in to a minimum.

Review 4: Sumatra

Source: Whittard's Coffees of the World
Date: 15 March 2014
Country: Indonesia
Beans: Arabica
Preparation: Cafetiere

Nose of grounds: Rich, very background hints of spice, cocoa.
Nose of brew: quite a bit of wood/pine, slight burnt notes
Colour of brew: Dark, rich, almost purple at the edges
Early flavours: Earthy, complex but subtle
Finish: Long-ish finish, more earth and wood.

Tasting notes:
The tasting notes make this coffee sound rather grand and exotic, though I must say that I'm really not sure I 'got' all of the suggested flavours of fruits present in the coffee maker's description. However, the coffee has a nice rich and certainly heavy flavour,  but not too all-encompassing. Sometimes very heavy coffees leave the tongue feeling like it's coated with oil, but not this; it has a slightly more delicate finish. There is certainly an element of sweetness to the coffee while not being sickeningly so.

I think this is a great morning coffee, though there are some reviews out there which would suggest it is also great after dinner.

Coffee Maker's Notes:
"From the Indonesian island of Sumatra, this full-bodied coffee has an exotic nearly floral taste. The beans are grown on small plots on the shores of Lake Aceh before being picked and semi-dried in the sun. Our Sumatra is dark roasted for a heavy smooth fragrant taste. It is subtle and sweet, reminiscent of figs and apricots and has a complex earthy aroma. An exceptional coffee; serve black to appreciate the nuances of the beans."