Dolce Gusto Advent Calendar – 24 days of coffee

Dear Diary,

Christmas is just right around the corner, so I surprised my husband with a Dolce Gusto coffee pods advent calendar this year as an early Christmas gift.

24 days of coffee – 24 coffee pods waiting to be revealed on 24 days before Christmas

According to the description,

Behind every door in this Nescafé Dolce Gusto pod Christmas calendar hides a new coffee experience.

The capsule Christmas calendar contains 24 different pods with black coffee – always without milk and sugar, and no caffeine-free variants.

Check back every day in December to see what’s inside. I cannot wait to find out!

Since this was a gift to my husband, and I do not drink coffee, the feedback and personal score reflect his opinion only. Now let the fun begin!

December 1

☕️ Colombia Sierra Nevada Lungo ☕️

Refined medium-roasted 100% organic Arabica coffee, part of the Dolce Gusto’s Absolute Origin series (biocertified)

• Flavour: Roasted hazelnuts, Caramel, Sweetness
• Cup size: Lungo – 4 bars (120 ml)
• Intensity: Medium (5/10)

Feedback: pleasant taste, intense aroma, noticeably weaker than the basic Lungo (which is a 6)

Personal score: 8/10

December 2

☕️ Americano ☕️

From medium-roasted Arabica beans, basically a traditional Italian espresso diluted with extra hot water

• Flavour: Fruit, Mildy roasted beans, Flowers
• Cup size: Large Cup – 7 bars (230 ml)
• Intensity: Light (4/10)

Feedback: you cannot really taste its aroma, very weak, thin and watery, even tastes like water

Personal score: 3/10

December 3

☕️ Grande Intenso ☕️

A large cup of strong black coffee from exquisite dark-roasted Arabica beans

• Flavour: Aromatic Arabica
• Cup size: Large Cup – 7 bars (230 ml)
• Intensity: Strong (8/10)

Feedback: its intensity took away its aroma a bit, but you could still tell that it was delicious, it’s a good strong long coffee

Personal score: 7/10

December 4

☕️ Dallmayr Crema D’Oro Intensa ☕️

A darker roasted crema coffee, brewed in the manner of an espresso, but ground coarsely

• Flavour: Fruit, Aromatic Arabica, Sweetness
• Cup size: Lungo – 5 bars (140 ml)
• Intensity: Very strong (9/10)

Feedback: it’s too strong for me, although it’s delicious, it’s so intense that it’s hard to feel its taste

Personal score: 7/10

December 5

☕️ Espresso Intenso ☕️

Medium roasted aromatic and fragrant espresso from Arabica and Robusta beans

• Flavour: Acidic Robusta, Dark roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica
• Cup size: Espresso – 2 bars (50 ml)
• Intensity: Strong (8/10)

Feedback: it’s delicious, it tastes good, but it’s strong, unfortunately it’s just for a small cup

Personal score: 8/10

December 6

☕️ Zoégas Morgonstund ☕️

Dark-roasted coffee from Arabica beans, specially created for breakfast use (hence the larger cup size)

• Flavour: fruity, with notes of groats and chocolate, and a minimal degree of bitterness
• Cup size: Large Cup – 6 bars (170 ml)
• Intensity: Very strong (9/10)

Feedback: still a bit too long for me, quite intense flavour (and the best colour of the pod 😀 )

Personal score: 6/10 for the coffee but 10 for the pod!

December 7

☕️ Miami Morning Blend Grande ☕️

Inspired by cafes in Miami, the perfect choice if you vote for a large morning cup

• Flavour: Fruit, Mildy roasted beans
• Cup size: Extra Large Cup – XL (300 ml)
• Intensity: Medium (5/10)

Feedback: too much and too watery, although it tastes good but it’s hard to feel its aroma

Personal score: 5/10

December 8

☕️ Lungo Intenso ☕️

From extra dark-roasted Arabica and Robusta beans, a coffee with clear espresso ancestry, but designed for a larger cup

• Flavour: Acidic Robusta, Dark roasted beans
• Cup size: Lungo – 4 bars (120 ml)
• Intensity: Very strong (9/10)

Feedback: perfect cup-size, characteristic taste, a little too strong but definitely doesn’t feel like a 9

Personal score: 8/10

December 9

☕️ Grande ☕️

From medium-roasted Arabica beans, a slightly citrusy straightforward everyday coffee in a large cup

• Flavour: Fruit, Mildy roasted beans
• Cup size: Large Cup – 7 bars (230 ml)
• Intensity: Medium (5/10)

Feedback: too long, and quite weak too so you cannot really feel its taste

Personal score: 5/10

December 10

☕️ Dallmayr Crema d’Oro ☕️

A classic crema coffee, 100% from Arabica beans

• Flavour: Dark roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica
• Cup size: Lungo
• Intensity: Strong (7/10)

Feedback: characteristic taste, not too strong with just the right cup size

Personal score: 7/10

December 11

☕️ Zoégas Mollbergs Blandning ☕️

A dark roasted coffee classic from Arabica beans

• Flavour: Dark roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica, black currant, caramel
• Cup size: Regular Cup – 6 bars (170 ml)
• Intensity: Strong (7/10)

Feedback: acceptable cup size, maybe the most characteristic taste so far, definitely delicious

Personal score: 8/10

December 12

☕️ Espresso ☕️

A real coffee classic from light roasted premium Arabica beans

• Flavour: Fruit, Aromatic Arabica, Sweetness
• Cup size: Espresso – 2 bars (60 ml)
• Intensity: Medium (5/10)

Feedback: a familiar taste, delicious, although it could be a little larger cup

Personal score: 7/10

December 13

☕️ Ristretto Barista ☕️

A ristretto coffee (that is an espresso with half amount of water) from Arabica and Robusta beans

• Flavour: Acidic Robusta, Dark roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica
• Cup size: Ristretto – 1 bar (50 ml)
• Intensity: Very strong (9/10)

Feedback: strong enough, tasty but very little cup size

Personal score: 7/10

December 14

☕️ Zoégas Espresso ☕️

A dark roasted, spiced espresso from Arabica and Robusta beans

• Flavour: Aromatic Arabica, Sweetness, Medium roasted beans, hazelnut, licorice
• Cup size: Espresso – 1 bar (50 ml)
• Intensity: Very Strong (11/10)

Feedback: you can feel that it’s too strong, a quite bittersweet, and very small cup size

Personal score: 5/10

December 15

☕️ Grande Mild ☕️

A coffee from the milder end of the spectrum, made from premium Arabica beans.

• Flavour: Mildy roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica
• Cup size: Large Cup – 7 bars (230 ml)
• Intensity: Light (3/10)

Feedback: very mild but still tasty, proper cup size for this intensity, it could also be even a little more intense

Personal score: 7/10

December 16

☕️ Starbucks Espresso Roast ☕️

A dark roasted espresso from 100% Arabica beans

• Flavour: Dark roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica, Caramel, Sweetness
• Cup size: Espresso – 1 bar (50 ml)
• Intensity: Very strong (10/10)

Feedback: it tastes quite bittersweet, strong and very small cup size

Personal score: 4/10

December 17

☕️ Mexico Grande ☕️

A unique medium / dark roasted coffee from Arabica and Robusta beans.

Part of the Dolce Gusto’s Absolute Origin series

• Flavour: Cocoa, Acidic Robusta, Nuts, Aromatic Arabica
• Cup size: Large Cup – 7 bars (230 ml)
• Intensity: Strong (7/10)

Feedback: tasty, one of the bests so far

Personal score: 8/10

December 18

☕️ Dallmayr Prodomo ☕️

A popular German filter coffee from medium-roasted Arabica beans

• Flavour: Aromatic Arabica, Medium roasted beans
• Cup size: Lungo – 5 bars (140 ml)
• Intensity: Medium (5/10)

Feedback: perfect cup-size, it could be a little stronger, I couldn’t really make out its taste

Personal score: 6/10

December 19

☕️ Doppio Espresso ☕️

A classic Italian espresso from Arabica and Robusta beans, but doubled this time

• Flavour: Acidic Robusta, dark-roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica
• Cup size: Espresso – 3 bars (80 ml)
• Intensity: Strong (10/10)

Feedback: quite short and so strong that you cannot really feel its taste

Personal score: 7/10

December 20

☕️ Lungo ☕️

A dark-roasted, slightly larger cup of espresso style coffee made from Arabica beans

• Flavour: Fruit, Aromatic Arabica, Caramel
• Cup size: Lungo – 4 bars (120 ml)
• Intensity: Medium (6/10)

Feedback: already familiar, my all-time favourite

Personal score: 8/10

December 21

☕️ New York Morning Blend ☕️

An extra large cup of coffee inspired by the coffee shops of the city that never sleeps

• Cup size: Extra Large Cup – XL (300 ml)
• Intensity: Very strong (10/10)

Feedback: too long therefore you cannot really feel its taste or how strong it is

Personal score: 5/10

December 22

☕️ Ristretto Ardenza ☕️

One of the strongest coffees, made from slowly and dark roasted Arabica and Robusta beans

• Flavour: Acidic Robusta, Dark roasted beans, Aromatic Arabica, Liquorice
• Cup size: Ristretto – 1 bar (50 ml)
• Intensity: Very strong (11/10)

Feedback: too short and too intense, thus too bitter

Personal score: 4/10

December 23

☕️ Starbucks House Blend Grande ☕️

A classic and simple Starbucks coffee from medium-roasted Arabica beans

• Flavour: Chocolate, Nuts, Aromatic Arabica, Caramel, Mild Acidity
• Cup size: Large Cup – 7 bars (230 ml)
• Intensity: Strong (8/10)

Feedback: despite being a long one, this coffee is watery but has a quite characteristic taste

Personal score: 7/10

December 24 🎄

☕️ Peru Espresso ☕️️

Medium/ dark roasted coffee from organic Arabica beans

part of the Dolce Gusto’s Absolute Origin series

• Flavour: Wood, Berries, Liquorice
• Cup size: Espresso – 2 bars (60 ml)
• Intensity: Strong (8/10)

Feedback: characteristic taste, not too intense but quite good, although it could be a slightly bigger cup size

Personal score: 7/10