Nespresso has just launched its latest advent calendar, which includes a set of new festive flavors to replace your usual morning brew. Some of the highlights include Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind and Festive Double Espresso, but the one that particularly piqued my interest was the unusual combo of Sweet Almond and Hibiscus.
I tend to associate the taste of hibiscus with herbal teas, where it often serves as a backdrop to fruit flavors, but I've never encountered it in coffee before, so I was curious to see how well it would co-ordinate with the beans. It's not a flavor that I'd typically associate with Christmas, but almond certainly is. I love old-fashioned Christmas cake with a layer of marzipan under the icing, so I hoped that this coffee would evoke that flavor, with the fruity arabica beans taking the place of the traditional dense fruit cake.
