Review: New Carte Noire Espresso Collection - Nespresso Compatible Capsules

Before I owned a Nespresso machine Carte Noire was my favourite brand for instant coffee. I still keep a jar of their instant Espresso in my kitchen just in case, so I was quite excited to hear that they have launched their own Nespresso compatible capsules. I picked up a box of N.7 Espresso Aromatique from my local Waitrose at the weekend for £2.69* for 10 capsules. It's obviously slightly cheaper than Nespresso and it's certainly a lot more convenient to be able to pick up your coffee from a local supermarket rather than waiting for an online delivery.

The capsules are packaged in an individually sealed foil packet. I liked the gold and black colour scheme of the packaging and capsule itself. The capsules worked fine with my machine, although it's worth checking the Carte Noire website for compatibility with your machine.

The N.7 Aromatique is described as an aromatic Arabica coffee with hints of cocoa. I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this coffee. It has excellent strength and depth of flavour, whilst also being very smooth and easy to drink. Although I couldn't detect the cocoa notes, it does have the barest hint of sweetness as an end note, and despite the intensity of the coffee flavour there is no bitterness at all. 

The other editions in the collection are:

N.3 Elégant - Arabica with a a smooth and subtle taste enhanced by cereal notes.

N.5 Délicat - Arabica coffee with fruity notes and a silky texture.

N.9 Intense - Rich, intense blend of darkly roasted Arabica coffee.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Carte Noire Espresso Collection N.7 Aromatique

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Waitrose.
Price: £2.69p (box of 10 capsules).

*UPDATE: I've just seen these on offer in Tesco for only £2.00 a box, definitely worth a try at that price!