Review: Nespresso's Festive Coffee Pack Is The Perfect Way To Ring In The Holiday Season

If your favorite season is approaching, you're in good company. I adore fall and winter — I'm not much of a summer gal, but once cold weather hits, you better believe I'm going all-out with bringing that seasonal appeal into every aspect of my life. I throw myself feverishly into cooking up batches of fall soup and hosting fabulous seasonal brunches, and there's one aspect of daily life that never goes untouched by the shifting seasons: morning coffee time.

Early October had me indulging in all of Bones Coffee's spooky fall flavors (which are great, by the way), and as we inch closer and closer toward the year's end, the annual rollout of holiday products is upon us. One of the first I noticed was a Nespresso drop, and when I saw the Festive Coffee Pack on the company's website, I knew I had to try it, even if just for the wintry flavors inside. More than that, though, the pack also comes with a box of chocolates and two decidedly posh Nespresso-branded mugs. Want to know if the pack is worth the splurge? Keep reading for my full review.

Nespresso's Festive Coffee Pack comes with six sleeves of Vertuo capsules (two each of three different flavors), a box of 40 dark chocolate squares with caramelized cocoa nibs, and two white branded mugs — all for $124. Whether or not all that is worth the price is ultimately for you to decide. I don't think it's exactly a steal, but it certainly costs less than it would to buy all these components separately. If you have a Nespresso lover in your life, I'd call this a great early holiday present.

It's unclear how long the pack will be available, but I wouldn't be surprised if the company ran out before mid-December (or even Thanksgiving). So, if the above sounds intriguing, you'd be better off splurging sooner rather than later. If you're still on the fence, spoiler alert: Each coffee is really, really good, and had this pack been around when I did my ranking of Nespresso's variety packs, it probably would have scored toward the top of the list.

So, I'm not usually a fan of Nespresso's espresso capsules. As someone who makes meticulous pour-overs every morning (and drinks them black), I'm not super into homemade lattes, and most of Nespresso's espresso capsules beg for some sort of milky addition. Much to my delight, this Festive Collection Double Espresso stood apart from the rest of the company's shot-sized offerings.

This double espresso claims a level-seven intensity, features cereal and caramel notes, and is made of a blend of African beans from Kenya, Rwanda, and Congo. It's considered a medium-dark roast. To be honest, I didn't expect much from this capsule, but I actually ended up finishing the whole thing. It has a certain rich, thick mouthfeel that keeps its strength from being overwhelming, even though it's more on the bitter end of the spectrum. Moreover, I got roasted dark chocolate notes with a slight sweetness from caramel throughout the sip. It was a pretty decadent shot that I'm happy to have in my collection as we head into winter. And when paired with the chocolate squares? Simply indulgent.

I'd love to know what devious mind came up with this flavor combination for a winter brew. Nespresso's Sweet Almond and Hibiscus capsules are made of a combination of beans from Brazil and Colombia, with almond and hibiscus notes running throughout. I didn't fully know what to expect upon brewing one, but I was excited to try it — after all, it sounded like a delightful flavor combination.

My instincts were correct. This is indeed a pretty complex, inventive cup that has more interest than Nespresso's other flavored capsules. It smelled incredible as it brewed — almond notes came through without smelling at all like extract, and I got some bright floral hints behind that. Again, I tried this black to get the full experience, and I could certainly drink it sans milk again. It's incredibly smooth and easy to love. The almond notes are underlined by warm vanilla and a slightly sweet caramel, while bright, floral hibiscus floats over everything. It tastes almost candied, though I certainly couldn't call it sweet. Best of all, though, it doesn't ask for any accompaniments, and if you do want to add milk, be wary of overdoing it. This coffee deserves to shine in its own right.

Last but certainly not least is Nespresso's Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind. Admittedly, I'm not familiar enough with tamarind to have known what I was getting into with this capsule, but I welcomed the experience. This coffee is also comprised of Brazilian and Colombian beans and claims warm, spiced cinnamon and jammy tamarind notes. I smelled the cinnamon right off the bat as this capsule brewed, as well as something else with a sweet richness that made me excited to dive in.

Fortunately, I also found this to be delightful when enjoyed black. It has a thicker mouthfeel than Sweet Almond and Hibiscus and a stronger, sweeter finish, though it's still impeccably smooth. The spice given by the cinnamon will instantly put anyone in a festive mood; meanwhile, the thick, jammy tamarind notes linger in the back of the throat at the end of the sip, almost as if you'd swallowed actual jam. This was a very unexpected cup, and one that I wholly enjoyed. I'd say this is probably more amenable to additions than Sweet Almond and Hibiscus, as it feels less delicate — still, be careful not to overdo it.

You didn't think I forgot about the chocolate, did you? This gorgeous box houses 40 individually wrapped dark chocolate squares, each studded with caramelized cocoa nibs. I can't say I'm a chocoholic, but I do love a really good dark chocolate bar, and these tiny squares certainly fit the bill. (I may have had more than one during this tasting.) I'd also say they're nothing outlandish, which will allow them to appeal to a wider audience.

The squares are pretty nondescript when you first bite into them, but the magic happens when you come across those caramelized cocoa nibs. They add a similar crisp to what you'll find in chocolate "crunch" bars, but the effect here is much more mature and elegant. As with all good dark chocolate, there's some subtly salty notes here to contrast with the sweetness present. They're wonderful on their own, but go ahead and dip them in one of the above coffees and prepare to swoon.

On the whole, yeah, I'd say Nespresso's Festive Coffee Pack is definitely worth it — especially when you consider the fact that these capsules are more pricey than most of Nespresso's offerings (individually, each box sits between $15.50 and $16), and don't forget, you get two of each. I don't typically see extra treats like chocolate included with the company's variety packs, which just endeared me to this one more.

I hardly even talked about the mugs, but I liked them straight out of the box. They're patterned with some matte white swirls and don't even have to try hard to look wintry. They're not huge — the perfect size for a coffee-sized Nespresso capsule brew and some cream — and the handle is tall enough to hold without your hand cramping. (Plus, you get two mugs as well.) If you want to try the full holiday capsule collection, go ahead and splurge on the Festive Coffee Pack. I doubt you'll be disappointed.