Ristretto by Nespresso

Ristretto capsules are part of the Intenso edition of Nespresso. Ristretto offers a rich and intense aroma that combines the dark-roast bitterness and toffee sweetness. The taste is dominated by the dark roast and zesty lemon.

Aroma

The aroma of Ristretto is rich and intense, yet still very pleasant. It is dominated by the sweetness of burnt toffee and the bitterness of the dark roast. This well-balanced combination is enriched by the notes of spices, roasted almonds and wood.

Taste

On the palate, Ristretto combines the intense, dark-roast bitterness with the acidity of zesty lemon. The intense but pleasant bitterness dominates the body and continues throughout the long-lasting aftertaste. Notes of toffee, spices and smoke also come through.

Extraction

Ristretto capsules take longer to extract than for example, Volluto, Capriccio or Dulsão do Brasil by Nespresso. Resulting crema is tall and rich.

Our rating

Very good

Packaging

The dark, aluminium capsules of Ristretto are delivered in the typical Nespresso sleeves. Capsules are not biodegradable but can be recycled if emptied and collected with aluminium or metal trash. Alternatively, used capsules can be returned to Nespresso for recycling. In Ristretto, Nespresso promises intense coffee that combines mild citrus with the dark roast. Intensity rating is 10.

Notes

Ristretto capsules contain a blend of intensely roasted Arabica beans from South America and East Africa combined with a small amount of Robusta beans.

Ristretto by Nespresso is a very nice example, or we may say a benchmark for an intense but still pleasantly complex espresso. Therefore, it is very interesting to observe how does Ristretto compare with the similar offerings from other producers. In our reviews, Ristretto holds its ground against its new competition from L’Or and Velours Noir. The Intense by Velours Noir and the Papua New Guinea by L’Or capsules got the same Very good rating, while the Supremo capsules from L’Or scored even higher. Both these brands are owned by Jacobs Douwe Egberts and use fully-aluminium capsules similar to Nespresso.