... Instead they had substituted it with a brand from Nestle, ‘Nescafe Alta Rica’.
Having had some bad experiences in the past with Nescafe Colombian coffee, (see my review on Nescafe Cap Colombie) it was with some trepidation that I broke the seal on the jar of Alta Rica.
My senses were immediately ... Read review
Advantages: Strong. Very aromatic. Strong. Disadvantages: Perhaps a wee bit *TOO* strong!
...experiences in the past with Nescafe Colombian coffee, (see my review on Nescafe Cap Colombie) it was with some trepidation that I broke the seal on the jar of Alta Rica.
My senses were immediately assaulted (well, my sense of smell anyways) by the almost overpowering aroma of strong coffee. So strong was the smell that my wife actually commented on it some 3 hours later when she herself got out of bed. (It was still hanging about the kitchen!!) ...I like it.
With Nescafe Alta Rica the same mixture makes a brew so strong that you run the risk of caffeine poisoning!
~ ~ When I’m busy writing at the old computer, I drink copious amounts of coffee, and Sunday morning was no different. Between the hours of 5 AM and 8.30 AM, I suppose I had somewhere in the region of about 5 mugs of Alta Rica.
At about that time a friend of my wife arrived to run her into town to finish ... more
~ ~ The ‘mad cabbie’ couldn’t sleep on Saturday night. I don’t know why exactly. I went to bed at around 1 AM, slept soundly (as is my way) for about three hours, then woke up and simply couldn’t drop off again. So it was up at 5 AM, and I decided to make good use of the time by writing my recent review on the Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, which I’d been putting on the back boiler since the summer.
~ ~ Of course, in order to get the old brain cells functioning in some sort of logical and coherent fashion, I immediately required a fast infusion of some liquid caffeine. Problem was, I was out of my favourite ‘Kenco Purely Colombian’ brew, as it hadn’t been available when the local supermarket had delivered our online order the day before. Instead they had substituted it with a brand from Nestle, ‘Nescafe Alta Rica’. Having had some bad experiences in the past with Nescafe Colombian coffee, (see my review on Nescafe Cap Colombie) it was with some trepidation that I broke the seal on the jar of Alta Rica. My senses were immediately assaulted (well, my sense of smell anyways) by the almost overpowering aroma of strong coffee. So strong was the smell that my wife actually commented on it some 3 hours later when she herself got out of bed. (It was still hanging about the kitchen!!)
~ ~ Alta Rica is yet another Latin American aribica blend from Nestle, the makers of Nescafe. Seemingly, they “dark roast” the coffee beans, (whatever that means) which supposedly increases both the aroma and intensity of the coffee. They even have the word “Intense” on the label on front of the black jar that they package the coffee in, just so we all know for sure that it’s strong. And believe me, this coffee is *STRONG*. In the same way that the aroma assaulted my sense of smell when I first cracked open the jar, the taste jumped up and literally hammered my taste buds as soon as it touched my lips. I’d brewed my mug in my usual fashion, with two and a half teaspoons of coffee, and three and a half spoons of sugar. With my customary blend, Kenco Colombian, this makes a perfect mug of coffee. Strong and sweet, just the way I like it. With Nescafe Alta Rica the same mixture makes a brew so strong that you run the risk of caffeine poisoning!
~ ~ When I’m busy writing at the old computer, I drink copious amounts of coffee, and Sunday morning was no different. Between the hours of 5 AM and 8.30 AM, I suppose I had somewhere in the region of about 5 mugs of Alta Rica. At about that time a friend of my wife arrived to run her into town to finish off some late Christmas shopping. I hadn’t realised the effect that the coffee had had on me until I went into the kitchen to make her a wee cuppa. This stuff is rocket fuel! I was so high on the caffeine that my head was buzzing like a nest of angry wasps! Not exactly unpleasant as such, but certainly not a feeling that you’d want to be walking around with all day.
~ ~ So the million dollar question. Did I actually like Alta Rica? Well, yeah, it was tasty right enough. Strong without being bitter, and it slipped down the old throat with ease. Maybe not quite as pleasant as my favourite Kenco Colombian, but certainly a blend that I would buy again as an acceptable substitute. Mind you, I think I would be toning down the quantity of coffee I put in my mug just a tad!
~ ~ A look at my receipt from the supermarket reveals that I was charged €4.47 for a 100g jar, which is on a par with the price of Kenco. Further investigation on the web (http://shopping.lycos.co.uk) revealed that it is also available in a 500g tin at £22.99 (Sterling). Recommended by the mad cabbie, if not quite five stars. But certainly NOT for anyone who likes their coffee mild and mellow.
Advantages: Nice taste Disadvantages: A bit strong for some
...Morrisons last week, I noticed Nescafe Alta Rica on special offer at only £2.69 for a 100g jar. Although I hadn't tried this particular coffee before, I was keen to do so because a) it was on special offer and b) I had no coffee in the cupboard at home. So, of course, I bought a jar.
WHAT IS NESCAFE ALTA RICA?
Alta Rica is an instant freeze dried soluble coffee, made from 100% arabica beans. According to the jar, the beans are long roasted to give ... ...halves, one half with the NESCAFE logo running vertically upwards, and the other half showing a picture of the side of a building, adorned in rich mauves, purples and golds.
THE CONTENTS
Remove the black lid and smash through the gold foil covering and you'll see that the coffee granules look pretty much like any other coffee granule. They are dark brown and very small, like little wood chippings. SMELL
Whilst the granules might not differ a great ...
rowei 11.12.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nescafe Alta Rica Instant Coffee
Advantages: Full bodied, strong tasting coffee Disadvantages: Small sized jars
...as watery as the standard Nescafe brand or as harsh as some cheaper end instants either. This coffee really fills your whole mouth – even when you don’t take a huge gulp of it! I would liken the difference in texture between Alta Rica and standard instant to the difference between cream flow bitter or Guinness compared with lager.
Alta Rica is in freeze dried granule form, and when you first pour water onto the deep brown coloured granules a light ... ...mountain slopes play a pivotal role in Nescafe Alta Rica, a Full-Bodied and Bold coffee. Once picked, the coffee cherries are quickly pulped to ensure absolute freshness, then stir-roasted to create the complex flavour and release the Warm Tropical Aromas.”
Thank you Nestle for bringing me this black gold! ...
Hoof 16.08.2003 (22.08.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nescafe Alta Rica Instant Coffee
Advantages: A not bad alternative to the real thing. Disadvantages: It's never going to be real coffee.
...it was the powder, then Nescafe introduced granules and I was there holding my mug out. Not too much later came the freeze-dried instants, Gold Blend being the first of these. Again, I was at the front of the queue. The move to fresh coffee really came about the time I moved to London and bought my first drip machine. From there to espressos…even doubles…was but a short step. The slippery slope had me cooked in it’s tentacles. I ... ...today and you find a changed man (No-one’s socks should be made to do more than a day, after all) who still loves coffee, but has changed habits a bit to accommodate the need to sleep occasionally.
I still get my day off to a fuel-charged start with a couple of double-shot espressos from my trusty Briel Chamonix, but if I’m working at home, I now hit the instant around mid-morning, but what an instant! I’m talking Alta Rica here. ...
stevethesleeve 28.11.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nescafe Alta Rica Instant Coffee
Advantages: smells heavenly, affordable, not too strong Disadvantages: not gourmet coffee but its the next best thing
...all these times it was Nescafe that saw me through it all. When I was a student I couldn't afford to buy the more expensive gourmet coffee and who had the time to sit and brew it? I needed my coffee instant. Of course I did feel I lost out sometimes, because anyone who has tasted real coffee knows its not the same as instant coffee.
Nescafe once again came to the rescue with its Nescafe Alta Rica Instant coffee. The rich aroma that emanates from ... ...feeling ashamed of yourself.
Nescafe Alta rica comes in this cute black bottle with a purple label. I really like the packaging 'cos it makes me think I'm buying one of those expensive gourmet coffee brands when infact its just cheap instant coffee.
I definitely recommend this coffee to people on the go who love the taste of real coffee, people who can't afford to buy the real thing i.e. students, also to people with a passion for coffee.
Of course ...
shanti 28.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nescafe Alta Rica Instant Coffee
Advantages: Tastes better than regular Nescafe. Disadvantages: Costs more than I would like to pay!
...much in contrast with ordinary Nescafe coffee.
Now this coffee is made from the finest quality Arabica beans, which is a species of coffee indigenous to Ethiopia. It is not the most caffeinated coffee that I have ever had, as I can usually sleep pretty well even if I have had this just before bedtime, but it is still a very nice cup of coffee, none-the-less.
This make of coffee is also available in the "decaffeinated" form, which I've never understood ...
iateamonkey 26.01.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Nescafe Alta Rica Instant Coffee
