SELECTION VINTAGE 2014 Limited Edition offers new sensory dimensions crafted over three years
For the first time Nespresso is offering discerning coffee lovers the chance to taste an aged coffee as it launches its latest Limited Edition, SELECTION VINTAGE 2014. Much like fine cheeses, meats and vinegars, coffee too can be expertly aged for a unique vintage result that is rich, mellow and deliciously velvety.
Aged coffee is a highly special and sought after coffee that has been deliberately aged over several years, allowing it to develop new sensory dimensions over time. Made from fresh Arabica coffee sourced from high altitudes in the Colombian highlands, SELECTION VINTAGE 2014 was harvested three years ago and then meticulously aged resulting in a complex taste with elegant woodiness, softened fruity notes and a smooth velvet-like texture.
Traditional coffee aging began in the 1700s as coffee harvested in Indonesia would sail to Europe in ships that travelled for a number of months. Whilst packed in the wooden boat hulls, the coffee would be exposed to the wet sea air and salt water causing the beans to swell. These beans then dried in the sun which altered the taste of the final coffee. In other cases, coffee would be stored in Indonesia whilst waiting for the next ship to Europe. During this storage period, the coffee would experience many fluctuations in the temperature and light conditions. With each variation, the physical structure of the beans changed which affected the way the beans would react to roasting and the aromatic potential of the coffee.
In contrast, SELECTION VINTAGE 2014 was aged using a completely new method pioneered by the Nespresso experts who wanted to benefit from the effect of aging but by using specific controlled conditions. This included regulating the time, oxygen, moisture in the air, light and atmospheric pressure. A rotation system was also implemented for the bags of harvested coffee to ensure the ideal aging process. With this careful regulation, the freshly harvested green Arabica coffee beans sourced from the lush Colombian highlands could transform into SELECTION VINTAGE 2014.
Karsten Ranitzsch, Head of Coffee at Nespresso explained, “With the launch of SELECTION VINTAGE 2014 we wanted to introduce an entirely new flavour with unique qualities. To do this, we took a concept that is well known in the food and drink industry and applied it to coffee. To age the coffee we needed to start with beans of an exceptional quality and then store them in very specialised conditions that we regulated constantly. Any miniscule change in the moisture, temperature, time, atmospheric pressure, light and oxygen conditions would affect the final taste. This carefully tailored process has resulted in an outstanding coffee with a very distinct flavour profile.”
SELECTION VINTAGE 2014 FLAVOUR PROFILE
Through a carefully controlled three-year aging process, Nespresso SELECTION VINTAGE 2014 has developed an elegant flavour with soft fruit and woody notes which combine with an exceptionally smooth texture for a delicious and distinctive coffee moment. Intensity: 7
