I tried Nespresso’s festive new Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind coffee pods, and it’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas

Nespresso’s latest collection of festive flavors has landed, and if your experience of spiced coffee begins and ends with pumpkin spiced lattes, you’re in for a treat. This year’s winter flavors include Festive Collection Double Espresso, Sweet Almond and Hibiscus, and Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind.

It was the last combination that intrigued me the most. Cinnamon is, of course, a traditional Christmas flavor, but sweet and tasty tamarind is a taste I more commonly associate with curries and chutney. That said, I could imagine how its citrussy flavor might complement more traditional spices and make a lively alternative to orange zest.

With that in mind, I slipped one of the red and gold swirled capsules out of its sleeve, and dropped it into my trusty Nespresso Vertuo Pop – one of the best Nespresso machines around if you have a small kitchen, or are on a tight budget.

The Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind flavor is available in both Nespresso Vertuo and Nespresso Original format. Original pods (shaped like top hats) are compatible with third-party machines like the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System, while Vertuo capsules only work with Nespresso’s own Vertuo coffee makers.

Prices start at $1.50 each in the US, and 55p in the UK, with both types of pod coming in packs of 10. The Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind flavor is also included in this year’s coffee pod Advent calendar.

The Vertuo pod makes a long coffee (230ml) and has a Christmassy flavor that’s fruity without being excessively sweet. The cinnamon and tamarind complement the mild acidity of the arabica coffee beans, which are roasted medium-dark. If you’re tired of flavored coffee that’s artificially sweet, this is a great option with a more grown-up flavor.

It’s versatile too. If you want to soften the slightly bitter notes of the tamarind, the finished coffee also works well with a splash of milk. Nespresso also suggests you could use an espresso made with the Original pods as the foundation of a cappuccino, which would make your morning feel a little more festive. You could even prepare a latte and top it with whipped cream and cinnamon for something indulgent.

The spicy notes reminded me of cozy nights by a fireplace with a cup of mulled wine, so I tried adding a splash of coffee liqueur to a freshly-brewed cup as an experiment. It works very well for something special in the evening, and I could see an orange liqueur like Cointreau working well to enhance the fruitiness as well.