L'Or Espresso Destinations Santorini Capsules

Greece does not grow coffee, so the island on this carton is a name for the blend rather than a statement about origin. That makes Santorini the capsule where the first cup teaches you more than the box does.

A place name, not a provenance

L'Or's Destinations cartons name each blend after somewhere, where other ranges use a figure or a style word. That helps tell near-identical boxes apart on a shelf, and it trusts the buyer to take the place name as mood, not geography. For most people that is exactly how it lands, but anyone who reads coffee labels closely deserves to hear it plainly: Santorini is the blend's identity, and nobody is claiming the coffee was grown there.

No published tasting notes reach us for this blend, and the carton title as we list it carries no intensity figure, so we will not invent either. What is certain is the format: ten aluminium capsules, 52g in the carton, 5.2g of coffee in each, the same dose as the rest of L'Or's espresso range. That dose, pulled under pressure, gives a denser cup than any kettle method, whatever the blend inside.

Which machines take these capsules

These are for Nespresso Original machines only. They will not go into a Vertuo, and they are not for Dolce Gusto or Tassimo either; no adapter changes that. Vertuo and Original machines can look alike on a worktop while taking completely different capsules, so check the model before ordering. L'Or also lists some Original-line models bought after 25 July 2016 as exceptions, among them the U, Expert and Prodigio families.

Aluminium keeps a tight seal under the machine's pressure, which is what a good crema depends on. Crema matters because it sits over the espresso like a lid, holding the aroma under your nose; it collapses within a minute or two, so drink the shot where it was made rather than carrying it to another room. Empty capsules can go into Podback, the UK pod recycling scheme that L'Or takes part in.

Judging a blend that comes without notes

Start with the espresso button, about 40ml, not lungo. Stretching an unknown capsule into a long cup dilutes exactly the character you are trying to find. Taste the first one black and on its own, before any milk or sugar, and notice three things: how heavy it feels, how bitter the finish is, and whether anything bright or sweet comes through in the middle. Those answers tell you more than a place name ever could.

Then adjust from there. If the shot is harsh, try the next one with a splash of milk; if it is thin, resist the lungo button and pair it with something rich instead. How bitter an espresso tastes is shaped far more by shot length than by the capsule, so change one thing at a time. Ten capsules is the right size for this kind of trial, and if the blend wins you over, you know which carton to reorder.

The packs we stock

• L'Or Espresso Destinations Santorini 10 x Intensity Coffee, 52g (barcode 8711000603697)

What to eat with it

• Thomas Fudge's 6 Dark Chocolate Florentines: Dark chocolate florentines bring richness to an after-dinner espresso, whatever the blend turns out to be.
• Lu Le Petit Cookie with Chunky Rich Chocolate Chips, 184g: A chocolate chip cookie on the saucer once you know the blend, for a sweeter morning cup.
• Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Organic Biscuits, 150g: Ginger warmth and dark chocolate have enough character to meet a strong, short shot.

Elsewhere in the L'Or range

• L'Or Artiste Vigoroso Intensity 8 Instant Coffee, 95g
• L'Or Classique Instant Coffee, 150g
• L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules
• L'Or Espresso Lungo Profondo Intensity 8 Coffee, 40 Pods 208g
• L'Or Espresso Ristretto Coffee Pods, 10 Pods 52g
• L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g

The full range is on the L'Or brand page.

FAQ

Is the coffee in Santorini capsules from Greece? No. Greece does not grow coffee; Santorini is the name of the blend within L'Or's Destinations range.

What intensity is L'Or Destinations Santorini? The carton title we list carries no intensity number, and we would rather say so than guess one.

Which machines do these capsules fit? Nespresso Original machines, though L'Or lists some models as exceptions. They do not fit Vertuo, Dolce Gusto or Tassimo machines.

Is a carton of ten enough to judge it? Yes. One capsule pulled short and black tells you its character, and the other nine leave room to try it with milk or after dinner before you reorder.

What does it taste like? No flavour description is published for it that we can pass on, so our suggestion is to pull one short and taste it black before deciding.

Curator's note: Treat the first capsule as a tasting, not a drink: short, black, on its own. Within three sips you will know whether the other nine belong to the mornings or to after dinner. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: L'Or Espresso Destinations Santorini Capsules

More from the tea wiki

• Tea vs Coffee: Taste, Caffeine and Switching
• Caffeine in Tea
• Tea vs Coffee
• Tea for Coffee Drinkers: Where to Start
• Chai vs Coffee

Download as PDF