
by Nigel Ong
Nescafe Gold is Nescafe’s line of premium instant coffees. Aside from the original Nescafe Gold, there are also many special blends, such as the Alta Rica, Espresso, and Cap Colombia.
However, how good are these special blends? Are they genuinely good, or is it just a way for Nescafe to package and sell more coffee? I am here to find out for you.
I will review and sample the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia in this post. I will also experiment with coffee with multiple flavors and see if they taste good. Finally, I compare Nescafe Cap Colombia with other Nescafes, as well as other premium instant coffee as well.
About Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia
Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia is one of the special blends in Nescafe Gold’s lineup, alongside blends such as Alta Rica or Espresso. It is made as a premium instant coffee, meaning it is better prepared and packaged.
The Nescafe Cap Colombia can be considered a single-origin instant coffee. This is because it is blended using coffee beans from the Huila region in Colombia and nowhere else. Only Arabica beans are used in the blend, giving it a good aroma.
The beans are likely roasted rather light or medium, as the Cap Colombia is quite low on the intensity scale. Nescafe Cap Colombia is rated as 5 in intensity on a scale of 1 to 10.
Packaging-wise, Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia usually comes in a 100g (about 3.5 oz) glass jar with a finely made gold plastic lid. Using glass and good packaging makes the Cap Colombia feel premium and expensive.
We’re not here to marvel at the packaging, but the coffee itself. So, let’s get to that.
How Does Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia Taste?
First Impression
Once you twist open the top lid, I am again disappointed with the fresh seal. It’s the same old problem with the other Nescafes I have reviewed.
You will see a thin layer of aluminum seal with the word Nescafe printed on it many times. This helps to guarantee the authenticity of the coffee inside.
Unlike Illy’s Clasico Instant Coffee or the Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso, there is no way to remove the seal properly. These instant coffees have seals with a pull tab, making seal removal easy.
With the Cap Colombia, however, you will have to first poke a hole and then tear the rest away bit by bit. It’s a messy process. It’s not fun and actually quite a hassle.
Aroma-wise, the instant coffee is a surprising package. The granules do not smell like dried seafood or smokey. Instead, it is light, with a strong herbal, mushroom-like smell. It is a unique aroma, and I find it particularly unique.
The granules are larger and have a uniform size. The color is also lighter than Nescafe Gold and Nescafe Gold Alta Rica. This means the Cap Colombia may be made from lightly roasted coffee. This also explains the herbal, mushroom-like aroma.

I placed the granules on a plate to compare the Cap Colombia with other instant coffee. Clockwise, they are Nescafe Cap Colombia (12 o’clock), Nescafe Gold (3 o’clock), Folgers Classic Roast (6 o’clock), and Lavazza Prontissimo Classico (9 o’clock).

Black
I followed the brewing instructions on the jar and brought a teaspoon of the Cap Colombia with 200 ml of hot water. It tastes watery, so I added another teaspoon for a stronger cup.
The initial sip is mild, with little smoke or bitterness. This is rather refreshing, as most instant coffee slams your palate with bitterness, such as Indocafe or Folgers Classic Roast.
However, I first noticed some bittersweet coffee with the Cap Colombia before flavors like mushroom came in. There are also some fruit-like flavors, especially when you pick up a slight sweetness in the cup.
This is a nice instant coffee, and I took a few more cheeky sips just to enjoy it.
With Sweetener
The Cap Colombia is rather mild, so I wonder if sweeteners can help to make it a bit more flavorful. I reached for two popular sweeteners: brown sugar and Equal artificial sweetener.
I made two cups of Nescafe Cap Colombia and emptied a sugar stick into the first cup. I added a drop of Equal into the second.
With the sugar, the coffee becomes sweeter, and the fruity notes of the Cap Colombia become more prominent. It also helped to make the coffee even nicer to sip and enjoy.
The sugar also does not need to compete with the smoked flavors in the coffee since Cap Colombia does not have much smoke. As a result, the whole cup feels natural and smooth.
With Equal, it helps to add more character to the coffee by boosting the fruity mushroom notes. My issue is that the sweetness seems to come later. And sweetness also lasts much longer on your plate. It does not feel natural.
I know this issue comes from how Aspartame works and not necessarily the problem with the coffee. I much prefer the sweetness from sugar to Equal.
With Milk
Next, I added a single shot (about 1 fl oz, 30 ml) of UHT fresh cow’s milk to a fresh cup of Nescafe Cap Colombia. I enjoyed the balance of mild bitterness, fruity notes, and the creaminess of the milk.
The cream in the milk also made the coffee smoother and silkier in the mouth. I can feel it gliding easily in my mouth.
The coffee also picked up a bit of sweetness, probably from the lactose in the milk. The subtle sweetness is very nice for me, as I prefer subtle rather than overt sweetness.
My only concern is that since the Nescafe Cap Colombia is lightly flavored, it can easily be drowned away by milk if you add too much. I found two teaspoons of granules with 200ml of hot water and a shot of milk, which worked well. Feel free to adjust to your preference.
With Creamer
I added a Coffee Mate creamer stick to my Nescafe Cap Colombia cup. I stirred the creamer in and started tasting it.
Creamer usually adds more cream taste to the coffee than milk, which is quite evident here. The strong creamy taste in creamers seems to be competing for attention with the coffee, which is not a good thing to me.
The strong creaminess also slightly drowns the coffee, making the flavor less noticeable. If you like really creamy coffee, go ahead. As for me, I prefer the version with milk.
With Ice
I am unsure if a mild instant coffee like the Cap Colombia will stand a chance with the ice. But hey, never try, never know. I slowly poured a fresh cup of Cap Colombia into a glass filled to the brim with ice.
The coffee instantly turns cold and crisp. I tasted a little more bitterness, and the coffee also became more crisp in flavor. The mushroomy, fruity notes are also stronger, although less sweet.
However, the coffee cannot rival the satisfaction of sipping into an actual glass of iced Americano. Iced Nescafe Cap Colombia, being a lightly roasted instant coffee, does not give me that satisfying deep and dark bitterness.
Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia vs. Other Nescafe Instant Coffee
It goes without saying that I should compare the Nescafe Cap Colombia against the other Nescafes I have in my collection. They are Nescafe Classic, Nescafe Gold, and Nescafe Gold Alta Rica.
I brew them using the same amount of granules and water. Then, I sip them side by side, noting the taste and overall satisfaction from drinking each cup.
From all the Nescafes here, I am torn between Cap Colombia and Nescafe Gold. They both seem to be nice to drink and leave me satisfied.
It may also not be a good idea to compare them directly. Nescafe Gold original is a darker roast with more smoke and bitterness. The Cap Colombia is lighter, with more fruity and herbal notes.
If I were still to choose one myself, I’d pick the Nescafe Gold for one reason – its bitter taste leaves me slightly more satisfied than the Cap Colombia. Another reason would be that Nescafe Gold is more flexible. It can handle milk and creamer better than Cap Colombia.

Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia vs. Premium Instant Coffee
Next, I lined up the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia against other premium instant coffee. I kept the darker roasts out of comparison because Cap Colombia is a lighter-roasted instant coffee. These coffees are:
Maxim Original may not exactly be a premium instant coffee. Still, I consider it as one, as it has the appearance and taste of one.
I would gladly place the Cap Colombia second on the list, behind the Illy Clasico Instant Coffee. My reason is simple: while the Cap Colombia has more fresh flavors and less smoke, it is not as complete a package as the Illy Clasico.
The Illy Clasico has a stronger flavor and can handle milk and creamer well without being drowned. I cannot say the same for Cap Colombia.
Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia vs. Regular Brewed Coffee
Now, comparing instant coffee with brewed coffee may not be fair. Still, I made it a point to compare every coffee I reviewed against a regular brewed coffee to see if they were good enough.
I mean those you can get for regular coffee from the convenience store or the gas station.
At this point, I grabbed a cup of 7-Eleven Americano and sipped it with a fresh cup of Nescafe Cap Colombia. In this case, I think the regular coffee wins by a small margin.
Gas station or convenience store coffee is brewed from real coffee grounds, which should produce better-tasting coffee than instant coffee. They should also have more depth in taste despite how flat they are.
However, Cap Colombia is good enough. I would say the cap is much closer than I anticipated.
Grab the regular brewed coffee if you care about your coffee and have to choose between the two.
However, suppose you are willing to trade off some quality in the coffee for a lower price and convenience. In that case, I do not think you are giving away too much settling with the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia.
Is Nescafe Cap Colombia For You?
The Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia is a good instant coffee. It has a light taste and does not try to smother your palate with smoke. Instead, you get some herbal, mushroomy, and fruity notes.
This makes it an excellent instant coffee to be drunk on its own. If you like black coffee, give Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia a try. This may be a good idea if you like your coffee sweetened.
However, if you like your coffee with milk or creamer, be easy on the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia. It is not strong, which means a lot of milk or creamer can easily drown its flavors out.
The Nescafe Cap Colombia also suits those who prefer lightly roasted coffee. The bright, fruity, and herbal notes will make your cup enjoyable to sip.Finally, I would say that the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia is an excellent candidate if you are looking for a decent replacement for brewing your own coffee every day without losing too much quality. You can find Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia here.