by Nigel Ong
Nescafe is a staple instant coffee in many countries worldwide, becoming more popular in the US. Nescafe offers a wide range of instant coffee, from regular to premium.
There are also decaf instant coffee, such as Nescafe Gold Decaf. How would the Nescafe Gold Decaf taste? Would it taste inferior to its caffeinated brother, Nescafe Gold? I picked up a can to try out.
In this post, I will review the Nescafe Gold Decaf. I’ll sample the instant coffee black with many flavorings and compare it against other similar instant coffee.
About Nescafe Gold Decaf
Nescafe is a line of instant coffee from Nestle, a Swiss food company. Nescafe was invented in the 1930s to preserve excess coffee beans in Brazil.
Nestle figured out they could brew the coffee, and they removed the moisture, leaving only coffee granules. You only need to add hot water to rehydrate the granules to make coffee.
Nestle later expanded the Nescafe lineup, offering more premium instant coffee, calling it Nescafe Gold. Aside from the original Nescafe Gold, Nestle offers many special blends of premium instant coffee, such as Alta Rica or Cap Colombia.
Nescafe Gold Decaf, the decaffeinated version of Nescafe Gold, will be the subject of this review.
Nestle likely created the Nescafe Gold Decaf to offer something for a unique segment – those who enjoy coffee but are caffeine intolerant. Nestle removes the caffeine from the coffee by soaking the beans in hot water before brewing.
How Does Nescafe Gold Decaf Taste?
First Impression
My particular bottle of Nescafe Gold Decaf looks similar to other Nescafe Golds – glass bottle, gold, and black label, with a shiny gold plastic lid. This packaging gives the instant coffee a premium feel.
The label shows that the coffee has an intensity of 7, which puts it in the medium range. It has a similar intensity as its caffeinated brother, the original Nescafe Gold.
Once you pop open the lid, a freshness seal keeps the granules fresh. It is also similar to other Nescafe Golds – this thin foil tears away easily. It may not be removable in a single piece. Be gentle here, as rough hands will break the foil, making it harder to remove.
There is little aroma from the granules after removing the foil, similar to other Nescafes I have reviewed. However, once I brought my nose close to the granules, I picked up aromas similar to mushrooms and chocolates.
The mushroom notes are not as strong as those in the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia, but they are pleasant. The aroma is very different from the original Nescafe Gold.
I also noticed the granules look lighter in color. I placed the granules of Nescafe Gold Decaf and the original together. I can see that the Nescafe Gold Decaf’s granules are slightly lighter in color. Perhaps this means the original Nescafe Gold’s beans are roasted darker.
Black
I started by making a regular black coffee with the Nescafe Gold Decaf. I added two teaspoons of granules into my cup and then 180ml of hot water. The hot water temperature is around 185°F (about 85°C).
I stirred everything in and noticed that the coffee did not look too dark but more of a see-through, brownish color. The instant coffee tasted light, a little too light to describe the taste.
I decided to add half a teaspoon more and try some again. This time, much better.
There is some acidity, and medium earthiness. There are some mushroom-like notes, but not very strong. Compared to Nescafe Gold, this is much lighter.
I like how the instant coffee does not taste like a typical, cheap one. Those usually have so much earthiness in them that the instant coffee is overly bitter. In fact, this is the exact reason why people sometimes describe cheap instant coffee as ‘drinking dirt water.’
However, I think the very light flavor may also be caused by decaffeination. Decaffeination removes caffeine but also removes some of the flavors in the coffee.
I think Nescafe Gold Decaf suffers from the same problem – it does not taste as nice as original Nescafe Gold.
With Sugar
I decided to make another cup, but this time, I slapped in a single stick of granulated brown sugar. As I stir the sugar in, I see the coffee turns a little shinier, with a bit more thickness.
Flavor-wise, I think sugar works well here since the coffee is light and flavorful. Sugar brings a bit of taste to the coffee, making it nicer to sip.
Since instant coffee is not too earthy, it also helps make it more enjoyable with sugar. I usually have issues with sugar and earthy coffee. These two tastes do not jive well and usually ‘fight’ each other in coffee. No such issue with the Nescafe Gold Decaf.
With Sweetener
Not everyone does sugar these days, with diabetes more and more prevalent. I decided to have my coffee with sweeteners, too. In this case, I dropped two droplets of Equal artificial sweetener into the coffee.
Equal uses Aspartame as its sweetening agent, which means the way the sweet flavor is delivered will differ from sugar.
In this case, unlike sugar, Equal does not seem to cause my coffee to be a little thicker. However, taste-wise, it is about the same. The sweetener does not have to compete with the earthiness of the instant coffee, making the cup nice to drink.
I, however, prefer the sugared version. Equal’s sweet tastes seem to come a bit later and stay in my mouth too long, making the whole experience unnatural.
With Milk
Another popular way to flavor coffee is with milk. I decided to add a shot (about 1 oz or 30 ml) of UHT, whole cow’s milk, into my cup of Nescafe Gold Decaf.
The milk softens the coffee, making an already soft coffee even softer to enjoy. I particularly enjoy how the creaminess of the milk dominates the coffee, making this cup a milk-heavy, coffee-second drink.
The milk also slightly sweeteners the drink, thanks to the lactose content. The coffee may be very enjoyable if you like soft, milky coffee, like Asian White Coffee.
With Creamer
Many people are ditching milk for non-dairy creamer for many reasons. Some are lactose intolerant, while others just want an easier, less perishable way to cream their coffee.
Non-dairy creamers can last for years if kept properly, compared to milk that only lasts for weeks.
In my case, I added two teaspoons of Coffee Mate to my cup of Nescafe Gold Decaf. Coffee Mate is also Nestle’s non-dairy creamer, said to be formulated with Nescafe in mind. It is made from palm oil, which makes it probably animal-free.
The creamer version of the coffee is also soft, smooth, and enjoyable to sip. The creaminess is also strong. However, unlike milk, it does not overpower the coffee too much, but they jive together well.
However, I will go with milk if I have to choose between milk and creamer. Creamer does not have that depth of creaminess that milk can give, which means I get less satisfaction sipping Nescafe Gold Decaf with creamer.
Iced
Finally, I thought I’d give the Nescafe Gold Decaf a tryout with ice. I dislike instant coffee with ice, but let’s see if Nescafe Gold Decaf will change my mind.
I made a slightly concentrated cup of Nescafe Gold Decaf and added a lot of ice to the glass. The idea is to allow some melted ice to dilute the concentrated coffee, avoiding over-diluted coffee.
I took a sip, and I have to say I disliked what I had. The ice highlights the acidic notes of the Nescafe Gold Decaf and makes the coffee taste odd. The coffee is also light in taste, which means there are some watery tastes in my coffee, too.
This is a far cry from the flavor of an iced Americano, which is my standard for iced coffee. Just don’t bother trying to drink Nescafe Gold Decaf with ice.
Nescafe Gold Decaf vs. Other Nescafe Golds
Nescafe Gold Decaf is the decaf version of Nescafe Gold. How does it taste compared to the other Nescafe Golds?
I decided to take out all my Nescafe Golds and taste them together. I make a cup of coffee with each of these and then slurp them side by side to compare the taste:
- Nescafe Gold Original
- Nescafe Gold Alta Rica
- Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia
My verdict? The Nescafe Gold Decaf is the weakest of all three in flavor. I suppose the decaffeination process has removed flavors, making it weak.
My favorite remains the Nescafe Gold Original and the Nescafe Gold Cap Colombia. The Original has a comfortable, familiar flavor. In contrast, Cap Colombia has a nice herbal mushroom note that can make me forget I am sipping instant coffee.
Nescafe Gold Decaf vs. Premium Instant Coffee
Since Nescafe Gold Decaf is a premium instant coffee, why not compare its flavors with other premium instant coffee I have in my collection?
Like the Nescafe Golds, I make a cup from each instant coffee. Then I drink them side by side to compare their tastes.
I would rank the Illy Clasico first still. In fact, it has been my favorite instant coffee thus far, and Nescafe Gold Decaf is not a match. Despite its softer notes, Nescafe Gold Decaf does not have the depth of flavor.
I would rank Nescafe Gold Decaf third as a joint last with the Lavazza Prontissimo Classico. The Nescafe Gold Decaf is too soft and lacks flavor, while the latter is too earthy.
Nescafe Gold Decaf vs. Regular Brewed Coffee
Finally, I compare the Nescafe Gold Decaf with those cheap, regular coffees you can get for a dollar at gas stations or convenience stores.
The idea here is to see if you can find premium instant coffee that tastes better than regular brewed coffee. In this case, I got myself a cup of regular Americano from 7-Eleven.
After drinking both coffee side by side, I still have to give regular brewed coffee the win. The brewed coffee may not taste too well but it has a deeper, more complex flavor than the Nescafe Gold Decaf. It is, after all, brewed from ground coffee.
The Nescafe Gold Decaf is an instant coffee, after all. With flavors removed from decaffeination, it does not have much depth. This made it unable to compete against regular brewed coffee.
Is Nescafe Gold Decaf For You?
If you are considering Nescafe Gold Decaf, it may be a good choice if you are:
Caffeine Intolerant: Nescafe Gold Decaf is decaf, allowing you to enjoy your cup of coffee in peace. You do not have to worry about the after-effects later.
Likes Very Light Coffee: Nescafe Gold Decaf may be a good idea if you enjoy very lightly flavored coffee. This is because it is a medium roast, and the decaffeination may have removed some flavor, too.
Enjoys Creamy Coffee: The light-flavored coffee does not compete with milk and creamer for flavors. Nescafe Gold Decaf should be a good idea if you like coffee with a milky, creamy-forward flavor.