Welcome to another exciting tournament to decide who will sit at the very top of the Jewel Coffee Nespresso capsule ranking!
After a gruelling campaign that saw Bold As Love being crowned the Latte champion, our competitors are back for another round. This time, they will be battling it out for Americano supremacy.
The rules are simple: two coffees will fight it out in single-elimination matches, and only the winner will progress.
Each cup will be made using one capsule in a Nespresso Creatista Plus machine at the default Lungo setting, yielding 90gm of coffee. An additional 45gm of water will be added to make an Americano.
Contestants
Our eight contestants have spent the past two months analysing match footage from the Latte tournament, and forming strategies on how to beat their opponents. With no added milk this time, they have to rely purely on their raw skills to reach the summit.
Let the games begin!
Quarterfinals
The first match is a one-sided affair, with the simple and slightly boring notes of El Salvador losing decisively to the complex multi-dimensional flavours of Crystal Ball. Even though both have similar intensities, Crystal Ball is clearly more dominant and gains an easy victory.
Thankfully, the next confrontation between Dream Factory and Brazil is much more exciting. Both are full-bodied but display different flavour profiles. Brazil’s chocolatey foundation goes head-to-head with the bright raspberry notes of Dream Factory, but eventually loses out in a hard-fought battle.
Colombia and Lightning Bolt are next, and the former’s light and fruity flavour offers a sharp contrast with the latter’s balanced and creamy mouthfeel. It’s a close fight, with both fighters trading punch after punch. In the end, Colombia cannot keep up and Lightning Bolt takes the win.
The last quarterfinal match between the two heavyweights — Bold As Love and Sumatra — turns out to be a non-event. Sumatra is clearly not in good condition and attacks with a strange acidic flavour. This is easily countered by strong and pleasantly bitter notes of Bold As Love, leading to a convincing victory.
Semifinals
Having effortlessly cleared the previous round, Crystal Ball let itself become complacent and could not defend against to the hardworking Dream Factory. After a continuous onslaught of fruity and biscuity jabs, Crystal Ball is knocked out and Dream Factory goes through to the finals.
Lightning Bolt enters the ring looking fatigued and clearly worn out from the earlier match. Its opening moves are flat, taste slightly burnt and lack vibrancy. Bold As Love, on the other hand, seems to be in peak condition and wastes no time in knocking out its weary opponent.
Final
We have finally reached the decisive moment in this tournament, and it’s turning out to be a classic David vs Goliath moment. The underdog Dream Factory, who didn’t even make it through the first round in the previous Latte tournament, is going up against the Latte champion Bold As Love.
How with they fare without the support of the creamy Meiji 4.3 Deluxe Milk? Can their natural talent shine through unassisted as they do battle? These are just some of the questions going through the minds of the eagerly awaiting audience.
The light-footed Dream Factory circles around the stocky Bold As Love, trying to find an opening to land a bright berry flavour jab. But Bold As Love puts up a solid defense, parrying all attacks confidently.
This goes on for several rounds until Dream Factory somehow manages to find a crack in Bold As Love’s armour. He lands one solid punch, causing his opponent to take a few staggering steps back.
It’s the beginning of the end, as Dream Factory presses his advantage. Blow after blow connects until the heavyweight Bold As Love is finally knocked out.
Winner!
We have our champion — Dream Factory!
Despite fierce competition throughout the week, and finally facing off against a much stronger rival, Dream Factory has beaten the odds and earned the precious crown. He takes a slow and much deserved victory lap around the stadium, as his loyal supporters chant his name.
The half-Rwandan, half-Sumatran fighter can hold his head up high, as he heads back home and basks in the glory of winning the first ever Jewel Coffee Nespresso capsule Americano tournament.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission. Thanks.
