Good morning! It's time for coffee, the perfect moment to review the Nectresse sweetener from my Voxbox!
So I brew a fresh pot of coffee and add non-dairy creamer. For me, this is a blank slate for sweetener.
Here is the Nectresse packet:
A very thick, brightly colored paper package that plays off the Taco Bell tradition of sweet nothings written to consumers. In this case the messages inform us about the fruit which the product is derived from(Monk fruit).
I didn't know that!
My criteria for a calorie free sweetener is as follows:
Not overly sweet
No aftertaste
Cut the bitterness of coffee
Subtle flavor
Okay so let's add it to my cup,
Stir, and taste..
I added only one packet to the cup as per normal for me. When I first sipped the coffee my thought was that I needed to add more because I couldn't taste anything. Then, as I reached for the second packet, I became aware of a sweetness overtaking my mouth from the outside of my molars in, and from the back of my mouth forward. It is hard to explain how this works because the sweetener does not cut the coffee - the coffee goes down bitter and THEN this Diet Coke sweet flavor takes over. I need to add the second packet because at this point I do not want to drink this cup of coffee.
After dipping my finger into the pack to test the flavor of Nectresse on it's own, I pour the remainder into my cup.
The bitterness of my coffee is still there, the sweetness still comes after swallowing.
The flavor of Nectresse on it's own is very interesting. It comes in granules like sugar but when it hits your tongue it is almost fluffy in the way it rapidly breaks down from granules. In this, it is 'softer' than sugar if that makes sense. The sweet flavor would go well with fruit or possibly tea, but I cannot be sure because the two packets in this cup of coffee are all I have to base my opinion on.
Before giving my final opinion I want you to know that I was offered a sample of this product as a part of the Naturals Voxbox program via Influenster, in exchange for my honest consideration. I was not sent this product in exchange for a positive response.
My honest opinion is that this sweetener misses the mark on all but one of my expectations for a coffee sweetener.
Nectresse has a definite aftertaste, it does not cut the bitterness of my coffee, it does not blend in with the flavor of my coffee but rather stands alone making it seem like I'm chasing my sip of coffee with a shot of diet coke. The one criterion it does meet is that it's not overly sweet, in fact at the moment it is swallowed it's entirely undetectable.
I would drink coffee with Nectresse inside but I would not seek it out and certainly would not pay a premium price for it at the store. The last package of sweetener I purchased was Rite Aid brand Sucralose, 100 packets for $1. I sincerely doubt I will ever find Nectresse at that price point.
