I have not had the chance to try Starbucks’ attempt at a mellower flavored coffee but a reader of ours, Anna Brew, has brought it to our attention. It seems that Pike Roast is a new blend that is the result of customer reactions to Starbucks’ traditional blends. According to Consumer Reports, the typical Starbucks coffee is burnt and bitter. Now, with the Pike Roast, this is what Consumer Reports has to say:
The result is a mellower flavor that our three expert tasters and other CR staffers, who sampled the blend at a dozen U.S. stores on the East and West coasts, described as generally mild, “with very subtle floral notes, a hint of cocoa-like aromatic, and a medium roast impression.” Generally, they found Pike Place Roast to be “a smooth cup of coffee with some bitterness, but not particularly complex.” Because the flavor is so mild, our experts said, adding dairy or sweeteners might overwhelm the coffee. To experience the full flavor of the brew, you might want to drink it black, our testers suggest.
What can I say? First of all, I never really did agree with their report that Starbucks coffee is burnt and bitter. I have always thought well of Starbucks’ coffee. If I were part of the company, I would be thinking – first it was too bitter now it is too mild! Well this is what I think – as long you know you are making good coffee and you are satisfying majority of your customers, then don’t fix what isn’t broken!
Anna is right – too much drama! Let’s just enjoy coffee now, shall we?
Originally posted on May 18, 2008 @ 10:28 am