Starbucks Finally Making a Coffee That Sounds Like It Might Taste OK

If Starbucks nails “Starbucks Blonde Roast” they may officially kill the need for any other coffee chain. At least until climate change kills the coffee bean.

I’m one of many who consider plain coffee from Starbucks undrinkable. Even when diluted with whole milk and a couple packets of Splenda, to me Starbucks coffee tastes like a liquified blend of charred dirt and raw dandelion greens. It tastes like something that would best be enjoyed by a beetle.

Fortunately, Starbucks has always drowned out this problem with its unsurpassed ability for making coffee taste like liquid candy, as well as more appealing food items and attributes. I love the seasonal drinks, particularly the pumpkin spice and eggnog lattes, I order a Venti unsweetened iced green tea almost every day in the summer, and I think their social practices including free internet and the upcoming jobs initiative should be emulated by all large, successful food chains.

But the main criticism for Starbucks has always been: too dark, too bitter, too burnt. And according to a Neilson study Starbucks got their hands on, 40% of U.S. coffee-addicts enjoy a lighter tasting roast.

It appears that now, some 40 years after Starbucks’ inception in 1971, the coffee leader is finally expanding to offer a milder option. After testing over 80 roasting recipes, Starbucks has settled on “Starbucks Blonde Roast,” a lighter, less bitter roast which will hit stores in January.

“We recognized the unmet consumer need for a super-premium light roast coffee, and our coffee developers went to work to craft a great-tasting, quality lighter roast coffee we are proud to stand behind,” Cliff Burrows, president of the Americas for Starbucks said in a statement according to Huffington Post. “This is a significant opportunity for Starbucks to gain a greater share of the brewed coffee market – both in our stores and down the coffee aisle.”

According to HuffPo, “It will be sold under the ‘Verana Blend’ or ‘Willow Blend’ names for $11.95 or $12.95 respectively for a bag of whole bean coffee, comparable with its other products.”

It looks like come January coffee might finally be on the list of things I buy from Starbucks.