Coffee Review: Starbucks Pike Place
Starbucks opened their first coffee store at the Pike Place market in Seattle in 1971.This site also happens to be the Starbucks where Howard Schultz tasted his first cup of Starbucks coffee. He had gone there to sell them a coffee maker, but loved the coffee so much he joined the company. Later, he became the CEO and drove the company to the huge success it is today.
In 2008, Starbucks decided to honor Pike Place’s importance in its history by creating the Pike Place Roast. Starbucks intended this particular roast to be “an all around great cup of coffee.” It is purported to have softer acidity and a smoother finish than Starbucks’ other coffees because of high-grown Arabica beans. These beans are roasted and blended in a way that “brings out the cocoa and toasted nut flavors” of the beans.
Starbucks created this blend in answer to the reaction of customers who thought its coffee was too harsh or bitter. Though Starbucks claims its coffee beans are ground and brewed every thirty minutes, some people feel it often tastes over-brewed. It may be that some of these customers simply do not enjoy dark roasted coffee. However, over-brewed coffee has a distinct taste that is more sour and bitter than coffee that is just dark roasted.
Therefore, Starbucks answered back with a lighter roast in 2008, naming it after the company’s historical first home. Starbucks actually set up tasting spots around the country to encourage people to try the new blend. The reactions may have been good in some of the trials, but from some of the videos shot, not many were. Regular Starbucks customers who enjoyed their darker roasts found it lacked flavor, while non-Starbucks drinkers found it bitter.
A few days ago, Pike Place Roast was the brew of the day at the local Starbucks. This was a surprise since it had been received so badly by so many two years ago. It was time to give it a try and see if all those comments had been right. They were; Pike Place has all the bitterness of other Starbucks’ coffees without the flavor. If you are desperate for coffee and this is all there is, it is drinkable, at best.
brewed on Apr 15th, 2010
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