I believe that some people told Starbucks that they wanted a constant flavor profile, but I totally agree that you’re right, that is a revisionist’s history. On top of that, people don’t always know what they want, nor is it always best for the business to give the customer what they want: In this case, it’s quite likely that even those customers who love Pike Place Roast want a change of pace since it has been 2 years, and there is no way it was good for whole bean sales and brand image to offer one coffee. Of course, I know I am preaching to the choir in my reply to you!

http://www.starbucks.com/blog/18804/pike-place-roast-two-years-later

While discussing PPR 2 years later, the Partner writes:

Before then, Starbucks rotated coffees through our brewed lineup, sometimes switching them weekly, sometimes daily. This was great for some people, but most were telling us to offer a consistent brew that they could count on when they came into our stores. (emphasis added)

Is this revisionist history? Is this skewing the facts to tell your story the way you want to tell your story?

I think PPR was designed to 1) control costs by having a single every-day coffee that could be delivered en-masse to the ever-growing number of Starbucks locations and 2) offer a brew that could compete with the McCafes and Dunkin Donuts of the world. They way it is (and has been) spun is completely different and that is disappointing.

My very, very first day at Starbucks, my assistant manager gave me my orientation packet and did a coffee tasting with me. We had Colombia, paired with I think classic coffee cake, and Kenya, paired with pineapple mango empanadas that we had at the time.

I’d never really been much of a brewed coffee fan, and Colombia tasted like what I typically thought of coffee as tasting like – nutty (although, at the time, I didn’t recognize a “nutty” taste) and bitter.

Kenya, on the other hand, blew me away. I’d never had any coffee like that before. I’d never thought coffee could have a juicy, fruity kinda taste to it and still taste like coffee. It completely changed the way I thought about coffee.

However, I seem to remember liking the last tasting of Ethiopia Sidamo more than I liked the last tasting I did of Kenya. I’ll have to try the two side-by-side.

As for East African Blend, that one’s all over the map, it seems. Sometimes it tastes really good to me (the first time I had it I thought I’d found a replacement for Kenya as to a favorite coffee); other times, it’s kinda “meh.” I guess it depends on if I happen to have a taste for it at the moment.

So here’s a little Coffee Sage list on what’s good and what’s bad in coffee flavors! Now you, too, can figure out if your taste buds have betrayed you and if what you’re drinking is delicious coffee goodness or horrid swill!

Fruity, juicy – good
Chocolatey – good
Spicy – probably good
Herbal – probably good
Caramelly – probably good
Nutty – maybe good
Floral – OK
Beef jerky – bad
Cigarettes – bad

But, on the plus side, the french press is (probably) tastier, and, ounce-for-ounce, is the best deal in the store.

CABarista, I know that people have different opinions when it comes to which coffees are good and which are not. Unfortunately, it seems that some of yours are wrong.

Now, you are perfectly entitled to drink your beef jerky and cigarette coffees! Starbucks sells them because there are clearly enough people out there who like them! Just be aware that they do taste bad and that, even though you do like them and it’s technically legal under the United States Constitution to do so, you’re really not allowed to like them under the laws of good taste.

I suggest starting on a regimen of African coffees in order to re-train your taste buds.

ah I see you do think your taste is the standard. No. Everyone’s taste is different…so please don’t be condescending to those who disagree. I happen to really enjoy Italian roast.
Melody, it makes an incredible french roast.

I definitely think the worst in the line up is Estima.

And Sumatra tastes AMAZING from the Clover, so I assume it would be fabulous as a press too, but I have had no reason to make a French press in a long time now…