Starbucks debuted their new “everyday” coffee blend yesterday and the initial reports say that the new roast seems to be a reaction to all the “over-roasting” criticism that is routinely hurled at Starbucks.

Some reporters from the Chicago Tribune stumbled into a few cups of the mythical new brew a day early. Their description of the experience is weird and gross, but enlightening:

We felt like spies ordering it, photographing it, sniffing it, cupping it, gargling it and finally gulping it down. So here’s the scoop: Pike Place delivers a pretty great cup of joe. It’s got a light fruity and nutty aroma, a smooth feel on the tongue but nice body and no wimpy finish. This lighter roast (clearly a response to widespread complaints about Starbucks’s penchant for over-roasting) allows a broader spectrum of flavors and aromatics to emerge, things that can sometimes be burnt away in a darker roast. Starbucks might not like this, but it kind of reminds me of Dunkin’ Donuts’ house coffee.

We suppose that’s good news for you people in California who are always trying to get me to mail you bags of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, though we’re not sure why Chicago Tribune reporters (who presumably have access to Intelligentsia coffee) would be sufficiently excited about some new Starbucks joe that they’d gargle it. I guess everyone pines for the coffee they can’t have, eh?

So what do you think? Does the new Pike Place Roast still “taste burnt?” Or is that sad chapter in our nation’s history finally over?

Starbucks’ new Pike Place Roast drips out early in Gold Coast [Chicago Tribune]
(Photo:Travelin’ Librarian)

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