Starbucks French Roast Via Ready Brew officially launches on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. It’s the newest addition to the ever-growing line of Via Ready Brew flavors. You can now buy Colombia, Italian, Decaf, four flavored Via (Mocha, Caramel, Cinnamon Spice, and Vanilla), and Iced Via Ready Brew. Briefly, Christmas Blend Via was available but that flavor sold out quickly and is now close to impossible to find at any store. If you have tried this new French Roast Via please weigh in and let us know what you think! At the rate that new Via flavors are being introduced, pretty soon the whole bean wall will be duplicated with teensy weensy little packages of Via Ready Brew! What’s after this? Gold Coast Via? Verona Via?
If you like reading about Via, I have a category which covers my many blog posts about Via:
Via Ready Brew Category – One of my favorite old posts is from over one year ago, and features the Via Ready Brew knit cap.
There is definitely some demand for more Via variety. There is at least one thread on MyStarbucksIdea.com calling for the introduction of Verona flavored Via Ready Brew. And if one keeps digging, there are more requests for more Via flavors – yet another asking for Verona Via. A little more frightening is the idea of Pike Place Roast Via. One person wants Via in Breakfast Blend flavor. And the threads on MyStarbucksIdea.com asking for Via flavors are non stop: Here is one person who wants Espresso Roast Via. To round out the request for Via flavors, here is a thread asking for Sumatra Via.
This thread is just an open thread. It’s been about two weeks since I did an open Friday/weekend thread so I decided to quickly throw this together. Talk about anything Starbucks-related: New Reserve coffees, your Christmas experiences at Starbucks, your favorite Starbucks, My Starbucks Idea, the new partner-only community website, the Starbucks Digital Network, or anything you can think of. Heck, feel free to chat away in the comments about your New Year’s resolutions!
By the way, I will have a new blog article tomorrow which will be about Starbucks mugs. There will be an announcement of a new contest which has the goal of showing off _your_ Starbucks mugs, so please check back tomorrow too. One more thing: I’ve had a Facebook fanpage up for about one month, so if you use Facebook, please “like” my page. I understand if you don’t! Since I am actually a Twitter addict, it took a long long time to break down and add a Facebook page but I finally did because I figured that some people are addicted to Facebook and not Twitter.
This blog post will hold you over until tomorrow!
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Purple, I hear what you are saying that it’s not the same to remove the meat. The cow still got slaughtered and it can never be 100% taken off. Btw, my 2 older sisters, plus my younger brother are all strict vegetarians. Whenever I visit, my diet improves 110%!!! I’m sorry, you’re talking to someone who would live off of mac & cheese, pizza, and burgers if I could. Sorry. 🙁
(I haven’t read the comments so hopefully I’m not just repeating what people have said….)
First, OMG! I haven’t visited your blog as often as I would like! Normally I check it like EVERY day, even though I don’t comment all the time. Your site is bookmarked on my Mac!
Secondly, If we start getting more variety of VIA, how on earth are we going to display them? The method right now is a little unorganized. Is there going to be a VIA shelf?
Thirdly, I would love to see VIA for every growing region. There’s already Colombia, so maybe a (Red) East African Blend VIA would be AWESOME, as well as Sumatra.
Fourth, there’s a coffee lover at my store who has the best VIA story! He makes his VIA while he’s waiting on his coffee to brew at home. THAT is a coffee lover! He’s about to start his coffee master journey, too.
Fifth, the French Roast VIA is pretty good. French Roast is probably in my list of 5 least fave Starbucks coffees…. but still pretty good! I didn’t smell fish, though, when I opened the little packet, like I do when I open the one pound bags!
All my questions are totally rhetorical! I just reread my post. Some of my questions like “Is there going to be a VIA shelf?!” is a question I realize nobody really knows right now. LOL.
Does anyone know why Starbucks doesn’t care the Justins almond better anymore?
Is this being released in Canada? I have not seen/heard any communications about it within my store…Hmm, guess I’ll find out when I go into work the next day. I shall ask my SM about it.
HI stsai01 – I saw a press release on this earlier this morning and it did say US and Canada. You should have it too. 🙂
So no Blue Mountain Java at the Reserve store 🙁
I am ordering it off starbucks.com right now! I did have a delicious Clover cup of Casi Ciello though, (the barista remembered me as a former partner and offered it to me before the official launch) they were having a busy day, they were out of Mocha, White Mocha, Chai, Caramel Sauce, and Caramel Brulee (which I’m sure is gone for the season now). I wonder if the order got messed up.delivered on a different day with the all the holidays.
I just read Camspi’s comment about the French Roast…so funny because I kind get that subtle aroma too when I have smelled the French Roast before , but I never could pinpoint what it was I didn’t like, just that it was not one of my favorite Starbucks roasts…and I like fish and seafood! but I get it now….:)
This really shows how important VIA is to the customers…great to see!
I would appreciate more VIA flavors in the future, but even more the VIA release in more Starbucks markets in the world.
I’m soon getting a package VIA French Roast…thanks to the wonderful @Nob
HaHa! 😀
Tuesday Jan 4- Just had the new veggie sandwich and it is just awful- too much cheese and absolutely no taste. Cannot taste the veggies or see them for that matter. SB you lost one on this one. Too bad you stopped the black bean wrap. Bad decision. Curious if others feel the same way?
I was talking to a Batista last night who is a Vegetarian and she told me the sandwich I’d awful so I’m not going to order it and get disappointed
It is 5:45 am in Seattle. I have not had the new sandwich yet, but I’m definitely going to try it on my way in to work today. Your comments are interesting!
Lots of posts I’d like to respond to here but no time right now……
I had the French Roast Via a day or two ago. I wouldn’t buy it. It was quite bold but…lacking, to me. Definitely enjoyed the Christmas blend VIA more, and, on a regular basis, the Italian Roast is just fine for me!
To anyone and all:
Tobias posted a comment in the 30 mugs thread about MSI, and I’m trying to move the conversation over to here. In all honesty, I want people to feel welcomed to send in mug pics to get their $5 gift card (if one of the 30) and I don’t want the coffee mug enthusiasts to be confused or distracted by the MSI conversation.
Here is a copy paste of the most recent comment written by Tobias:
Steve, thanks. It wasn’t that I actually got banished, but that I felt like that was their goal for some reason, even though I’ve always done my best to try to help the moderators, even though I was once a dignitary in the community there, it was beginnig to feel like they were waiting to pounce, hoping I would slip up and violate the terms of use so that they could be rid of me, so I took myself out of the situation while I still had pride to my name.
As Melody just said, she doesn’t want to open up a can of worms here, and I’m sorry for distracting the conversation from the topic of the blog post, but since you asked I wanted to clarify- The following link is what we were referring to the moderators having shut down- http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaview?id=08750000000HBsrAAG on the selfsame day of its creation, while at the same time, ideas like this- http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaview?id=08750000000H6TcAAK are left open for members to levy insults back and forth at each other.
Melody did they have the new breakfast sandwich by you? Get a chance to try it? Also, am curious if you have the cupcakes yet?
Sorry this is sloppy. Im on my ipad in a hurry. I tried the new monteray jack bfast sandwich on my way into work today. Wow that is a cheese sandwich! I like it because I really like cheese but I see how this will disappoint those looking for a non cheese choice.
I like the french roast via (gosh, I feel like another country heard from) but wish they would have made moar Christmas Via. Heck, I wish I could have found some of the Tazo Joy in a can. *sigh* As for favorite sandwich at Starbuck’s, I always get the Cranberry Turkey if I’m hungry and happen to be at a Starbuck’s.
On MSI I just posted my opinion of the new vegetarian artisan sandwich under the topic in Ideas In Action regarding the sandwich. MSI is still having login problems so I am “Anonymous”.
Opinion follows:
I ordered one this morning and disected it.
Sorry Starbucks but the vegetarian artisan sandwich is a miss. Whoever is making this for you has grossly underdelivered.
The egg puck contained exactly one little 1/4-inch piece of red pepper, that did not appear to be “roasted” and did not taste roasted.
The roll needs to be toasted in the assembly process so that when it is heated in the store the roll does not becomes a soggy lump of dough.
The egg puck fritata was dwarfed by the roll, but it did have good flavor (would be great if it really had some roasted peppers in it) and the jack cheese compliments well.
In its current state it is not even worth the $2.00 special price.
Dad Cooks you are being very generous with regard to the new vegetarian sandwich. I agree with most of what you said, however, I really feel there is no taste at all with any spices or such and the egg as it is was quite bland and overwhelmed to me by the cheese. I too think SB has to rethink this sandwich and seriously consider a real vegetarian option. Too long it coming.
@purple1 — yes, I’ll have to admit to being gentle on my criticism of the new sandwich–didn’t want to get my post edited on MSI 😉 , plus I am trying to be a little less curmudgeonly in 2011.
The sandwich could be helped with some pepper, an herb blend, and a dash of Tabasco. Salt level is okay. The roll has possibilities, but will never achieve them as long as Starbucks uses the “heat-the-whole-thing-at-once” method.
@DadCooks: I somehow seem to almost always agree with you and I love how you say it. (here…or over there…..msi)
I cannot understand either what determines how RAPIDLY a thread gets closed..for no apparent reason. It’s happened to me, before anyone had time to respnd…. no reason. I hate that. If it’s not offensive or out of line, gosh, give us a chance to RESPOND!!! and then there are those threads on there from God-knows-when (2008), serving no purpose, excpet to gt an occasional inbox comment from COFF….. , or, possibly worse. ….and they really are essentially meaningless, with NO idea.
I can’t get it.
PLUS, they’re STILL having trouble with the website at MSI???? yikes. I really thought a day or two..actually, I thought maybe 24h. amazing. (I can’t sign on, againnnnnnn)
Hi Denise and dadcooks and all, Im still on my ipadin a hurry. MSI is still down? Maybe that explains why there is more conversation here. 😉 Yeah the thing with closing threads is really all over the place. Inoticed in my inbox yesterday an MSI thread from 3-19-08, meaning that thread has been alive since the beginning. At some point I wonder if there is any more to sayon atopic? On the topic of blue java, maybe jetblue just was too early to his store. New reserve coffees officially launched today.
@ Melody — new reserve coffees? Nothing new at StarbucksStore.com, last was Indonesia Blue Java (ordered some and some El Salvador based on discussions here).
Casi Cielo on tap today, wonderful.
@ denise r — thank you very much for the compliment, I won’t tell if you don’t 😉
@DadCooks – I wonder if something is up with the food team at Starbucks. I took my son to Starbucks today and he couldn’t/wouldn’t finish the cupcake he ordered. He’s 9 and an eating machine so not finishing it said a lot about how good (or not) the cupcake was. They certainly do not look as good as in past years.
@CD — I saw the same thing this morning.
There is a young mother who stops by a couple mornings each week with her 3-year old son and 6-month old daughter after she drops her 5-year daughter old at school (I seem to attrack kids, dogs, and cats 😉 ). The store is usually busy by then so she shares my table with me. Today she bought the vanilla cupcake for her son, he too usually inhales his treat. Today one bite and lick of the frosting and he pushed it away, sister reached and got a piece of the cake and spit it out. Not a good sign for this year’s cupcakes.
Starbucks may be trying to make healthier items. Trouble is that “healthy” and “mass production” do not work yet.
since this is an open thread, can I ask what everyones opinions of casa cielo is…I have a hard time buying this as a bold. It could just be me though.
@Amy – I would not personally call Casi Cielo a bold, but I would call it outstanding. I’m no coffee expert, but I am not sure that many Guatemalan coffees would be considered bold. I will say that there are many fans of Casi.
re: casi cielo, usually to everyone’s surprise this is NOT one of my faves. just never tasted ‘clean’ enough for me. However, I was on my way home yesterday, really in need of some straight Sbux coffee so I stopped at a store I only go to maybe once every 6wks. It’s a really good store (not too big), in an industrial area. They started brewing BOLD all day a long time ago…the removal of it, with them, didn’t work..so, I liked that..back in ’09! Anyway, I had a tall casi cielo. It was wonderful…… alot of that depends (for me) on how I feel, what I need, etc. I still doubt I would want to buy a pound for my morning brew at home, based on my past impressions of it.
(I realize this is a HUGE-HIT coffee with alot of people)
@Amy — my comments regarding Casi Cielo are essentially the same as CD’s. I am a lover of bolds, Komodo Dragon is my goto base, but I appreciate and enjoy any coffee that has a full flavor profile (even though I cannot distinguish the individual components anymore–used and abused taste buds and nose buds 😉 ).
And denise r it is good you had the opportunity to taste the current Casi Cielo. Glad you enjoyed it but I am even happier to hear about a Starbucks that brews what its customers want all day!
IMHO, this season’s Casi Cielo is better than last year’s.
My daughter, Hope & I stopped at Starbucks this morning… I had Melodymail yesterday (thank you!)
I asked for the casi cielo.. They weren’t brewing it today. I was disappointed. I really wanted to try it. The barista said ‘maybe tomorrow..?’ I opted for the Italian roast they were brewing this morning.
I have an appt this morning… Perhaps one of the other stores is brewing it today.
Melody I forgot to mention I understand your comments re Marie Callender because I have been there and know what you mean about the cheese. Today, someone told me they liked the new veggie sandwich because they added extra cheese and another egg patty to the sandwich. Well, to me that is sort of odd and defeats the purpose of the sandwich standing on its own so to speak. I also find it interesting that people have said the cupcakes this year are not any good. I was going to get one, but now I am not sure. What do others feel?
@DadCooks: I know what you mean, the yr to yr…obviously. I normally have never liked the Christmas blend much but last yr and this yr, I thought. were better than the previous yrs. and yes, it was always a THRILL, when , back in the days of the brew-on-denamd-NON-policy, I once in a blue moon found a store that said: oh no! we brew BOLD all day…..our customers want it:)
maybe I’ll get a 1/2# casi ceilo to try at home and see how I feel…..
I’m brewing Italian roast at home now…
and @CD: I saw those vanilla cupcakes yesterday and thought Good, they’re back. Then I remember (I think) there was a decline in their quality/taste last yr….. maybe I’ll try one to compare…. but overall, they need to stop messing with their pastries. They’re pastries, not “healthfood”. and btw, the store I stop at once in a while is on Rt83, west side of the road. almost to Mt. Prospect…south of Dempster/Touhy…maybe Landmeir…. maybe you’ve been there. It’s an out of the way very good store, I have found.
Watch your email inboxes for an email from Howard: Take a look at the future of Starbucks. Here is the link that is in the email if you can’t wait or are not on Howard’s most loyal customers list 😉 :
Wonder how much they paid for that siren/logo redesign?
Somehow I messed up the link as I intended it. If you click on the Wonder how…, it takes you to the preview page mentioned in the email.
MSI has a lot of comments on the new logo. Wall Street Journal has 2 articles, considers this a misstep ala GAP logo fiasco. SBUX shares are down.
Dad Cooks saw the comments on MSI and sure seems like it is a hot issue. Mixed reaction but think the name should have been left in the new logo. Wonder if they tested the new logo in a focus group or with actual customers?
Major Starbucks related articles on http://www.wsj.com and http://www.bloomberg.com. Just do a search for Starbucks. I have subscriptions to these sites, but you may be able to see these articles for free. (Hopefully I did the links correct this time.)
I saw the srticles in my e-mail…haven’t been to msi yet. I liked the logo (the siren) better with Sbux Coffee around her…. I liked it I liked it I liked it.
I will NOT feel obliged to get used to this new one….. Sbux should STOP trying to “go forward” and GO BACKward and I think they’d do better.
On a happier note, the cute little Valentine’s Bearista bear is out now and much improved, I think, even over this past Christmas one. She’s a bit more elaborately dressed..altho stil can’t hold a candle to those old “pairs”, in their little down jackets, etc. AND, of significant import to me, you can clearly see the YEAR and Sbux on her foot…unlike the Christmas one…it was there, you just couldn’t see it. (except maybe in braille?)
lots of new-ness out today….but I want to leave something for Melody to write! 😉 xxx