Tonight (December 10, 2012) was the Olive Way Starbucks’ coffee seminar for Christmas Blend coffee! Donna and Megan walked us through a tasting of all three versions of this coffee: Blonde Roast, original Christmas Blend, and Espresso Roast. The beans in each Christmas Blend are the same, but each has been treated very differently in terms of its roasting. The Blonde Roast is unique in that all the beans are blended together first, and then roasted. In contrast, the original Christmas Blend and Espresso Roast Christmas Blend are both produced by roasting the beans to perfection first, and then blending them together.
All three versions of Christmas Blend coffee contain the essential component of Aged Sumatra coffee beans, which accounts for the spicy, complex flavors that is the hallmark of Christmas Blend.
Blonde Roast Christmas Blend
We started with the Blonde Roast Christmas Blend, which was just introduced into the Starbucks whole bean lineup this year. Coffee Masters Megan and Donna prepared the Blonde Christmas Blend by a filter brew method. (It was Bunn brewed in the stores). The Blonde Christmas Blend had some acidity to it, and a bit of a bite to it. It still has some herbal flavors, but distinctly light in the mouth. It’s a classic Blonde coffee – light, little roast profile, but definitely squarely still tasted like Christmas Blend. Honestly, it was not my favorite of the three, but then I am not into blonde roast profile coffees. I don’t want to discourage anyone from getting this, it’s just not my favorite coffee.
Christmas Blend – Traditional roast profile
Christmas Blend was first introduced into Starbucks stores in November 1984. It’s always been a best seller. The process of blending exactly the right beans for each year’s perfect blend generally starts about 9 months before Christmas. The Aged Sumatra beans are roasted separately from the rest in order to roast that special bean to its perfection, and then blended later with the other Latin American coffee bean components.
Megan and Donna brewed Christmas Blend on the Clover and then paired it with the Cranberry Bliss Bar. It was delicious. This makes for a very nice pairing in many ways. The buttery frosting on the Cranberry Bliss Bar smooths out the Christmas Blend, and the flavors of the bar itself bring out many of the baking spice and herbal notes of this coffee. Nicely paired!
I have to admit, one really fun part of tonight was after the tasting was all over. The store manager (Gayle) of Olive Way Starbucks was there and I had a few minutes to catch up with her. She mentioned to me that she started working at Starbucks in 1994, and clearly remembers her first Christmas. There was no flavorlock packaging back then. Gayle said that her store got in 5-pound bags of Christmas Blend, and there were tons and tons of the these large 5-pound sacks of Christmas Blend in the back of the store. She said her store manager asked her to scoop out 100 pounds of Christmas Blend, all into one-pound brown sacks, all neatly folded, and with a Christmas Blend sticker affixed to the front. Gayle’s comment was that that was the year that her arm was very sore at Starbucks, and when she first saw flavorlock packaging, she was so happy!
Christmas Blend – Espresso roast profile
In 2010, Starbucks introduced the Espresso Roast Christmas Blend. Donna and Megan made it as a French press, and we paired it with Gingerbread Biscotti. It was delicious. I love how very dark roast coffees are extremely smooth. And you do taste lots of roast profile – you do get a lot of toasted sugary and spice notes. This version of the coffee has only been around since 2010, but it is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I can say that I like this coffee brewed from a pour over at home now and then. I definitely have some in my kitchen right now!
Of course, you can brew any coffee by any brew method you like. This year, Christmas Blend is available in the K-cup format, and in Verismo pods. I have tried the Verismo Christmas Blend pods at home. They’re okay. I’ll be honest – I don’t think they’re great. They’re good, but Christmas Blend from the Verismo seems a little thinner, and not nearly as complex as coffee you make fresh by any other brew method. Obviously, that’s to be expected, but this is such a gem of a coffee, that I want it freshly made from wonderful whole beans.
You can really see the difference in the roast profiles when you look at the 3 kinds of Christmas Blend side by side. I was so into tasting coffee at tonight’s event, that I didn’t take all that many pictures. Here’s a few from tonight’s tasting. Which of the three Christmas Blends is your favorite?
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am drinking my early morn. cup(s) of Christmas Espresso (brewed) right now..at home. This one is my favorite. Never have been too crazy about the Christmas Blend but I think I remember liking the last couple yrs a bit more than in the past.
I have the Verismo Christmas blend pods too…..and while I don’t have it as my morning cup, I like it fine for a quick fix later in the day w/out going to Sbux.
The last couple of years I’ve really loved the Christmas Espresso, and this year, it didn’t dissapoint.However, this year’s Christmas blend seems exceptional (especially as french press) – enough for me to take the red bag for most of my weekly markouts 🙂
Like Melody, I’m not a blonde roast lover, but I just have to say, the blonde Christmas was a HUGE dissapoint I think. I found the acidity (and bite) to be overwhelming – I had a fellow barista make me a pour over at the end of my shift so I could try it and wow, I couldn’t finish it. I’m noticing not many of our customers are buying bags of it and few are buying it brewed from the store. I wondering what the general consensus is on the blonde Christmas elsewhere?
I agree with you, Denise R – I too have a Verismo and I find the Christmas blend pods to be a satisfying fix when a coffee is needed quickly at home 🙂 Of course, it can’t ever replace other brewing methods, but compared to other other blends available, that one seems the best!
Not a coffee drinker but love reading about the energy of these coffee tastings and continue to be amazed at how few tastings there are around here. Like the fact that they paired the coffee with food. BTW Melody as an aside, are they doing tea tastings at the Tazo store? I can’t remember if you mentioned that. I also enjoy reading about how different the taste of coffee is from one brewing method to the other.
@Purple1 – I would love to circle back to the Tazo store and would LOVE to do an article about a tea tasting there. I have two main challenges. First, I don’t know many partners there, and don’t really know if they have some schedule. I suppose I could call them. But I would hate to be in that awkward position of ‘would you do a tea tasting for me’ when I barely know them. And then the other problem is transportation to University Village. But that’s a long story.
@Courtney and Denise – I’ve definitely fallen in love with the Espresso Roast Christmas Blend. When it came out in 2010, I bought a lot more of it than the regular Christmas Blend. I wish there were Verismo pods of Espresso Roast Christmas Blend.
This year the Christmas blend was very very bland. I tried the Christmas blend blonde roast and wasn’t impressed either.
The best Christmas blend for me continues to be the Espresso roast. It has the dark caramel taste that is bright and soothing.
I tried the Blonde Roast Christmas Blend on a Clover a couple of days before it was for sale. I think of all the Blonde Roasts, it took a distant third place to Veranda and Willow. Willow is the best of the 3 and i can’t say anything positive about any of the Blonde Roasts. I couldn’t taste a hint of any flavor in BRXMasB! This years Christmas Blend is pretty good IMO especially iced.
@Denise – I thought of you today and ordered my first Cinnamon Dolce Latte. It was very good! So good that my daughter kept reaching across the table and stealing it from me. Thank God the wife doesn’t like Cinnamon or I would have been in trouble. i better not make a habit of that one.
Christmas Espresso is my jam!! I love it!!!! 🙂
Christmas Espresso Blend was the first Starbucks coffee that I fell in love with as a new partner in 2010. Essentially, it was the start of a blossoming new romance with the roasted bean. =)
@chgo: I’m just about to make a trip to Northbrook, where I meet a friend for drinks ! at a Sbux there. I’d decided earlier this morn. that I was having either my very old time fave, a 4 shot tall caramel machiatto, or, my more recent (last 5yrs?) favorite cinn. dolce. I guess it’ll be the cinn dolce, since you brought it up;) snowing lightly here, yay!!!! (altho I do want REAL snow, too)
anyway, glad you enjoyed your cinn. dolce!
@Denise – Cinnamon Dolce Latte is like so YAY! Snow is Like so NAY! – LOL! Everytime time I see Tom Skilling, I want to throw something at the television. This weather is wild and I just seen a moving freight train get taken out by a mudslide in Seattle.
Did anybody try the Cameroon Mount Oku? I initially liked it, but the more I drank it and the more it cooled down, the less I liked it. It has a peppery taste that gets stronger with every sip as it cools. I don’t think I ever liked a coffee before at the beginning, only to dislike it at the finish.
I disagree with one thing. You say that all three Christmas blend coffees have the same beans in them however, in the Christmas blend espresso roast, the Latin American Component comes from Costa Rica. These beans are supposed to be more dense to withstand the longer roast time of the Christmas espresso roast than the Latin American component used in in the regular Christmas blend.
Just wanted to add that I find that the verismo Xmas blend pods to be thinner as well. I’ve done verismo and k-cup side by side and I much prefer k-cup. K-cup is almost as good as a freshly brewed cup.
@Nathan–Somehow I missed your comments here with all the holiday stuff. Where did you get your info on the Christmas Espresso components? It’s been my favorite Christmas blend since we launched it and I’ve often wondered about sourcing. Do tell!