A Starbucks partner in California recently sent me a surprise in the mail!  I am definitely enchanted by these informational coffee cards.  Many of these coffees are no longer available at Starbucks.  As far as I know, these Starbucks training cards date back about  a decade ago, and were used in the stores at about the same time as the Starbucks Aroma Kit.  (And even now, once in a while partners tell me that they want the Aroma Kit to come back, and be again produced and sent to all the stores.)  Obviously, the cards featured in this article do not represent all the Starbucks coffees that were around about a decade ago.  Verona is missing, and it looks like Viennese Blend is missing too.  (Viennese Blend was a blend of House and French, and came in both regular and decaf Viennese Blend.)

 

Just for fun, here are the cards:

  • Mild & Bright – Breakfast Blend – Light-bodied, bright, mild and flavorful, this is a wonderful accompaniment to the start of your day.  If you like this coffee, try Decaf Light Note Blend.
  • Mild & Bright – House Blend Decaf – Starbucks signature blend and our most popular coffee.  With a little tartness and toasted nut flavor, this is a straightforward, balanced, simply wonderful coffee.
  • Mild & Bright – Light Note Blend – Smooth and soft, with light to medium body and clean finish.  If you like this coffee, try Breakfast Blend.
  • Mild & Bright – Decaf Light Note Blend – Smooth and soft, with light to medium body and clean finish.  If you like this coffee, try Decaf House Blend.
  • Mild & Bright – Colombia Narino Supremo – From the best growing area in Colombia, the best Colombian coffee.  Medium-bodied with a unique nutty taste.  A Starbucks exclusive.  If you like this coffee, try Guatemala, House Blend, or more full-bodied Yukon Blend.
  • Smooth & Balanced – Guatemala Antigua – An elegant coffee with great depth of flavor, a luxurious texture and intriguing cocoa tones in the background.  If you like this coffee, try House Blend or Colombia Narino.
  • Smooth & Balanced  – Espresso Roast – Caramelly and smooth, this has a good balance and a slightly sweet finish.  Terrific for espresso and for drip brewing as well.  If you like this coffee, try Yukon Blend or Caffe Verona for espresso or Italian Roast for coffee press or drip-brewed.
  • Smooth & Balanced  – Decaffeinated Espresso Roast – Caramelly and smooth, this has a good balance and a slightly sweet finish.  Terrific for espresso and for drip brewing as well.  If you like this coffee, try decaf Sumatra or, when in season, Decaf Christmas Blend.
  • Bold & Intense – Arabian Mocha Sanani – A wild and wonderful coffee with an intense berry flavor and hints of spice, rum and cocoa.  Exotic flavor appeal.  If you like this coffee, try Arabian Mocha Java or, when in season, Ethiopai Harrar.
  • Bold & Intense – Arabian Mocha Java – A rare, wild and satisfying coffee combining exotic Arabian with the rich and spicy flavor of beans from Java.  If you like this coffee, try:  Arabian Mocha Sanani for those who love exotic flavor, and Gold Coast Blend for those looking for a big, full-bodied coffee.
  • Bold & Intense – French Roast – Our darkest roast if blunt, smokey and intense.  A blend of very high-grown Latin American beans.  If you like this coffee, try Italian Roast.
  • Bold & Intense – Ethiopia Sidamo – From the birthplace of coffee, Sidamo is highly prized by coffee buyers from around the world.  A fleeting, floral aroma with a bright yet soft finish.  If you like this coffee, try Kenya.
  • Bold & Intense – Mocca Java Decaffeinated – A rare, wild and satisfying coffee combining Mocca beans from Yemen and the spicy flavor of coffee beans from Java.  If you like this coffee, try Decaf Sumatra.
  • Bold & Intense – Sumatra – Our most popular single-origin coffee – earthy with a heavy, full body and a deep intense aroma.  If you like this coffee, try Sulawesi or Yukon Blend.
  • Bold & Intense – decaf Sumatra – Our most popular single-origin coffee – earthy with a heavy, full body and a deep intense aroma.  If you like this coffee, try decaf Mocca Java.

I hope you enjoyed these educational coffee cards.

If you haven’t tried it, I recommend trying the Starbucks Colombia coffee.  I definitely like it.  Unfortunately, it’s not available in stores.  I have found that many grocery stores offer Starbucks Colombia as a pre-ground coffee (which is still good, and I’ve had many times).  And, I know that there are a few international markets which regularly offer Colombia coffee as a whole bean offering.

I have to admit that I enjoy Starbucks House Blend.  I think it is now one of the most under-appreciated coffees in the lineup!  House Blend is on sale right now for only $9.99.  And I noticed that you can still buy decaf House Blend at StarbucksStore.com.  Try House Blend! 🙂 Speaking of StarbucksStore.com, I also noticed that Fair Trade Cafe Estima is still available on the StarbucksStore.com website.

I classified this blog article under “Starbucks History Lessons.”  The nostalgic side of me especially enjoys those articles.  I still recommend reading about the Pleasures of Summer Starbucks recipe book, Starbucks Mazagran bottled soda, The Tazo Citrus blended beverage from 2002, or beautiful coffee stamps, or I especially enjoy this 1991 Starbucks Christmas Blend advertising which appeared in a limited number of magazines.

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