Starbucks - What's your favorite?

[Jasonian]

Ha, I understand about wanting easier black and white choices. Some of these personal roasters have insane amount of choices and I don't know my head from a hole in the ground staring at their menu. The good thing is, you can always talk to the roaster and get some education, as they're quite passionate about their work and know it well. I ordered from member PozzSka on the site. I think there's several roasters right here in this board. There's a b/s/t just for that where I'm sure you'll find what you're after and something you'll like.

hear hear!

 

[g8rforester]

I'm partial to plain ol' Pike Place Blend.

I also love their Kenya and Sumatra, as well as the Tribute Blend, but I think that was a limited edition for 2011.

 

[erickson]

Of the coffee that I have had from Starbucks, their Cafe Verona is the only one I have ever really cared for.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

There is a newer version out than the regular Sumatra, a kind of reddish brown label and it is called "Dark Sumatra" which is really very good.

FWIW- I stopped in to a Starbucks today grab some of this Dark Sumatra. The manager told me it was the same as the 'old' Sumatra, they just tweaked the packaging. I like it regardless, so I bought some.

 

[tommyguns]

cinnamon dolce latte MmMmMm.......

 

[conroygc]

I also prefer coffee from my local roaster, but since this isn't the "let's hate on Starbucks thread"...
My favorite is their Mexican organic. I hear they're discontinuing it though.

 

[luvmysuper]

FWIW- I stopped in to a Starbucks today grab some of this Dark Sumatra. The manager told me it was the same as the 'old' Sumatra, they just tweaked the packaging. I like it regardless, so I bought some.

Thanks for the info.
We buy at a local Grocer rather than the Starbucks, so I never would have known.
I agree it's good.

 

[kingping]

If this post is too "political," please remove it and I'll take the hint! My family has operated a small local coffee business for eighteen years, and we've seen Starbucks just saturate our market (oversimplification alert ahead) and put so many small shops out of business. There are now (I think) 16 starbucks in our county of roughly 200,000. Capitalism is what it is, but by leveraging their economy of scale, and aggressive real estate practices, Starbucks is far from the warm and fuzzy hipster image their marketing department would have you believe.

Anti-marketing has a lot to do with how I came to wet shaving...

In a big city or a smaller town please consider supporting your local small businesses before automatically shopping a global corporation--especially around such an easy-to-get item as coffee. As with most corporate entities, the focus and purpose is to claim as large a piece of the local business landscape as possible, maximize returns and satisfy shareholders. Although providing some local jobs, these businesses take money from the local economy; they don't use small local banks, they generally don't source goods and services from local companies, and all the profits are returned to the far-away corporate coffers.
/rant off

Now, what was my favorite again?...

 

[SteelCity]

My Gal just got me a pound of "Gold Coast Blend". Will spark it up tomorrow morning on the Moka Pot.
I'm gonna take a wild guess that the Gold Coast they are referring to is Africa not California.

Side note: Seems there are few members that have love for the Moka. I absolutely love brewing coffee in this pot.

 

[SteelCity]

If this post is too "political," please remove it and I'll take the hint! My family has operated a small local coffee business for eighteen years, and we've seen Starbucks just saturate our market (oversimplification alert ahead) and put so many small shops out of business. There are now (I think) 16 starbucks in our county of roughly 200,000. Capitalism is what it is, but by leveraging their economy of scale, and aggressive real estate practices, Starbucks is far from the warm and fuzzy hipster image their marketing department would have you believe.

Anti-marketing has a lot to do with how I came to wet shaving...

In a big city or a smaller town please consider supporting your local small businesses before automatically shopping a global corporation--especially around such an easy-to-get item as coffee. As with most corporate entities, the focus and purpose is to claim as large a piece of the local business landscape as possible, maximize returns and satisfy shareholders. Although providing some local jobs, these businesses take money from the local economy; they don't use small local banks, they generally don't source goods and services from local companies, and all the profits are returned to the far-away corporate coffers.
/rant off

I heard from a good source that when Starbucks enters a new market they will find locations close to their Indi competitor not even concerned about bottom line as much as crushing the little guy.

My daughter and I stopped in a 'bucks recently and between my scooby dooby do size Americano (Or whatever they call the largest drink) and my kid's foo foo drink we could of had a very nice lunch at the best deli in town!!

 

[David in Boston]

My Gal just got me a pound of "Gold Coast Blend". Will spark it up tomorrow morning on the Moka Pot.
I'm gonna take a wild guess that the Gold Coast they are referring to is Africa not California.

Side note: Seems there are few members that have love for the Moka. I absolutely love brewing coffee in this pot.

I was told by a Starbucks manager that "Gold Coast" refers to a location in Chicago.

Note the figure of the woman in the wind.

Windy City.

Well that's what I was told.

 

[Welsh]

On the rare occasions we frequent Starbucks, A caramel macciato is my drink of choice....It has to be in a mug though, Coffee dosen't taste the same in a cardboard cup.

 

[California Cajun]

Plain old decaf coffee, straight. Hot and bold, hits the spot.

 

[Champion of Capua]

I keep going back to French roast, actually just pressed a pot 5 minutes ago. When I'm in the store it's a triple grande latte

 

[closer]

I find most Starbucks coffees to be over-roasted and bitter. The one I used to like the best was their Breakfast blend, which is sadly not served anymore. The usual Pike Place roast is what I drink now. I stay away from anything labelled "bold", and I stay away from the overly sweet coffee "drinks". In the winters, the hot cocoa (sans whipped) is very nice.

 

[shanman]

Joya del Dia. Haven't seen it in years.
I absolutely hate the Pike's and Verona, which seems to be what they always have on tap.

 

[dpm802]

There is a newer version out than the regular Sumatra, a kind of reddish brown label and it is called "Dark Sumatra" which is really very good.

I had some of that today, made on a Clover machine ... it is very good.

I had some Clover-made Ethiopian on New Year's Day ... it was delicious in a sharp, but not bitter way. And quite a bit more expensive than any other flavor on the menu. I'll probably not get it again, though, because it irritated my bladder and made me urinate about every 15 minutes.

Most of the time, I have to settle for Pike Place drip, since I get there after they stop serving the bold(er) flavors ... I usually order a Grande, topped off with a layer of ice, leave room for plenty of cream. I add 2 packets of Turbinado sugar, about 2 ounces of Half-n-Half, stir it up with two wooden stirrers, pop the lid on, then I drink it through a straw. Yeah, really, I drink it through a straw. Its more convenient that way, especially when I'm driving. I go through the first cup in about an hour or so, then stop back for a free refill after I've finished my shopping and errands. Its not unusual to buy the first cup at one Starbucks, and get the refill(s) at another.

 

[_JP_]

I've bought hot chocolate there when others I'm with want to stop there. Don't buy the coffee.

 

[SteelCity]

I've been drinking Starbucks Gold Coast the last few days and do not like it at all. I usually use up the bag before starting another but this may be the exception-can't wait to open anything else.

 

[TheGuy]

I get Starbucks clover brewed coffee pretty much every day Mon-Fri. I like the Sumatra Tapanuli reserve, along with a couple of others I have tried. They seem to get a couple of new ones in every month. I also like the Christmas blend and Komodo dragon. Just after New Year's they were selling the Christmas blend 2 for 1 so I grabbed two pounds of it.

The Starbucks up here also just released two varieties of Blond roasted coffee, which is a light roast. I am going to try it tomorrow as I generally agree that Starbucks over roasts their coffee and most of them end up tasting burnt.