Starbucks Christmas Blend
Before Thanksgiving arrived Starbucks was proudly displaying their Christmas blend in coffee shops & bookstores everywhere. After enjoying the Thanksgiving blend so much, I had to review and compare the Christmas incarnation. Starbucks calls this coffee “Sweet, spicy, and herbal.” Let’s see what we think:
Nose: Wood-y, with spices and a subtle/sweet underlying nuttiness. I can practically smell the syrupy body on this one. The Thanksgiving blend had hints of sweet cedar, this has a much less subtle paper/woodiness that is akin to sniffing a brown paper lunch bag.
Mouth: Right away I sense the big body of this coffee, then my tongue is peppered with some smooth spices. Some hearty earthiness in the finish. As the coffee cools a bit some gentle brightness comes through creating a nice balanced cup.
Starbucks says this blend contains Latin American, Asia/Pacific, and aged Sumatra beans. Upon consumption, the Asia/Pacific dominates, with balanced hints of aged Sumatra spice and Latin American brightness. This coffee feels like the complete package with flavors all around the spectrum with something to please everyone.
In comparison with the Thanksgiving Blend, I would say Christmas Blend is a more complete, smooth experience. If Christmas Blend is round, smooth, and complete, Thanksgiving Blend is more intense, dark, with more pronounced spices and acidity. I can’t say I like one of these offerings better, because they each work so well on their own. I would recommend both, although Christmas Blend will probably be easier to find for the rest of the season.
Have you tried either of these blends? Or perhaps you have a favorite seasonal coffee? Sound off in the comments
1972 Bronze Medalist by The Bad Plus