Customer : Bold Coffee

A Match Made in “Almost Heaven”

sbx_dcoh — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:25:00 GMT

Two things we hear a lot from you coffee-lovers: you love Guatemala Casi Cielo® and you’d like to see more Keurig® K-Cup® options.

Put those two together and you have a match made in heaven – or, more accurately, “almost heaven,” which is what casi cielo means in Spanish. Now you can find Guatemala Casi Cielo in K-cup packs at your local Starbucks. So far, the MSI community likes the idea.

Guatemala Casi Cielo is a very elegant coffee, with a floral aroma, lemony acidity and finishes of dark cocoa. It’s well-balanced, so it goes well with a wide variety of foods – serve it with fresh herb-infused foods, artisan cheeses, citrus fruits, nuts or chocolate desserts.

Enjoy Guatemala Casi Cielo while it lasts – and let us know what other K-cup varieties you’d like to see.

(Keurig and K-cup are trademarks of Keurig, Incorporated used with permission. K-cup® packs for use in Keurig® K-cup® brewing system.)

Verismo® System Lovers Rest Easy – Decaf Espresso Roast is Here

Joy D — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:41:00 GMT

After we launched the Verismo® System, many of you told us that sometimes coffee lovers just need decaf! You might want to enjoy a terrific espresso in the afternoon, but without all the caffeine.

So sure enough, Verismo® Decaf Espresso Roast pods are now available at over 5,000 Starbucks stores in North America. Like our other coffee pods, they come in packs of 12. Now you can prepare your favorite lattes, americanos, and doppios in decaf. To find the Starbucks store selling Verimo™ pods closest to you, visit Verismo.com or you can purchase Decaf Espresso Roast pods online at StarbucksStore.com and have them sent straight to your doorstep.

If you're interested in purchasing a Verismo® System, now is the time. Now through February 17, 2013, when you purchase a Verismo® System, you'll receive four free pod boxes.

Inspired by your ideas:

Decaf Pods for Verismo
posted by jilyinaz

Cameroon Mount Oku – a Taste of My Father’s Homeland

Stephen Fusi — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:00:00 GMT

The opening stanza of the Cameroon national anthem begins, “O Cameroon, thou cradle of our fathers.” This is literally true for me, the son of an immigrant from this small West African nation.

While I’ve lived most of my life in the United States, I did spend my teenage years in Cameroon. Ever since I heard that Starbucks was launching a coffee from Cameroon, I’ve been alternately anxious, nervous and proud. That coffee is Starbucks Reserve® Cameroon Mount Oku.

When my family relocated from Wisconsin to Cameroon in the late 1980s, we became fully immersed in Cameroonian culture. It was the first time we could physically embrace my father’s extended family, and our immersion included our mealtime routines.

For a tween/teenager, it was exciting to try new foods such as achu – pounded cocoyams with red palm oil soup. And breakfast no longer meant pancakes or cereal. Instead, we ate much more colorfully – puff-puff (sweet, fried dough) with hot peppers, beans and rice stew, and dodo (fried plantains with salt and pepper). We also drank lots of Cameroon-grown tea with freshly baked bread from local bakeries and locally sourced chocolate or peanut butter spreads for our morning meals.

What we did not drink is coffee. In retrospect, this surprises me, but I don’t recall drinking any coffee or seeing anyone else doing so for the five years I was in Cameroon. Robusta coffee is the nation’s fifth largest agricultural export, but the country is better known for world-class soccer, cacao, bananas and rubber.

My father actually tended some robusta coffee trees in his youth, and our family is from northwest Cameroon. This is the only region in West Africa with suitable climate and elevation for raising high-quality arabica coffee.

Starbucks has never offered a coffee from West Africa. Thus, I had no frame of reference for how the Cameroon Mount Oku coffee would taste. When the day came to finally taste it, I had spread the word among my fellow partners, family and friends. I was invited to be the “guest of honor” at a small coffee tasting and really hoped the coffee would be good. Otherwise, that would be a difficult conversation! At the same time, I was so proud to see “Cameroon” written in such a beautiful way on a beautiful package.

The coffee did not disappoint! The aroma presented an interesting floral note but the taste was nutty and chocolaty and rich. The surprise was the peppery finish, which I thought would go perfectly with some pepper soup and ripe plantains. This coffee has now become my favorite –at least while it is available. I also bought a case and sent some to my father and other family in Cameroon and around the United States so they could share in my excitement.

A Christmas Tradition that Goes On and On

Chris Gimbl — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Growing up, one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season was to pack into the car with my family for a ride around town to look at the Christmas lights.

Now that I’m a father, I am continuing this tradition. Here in Seattle there are a two neighborhoods we never miss: Olympic Manor (just north of Ballard) and Candycane Lane (in the University District).

The essential element that caps off our tradition is a steaming stainless tumbler of Christmas Blend. This time of year, whenever the kids see me making that first pot of this sweet, spicy blend in the evening, they know a car-ride to look at lights is just a few minutes away. For me and my wife, the cedary scent of freshly brewing Christmas Blend is a fabulous preview to an evening filled with gasps of wonder.

Christmas Blend, of course, is the perfect coffee for this time of year. And whether you prefer the full body and complexity of our original Christmas Blend, the darker roast of spicy Christmas Blend Espresso Roast or the bright bursts of flavor from new Starbucks® Christmas Blend Blonde Roast, you can always count on this coffee to pair with your favorite traditions.

So brew up a pot, or a cup, and let us know: what’s your tradition?

Anniversary Blend and Two Decaf Options Join our K-Cup® Packs Lineup

Susannah D — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:49:00 GMT

Many of you know Starbucks® Anniversary Blend as a fall tradition here at Starbucks, introduced in 1996 to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. Now, Anniversary Blend is the first Starbucks seasonal coffee to join our K-Cup® pack collection, available exclusively in Starbucks stores for a limited time. This bold, spicy blend of Asia/Pacific coffees pairs well with fall flavors like maple, cinnamon and oats – as well as that back-to-school feeling in the air.

Also new this fall are two decaf options. While I’m one of those people who can never get enough coffee, I know decaf options are a must for many of you, and I’m pleased to announce they’re finally here. Find Decaf Pike Place® Roast K-Cup® packs in select Starbucks stores and Decaf House Blend K-Cup® packs where you buy groceries.

Stop back when you’ve tried them and let me know what you think. Happy fall!

Inspired by your ideas:

Decaf K-Cups
posted by pnccoffee

Keurig and K-Cup are trademarks of Keurig, Incorporated, used with permission. K-Cup® packs for use in Keurig® K-Cup® Brewing Systems.

Pike Place is a trademark or registered trademark of The Pike Place Market PDA, used under license.

Starbucks Tribute Blend® is Back Thanks to You

sbx_niko — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:24:00 GMT

Thanks to your ideas and feedback, Starbucks Tribute Blend® is back for a limited time this spring. It’s a special blend that was originally created to celebrate Starbucks 40th Anniversary in 2011.

Each of the world’s coffee growing regions – Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America – are represented in this extraordinary cup. The beans are blended and roasted to highlight the flavors of some of our all-time favorite coffees: sun-dried beans from Ethiopia with notes of dark cherry; Aged Sumatra with big, bold cedar flavors and a syrupy body; and Papua New Guinea and Colombia coffees add herbal complexity and balancing bright notes.

Starbucks Tribute Blend® is available in whole bean and Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew. You can find it at StarbucksStore.com or in your neighborhood Starbucks store starting today.

Happy 41st Anniversary! Here’s to you!

Inspired by your ideas:

Keep Tribute
posted by bonbon62926292

Ethiopia Sidamo is Here for a Limited Time

sbx_bean — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:50:00 GMT

Many of you have told us that you miss Ethiopia Sidamo in our stores. Through the Starbucks Reserve program, this special coffee is back for a limited time. This organic coffee offering is an elegant East African coffee with a distinctive bergamot aroma, lemony flavor and a hint of spice. It is one of my favorite coffees. If you're a Sidamo fan like me I encourage you to enjoy a cup at a Starbucks Reserve store or order a bag at StarbucksStore.com. Feel free to share your tasting notes with us. We would love to hear from you.

To learn more about the story of this coffee visit Starbucks.com.

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Inspired by your ideas:

Bring Back Sidamo
posted by studionn