Starbucks' Veranda Blend Coffee

The flavor in flavored coffees is broadly generalized. The notes on the package are always more specific than the taste of the coffee. Reflecting on this observation, I decided to try a coffee from Starbucks. Often, I try to find small independent businesses to support. But I have found myself floundering in a wide spectrum of quality, so in this corporate age of overshadowed independence, I thought I would try a safe commercial coffee.

Starbucks’ Veranda Blend coffee is a light roast with notes of toasted malt and milk chocolate. When I sniffed the coffee, I found it very enjoyable. I found myself occasionally sniffing the grounds when I had the chance. The grind is a commercial size, not fine, not coarse, common in commercial coffees. When I poured hot water over the grounds the resulting brew didn’t appear as an obvious light roast. It is not opaque, but it is dark in appearance.

I was pleasantly surprised with my first drinks of the Veranda Blend. While I could tell it was a light roast on my tongue, there was enough coffee presence to raise awareness of the beans and the balance of flavors that made up the brew. What stands out most to me is the smooth coffee flavor brought to the sides of my tongue with the toasted malt flavor. This is the best balance of coffee with a combined flavor that I have tasted.

I added a packet of sweetener to my second cup. I had not tasted the milk chocolate in my first cup. It didn’t concern me with the great balance. With the sweetener the milk chocolate is very discernible. It adds to the overall balance of the coffee. The flavor is the beans, toasted malt at the sides of my tongue with the milk chocolate at the top and tip, for a satisfying sweetness creating a desirable blend that tempts another sip.

I am pleasantly satisfied with this coffee. I recommend Starbucks’ Veranda Blend for any coffee drinker. I am probably showing my age, but Starbucks has been around long enough for me to remember when they were not the mega-corporate giant, they are now. I believe they have succeeded because they do have people that are aware of how coffee should taste and be prepared. Not all the corporations that have made America are money and fluff hyped above their potential.

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