Starbucks introduced a new coffee this week. Now, that doesn’t seem like such a big whoop to me, considering that the company offers dozens of different varieties, with new ones like Komodo Dragon Blend and Winter Melange showing up all the time. 
However, this is a special new coffee, they tell us. A coffee to appease the folks who complain that Starbucks coffee tastes bitter and burnt. A coffee to win back the customers who have deserted the brand for, of all things, McDonald’s and Dunkin' Donuts. A coffee to help CEO Howard Schultz (who recently returned to the company) right the ship.
Dubbed Pike Place Roast, in honor of the original Starbucks’ location in Seattle, the new coffee is a lighter, brighter blend of beans, mostly Latin American. The word is that it’s freshly ground and brewed throughout the day, with no pot allowed to sit for more than 30 minutes.
The company has mounted an advertising blitz to sell the stuff. Coupons for a free cup every Wednesday from now until May 28th were sent to households via direct mail. In addition, on Tuesday, the day Pike Place Roast made its debut, USA Today featured an ad incorporating the “Brewed Coffee Card.” Anybody who hasn’t seen the new brown-and-white logo (in fact, the original 1971 logo) must be living in a cave.
So, how does it taste?
Let me say up-front that #1 I’ve never been a fan of Starbucks coffee, frequenting the chain instead for their lattes which are unfailingly consistent. And #2, I happen to like strong, dark-roast coffee.
But a trained critic doesn’t let pesky personal preferences interfere with the job at hand. And I can say that this cup of joe is pretty darn good. Nothing earth-shattering. But the people it’s designed to please don’t want earth-shattering. They want something that tastes good with a donut.
The Pike Place Roast does have a lighter, brighter taste. Though it's devoid of distinctive coffee beany flavors, it does have an ever-so-slightly nutty aroma. It’s smooth, not sharp or overly acidic. And it does taste freshly made.
I’d call it user-friendly. Homey. All-American. Something to wake you up or warm you up, not to analyze.
The logo on the new brown and white cups is actually not the same as the original one from 1971. It's extremely similar, but the siren's hair has been strategically brushed to keep the logo G-rated. The photo you posted is the original logo - compare it with the new one at http://www.doobybrain.com/2008/04/09/starbucks-pike-place-roast-and-the-new-brown-siren-logo/
Posted by: Nicholas Shiftan | April 14, 2008 at 01:18 AM
Something "fishy" here...and I don't mean just a mermaid. From my research, I understand that the REAL original label had different words: Coffee, Tea, Spices or something to that effect. So I'm not sure what to make of this logo with OLD naked mermaid and NEW words.
BTW Clearly, I won't blog on any subject in the future without checking out "doobybrain"!
Posted by: Maureen Clancy | April 14, 2008 at 07:53 AM
Once again, Wikipedia comes to the rescue:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks#Logo
Posted by: Nicholas Shiftan | April 14, 2008 at 09:21 AM