When I was in Starbucks last Friday morning it was pretty obvious that the Christmas faeries had been there in the night and turned the entire store from a Harvest Home to a Winter Wonderland.  Wreaths, doves, and huge balls of green  yarn were arranged around the store most artistically.  You could almost see the snowflakes falling softly outside…except this is Texas and it was about 50 degrees.

Hey, I said …almost.

Any thoughts I had of picking up a bag of the Thanksgiving Blend on clearance for a ridiculously low price were soon quelled as I saw row upon row of bright red bags filled with the Christmas Blend coffee beans.  Being the suspicious sort that I am I immediately wondered if perhaps they had taken the Thanksgiving Blend and reincarnated it into the Christmas Blend.

 I grabbed a bag (have I ever told you that I am particularly partial to red?  The bags are…red) and took it home for the ultimate test.  Would it taste the same as the Thanksgiving Blend?  Did I have a scoop?

 I did have a scoop…several of them.  Well, Marc did.  Remember, he is the official coffee maker guy.  But the truth is that the Christmas blend is really a different coffee.

 It is a lighter roast, I believe.  Smooth and clean, with a slight spice in the aftertaste followed by almost a black currant flavor. An odd combination of light roast and ripe fruit.

Although it is not a dark roast I did like it a lot.  It seems more of a breakfast blend type coffee to me, though, not one to have after a heavy and rich Christmas dinner. I think more of a cup to sip with Christmas breakfast.

 It handled cream and stevia well, not losing flavor but becoming smoother and richer.  Give it a try.  But don’t expect bold.

image:marye audet

Post from: Kettle and Cup