This post has been a long time coming! A few weeks ago, I attended a coffee tasting at the Starbucks on Newbury Street in Boston. I am a Starbucks lover, so when invited to taste their new Blue Java coffee, I jumped at the chance. Suddenly, a chilly winter day was filled with the aromas of freshly brewed coffee. . .
A small group of bloggers met with a representative from Starbucks and a representative from Starbucks’ PR agency for an event that really opened my eyes to the world of coffee.
When I arrived, I was delighted to see gift bags. 
Not so happy to see more snow! But the view on to Newbury Street was lovely.
Over the course of the event, we tasted both the Blue Java and the 100% Kona coffees, treating the tasting just like a wine tasting and using all of our senses to evaluate the coffee. I enjoy coffee immensely, but many times when I am drinking it, the caffeine is what I am after. This tasting was an experience; we noted that the Blue Java had a nose of pine and sage with clean but earthy flavors. It paired perfectly with the Monterey Jack breakfast sandwich.
In contrast, the Kona had citrus and vanilla undertones. Just like with wine, the terroir or growing conditions, of coffee affect the entire experience. It was fun to compare and contrast the coffees. The Kona was paired with a sweet treat, the cinnamon coffee cake, and again, the flavors of the coffee really brought out the food, and vice versa.
Another portion of the tasting was comparing French press brewed coffee with coffee brewed in Starbucks’ signature Clover machine. The Clover method actually pulls the water through the coffee via a very fine microfilter.
Neat, huh? Clover technology is pretty top secret, so I can’t say anymore about that.
What I can say is what a huge difference we noticed in the Clover coffee versus the French press! I didn’t catch a photo, but the French press coffee left a very slight film in the paper cup where with the Clover method, the cup was completely clean. The coffee flavors were cleaner as well, bolder, and more intense.
I enjoyed being able to sample a new Starbucks release, seeing my fellow bloggers, and treating coffee like the experience that it is.
Want to find out for yourself? Starbucks is giving me five packs of Blue Java to give to a lucky reader!
To enter:
1) Answer this question in the comment section: How do you like your coffee?
2) If you have a blog link back to this give away.
3) If you are on Twitter, tweet “I want to win @starbucks coffee from @traveleatlovemm
I will choose a winner on Friday morning.
