Review of Starbuck's Pike Place Coffee

Price: Average $1.25 to $2.75

Size: 12 ounce to 24 ounce cups. Also available by the pound whole bean or ground.

Availability: Most Starbuck's locations

Website: http://www.starbucks.com

Starbuck's is known for its selection of coffees from around the world in addition to its specialialty drinks. But what do you get when the company known for high standards coffee decides to release what they once described as an "everyday coffee?"

You get Pike's Place coffee. The coffee is named, appropriately enough, for the original location of the very first Starbuck's in Seattle, Washington. Some might say it was released as a way to "get back to the roots of Starbucks." Some others might say that it was Starbuck's answer to fast food coffee and gas station coffee, saying something about the quality of the "usual Starbuck's coffee" compared to "that everyday folks" coffee.

All that aside, let's get down to the important issue at hand: the taste and the overall value of Pike Place.

I've read a few reviews that have said that Pike Place is a lot less bitter and acidic than the usual Starbuck's blend. No surprise that most coffee at Starbuck's is heavy on the complex flavor combinations. But this complexity often leads to heavier and thicker coffee: stronger coffee you might say.

So the reviews that say it is less bitter and less acidic are correct; if Starbuck's regular coffee is too strong or too bitter, Pike Place is the answer.

Yet something seems to be missing with Pike Place. I felt like I was drinking just "any coffee", it could have been made in my house or made at the gas station down the street. It tasted weak and watered down, the flavor was faint and even a bit stale. The texture was smooth but too light, I could have been drinking hot water with coffee flavoring. Not what I expected from Starbucks.

It isn't bold as they say it should be, although if you've never had a cup of Starbuck's coffee than you might find it bolder than the average cup o joe. It is drinkable because it isn't too acidic, but the flavor is just missing from this blend.

The bottom line here is that it isn't a terrible blend, but it tastes too much like standard "cheap" coffee to be worth the same price per cup as other Starbuck's blends. It's often the coffee of the day, every day at many Starbuck's locations and I've found sometimes it is the only one available on brew. This is disappointing, because first time Starbuck's drinkers wondering what makes Starbuck's stand out won't find out drinking Pike Place.