by Nigel Ong
When it comes to coffee, people think of Starbucks or Folgers. However, some coffee enthusiasts consider these coffee houses as subpar or low-quality. There’s even a joke where coffee lovers call Starbucks’ roasts’ Charbucks.’
The reason? They think Starbucks roasts its beans darker, so the smoke can mask the low-quality beans it uses. How true is this? I picked up a bag of Starbucks’ signature Pike Place Blend to find it out myself.
In this post, I will brew the Starbucks Pike Place Blend in three ways and then sample its tastes. I will also experiment with some flavorings to see if they can help elevate the taste of the coffee. Finally, I answer if Starbucks’ roasts deserve that ‘Charbucks’ moniker.
About Starbucks Pike Place Blend
Starbucks offers various roasts, and Pike Place is among its most popular. It was introduced in 2008 and is named after the iconic Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington.
There, Starbucks opened its first store in 1971. The blend was created to tribute the company’s roots and remind everyone of its earlier, humble days.
The Pike Place Blend blends Latin American and East African coffee beans roasted mediumly. The blend is also 100% Arabica, ensuring a great aroma and decent caffeine hit. There are also decaf versions available.
Within Starbucks’s intensity metric from 1-12, the Pike Place roast comes in at 7. The result is a hearty cup of coffee that can be enjoyed throughout the day.
The Pike Place Blend beans are ethically sourced, with Starbucks collaborating with Conservation International to ensure that.
My bag of Pike Place Blend is for the Asia Pacific market. As a result, you may notice that the packaging design is slightly different. A chat with the master Barista confirms that these beans are roasted to similar standards as the ones in the US.
The coffee bag also comes with brewing instructions, which I follow when brewing for my French press and my pour-overs. Since no temperature guidelines exist, I used my regular temperature of 185°F (85°C).
How Does Starbucks Pike Place Blend Taste?
For this review, I decided to brew the coffee in three methods using the French press, pour-over, and espresso maker.
The idea is to allow me to sample the coffee beans in more ways, which may reveal the unique tasting properties of the roast.
The French press brewing method should help me sample the coffee with all its oils and particles. The pour-over should produce a cleaner cup of coffee since the oil and particles are filtered away by the paper. The espresso concentrates the flavor better.
First Impressions
As I tore open the coffee bag, I was immediately greeted with the fresh smell of coffee. This is so much nicer than opening up instant coffee cans. Only the Illy Classico Instant Coffee gave a punch of aroma when I opened it.
The beans look darker and can easily be mistaken for a dark roast. It does not help that the beans look surprisingly oily on the surface. Dark roasts usually have only one surface, which makes it odd, considering Pike Place is supposed to be a medium roast.
I think this is going to be a smoky cup of coffee. But let’s see.
French Press
I brewed my cup with the French press using my trusty Bodum Caffetiera. I added 10 grams of freshly ground beans into the jar before adding 120 ml of water.
The idea is to stick to the 12:1 water-to-coffee ratio. I then waited for 4 minutes before plunging and pouring the coffee out. I take my French press brewing method from Illy.
The aroma is very inviting, and I enjoy how the smell instantly reminds me of Starbucks coffee shops. The coffee has a smoky, woody smell, but I am not surprised.
The first sip reveals nothing but woody smoke and earthiness. The kind of smoke you smell and taste when you stand before the BBQ station. I decided to wait a bit more for the coffee to cool. Perhaps there could be more flavors coming.
I was right. After about 2 minutes, I tried the coffee again. This time, my palate picked up hints of salty chocolate and a little bit of bittersweetness towards the end.
As I sipped along, I grew comfortable with the coffee and understood why it was so popular. It is a comfortable, pleasing coffee, especially for those who have drank coffee for a long time.
I even found myself craving a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich. I suppose Pike Place Blend pairs well with savory food.
Pour Over With Filter Paper
I washed my palate with water and went on with the next brew. I used a similar batch of ground coffee with the French press, but this time I loaded them into my IKEA Overst Pour Over set with filter paper. Catching the coffee underneath is my IKEA Riklig glass pot.
My pour-over brewing method is from Starbucks. I added 10 grams of ground coffee and slowly poured 180ml of water. I poured very slowly initially and ensured all the grounds got hot water and bloomed. Only then I added more water faster.
The result is a cleaner cup of coffee with fewer sediments and particles. In fact, you can see the color difference between the pour-over cup and the one made by the French press.
The aroma is the same as the French press, although taste-wise, I think pour-overs made the coffee taste different.
With fewer coffee oils and particles, the coffee tastes cleaner and, in some ways, smoother. With the particles removed, the smoke taste also lessens, allowing me to taste more things on my first few sips.
The pour-over method lets me taste some bittersweet chocolate notes and nutty flavors. The aftertaste also lingers long, making me want to chase the taste by taking another sip.
Espresso
Since the coffee beans look like a dark roast, I wonder how the Pike Place Blend would taste as a cup of espresso. I was also curious how the coffee would taste when the flavors were concentrated. I pulled out my Wacaco Minipresso GR and made myself a cup of espresso.
I was greeted with a beautiful cup of espresso, rich in crema. I was not too surprised by this, considering that the beans are oily. This should help with crema production.
The crema was on the lighter side and not dark brown. This could be from the beans being a medium, not a dark roast. Dark roasted beans may have darker-colored crema.
I took a sniff, and I noticed less smoke in the aroma. Instead, I smell butter-like creaminess and some nutty smell.
I sipped the espresso, and I was glad I tried this as an espresso. It was smooth, with some smoke, but much muted. The smoke and woody taste is lesser in espresso than in French press or pour-over.
The crema also concentrated the flavor, allowing me to taste the bittersweet chocolate and nutty taste better. It is surprisingly smooth for an espresso.
I poured equal amounts of hot water into a new cup and added the remaining espresso to make a Long Black. The coffee tasted wonderful too.
What Flavoring Works Best With Starbucks Pike Place Blend?
I have so far tasted only the black coffee version of the Pike Place Blend. I thought I’ll play around with some flavorings I have in hand and see if they can make the coffee taste better.
I brewed a larger batch of French press coffee using my IKEA Upphetta French press. Then I used the coffee for my flavoring experiment.
Milk
I poured out a fresh cup of coffee and added a shot of warm milk. I used fresh UHT cow’s milk here.
The milk mellows the coffee down and adds some creaminess and fat to the coffee. The lactose inside also helps sweeten the coffee slightly without removing the smoke.
I am ok with the taste of the Pike Place Blend with milk. Not a fan, but I can see some people enjoying their coffee this way.
Creamer
I poured out a fresh cup, but this time I threw in 2 sticks of Coffee Mate creamer. Mine is in powder form, but it should taste the same as the liquid ones.
I much prefer my Pike Place Blend with creamer instead of milk. The creaminess is more intense than milk, which masks the coffee’s smoke better. There is also some slight sweetness from the creamer.
I get a smooth, silky, creamier cup of coffee that should go down with many drinkers. I took a few more cheeky sips than I should have, as it tasted really good.
Sweetener
I poured out two new cups, and this time, I had two drops of Equal artificial sweetener on one cup and two sticks of brown sugar on the other.
I think the combination of sweet and smoky does not blend well, and to me, makes the coffee taste very unnatural. I associate smokiness with bitterness, and adding sweetness to the coffee takes away the balance.
I found myself taking one or two sips and just simply stopped. I do not think Pike Place Blend tastes good with sweeteners.
But then again, I was never a fan of sugar in my coffee in the first place. If you do, try it yourself and see for yourself.
Starbucks Pike Place Blend vs. Regular Coffee
To me, the Starbucks Pike Place Blend will beat your regular gas station coffee anytime. This is because, despite its initial smokiness, there is a depth of taste behind it.
This helps to set it apart from your regular gas station or convenience store coffee. Coffee from these places usually tastes flat and lacks character. Sip them side by side, and you can tell the difference.
I would also place the Pike Place Blend on par with coffee from McCafe and Dunkin. I think the Pike Place Blend was made to please as many tongues as possible, just like your regular McCafe and Dunkin coffees.
Who Should Enjoy Starbucks Pike Place Blend?
After sipping the coffee in so many ways, I believe Starbucks made this blend to be its signature ‘comfort coffee.’ It has a simple, inoffensive taste that fits people who enjoy coffee as a fuel source rather than as some special experience.
This means Pike Place Blend will be a perfect daily drink for regular coffee drinkers, to be enjoyed any time of the day. This may be your Toyota Corolla of a coffee, a reliable daily cup to get you going without all the fancy bells and whistles.
I particularly enjoy the smoky taste the coffee has, which can be something many coffee drinkers enjoy too.
That smoky bitterness helps wake me up and makes me crave something to eat to go along with the coffee. In my case, I found myself wanting some kind of savory sandwich, specifically ham, egg, and cheese.
However, I think the Pike Place Blend may not work with two kinds of drinkers. One is people new to coffee or irregular drinkers. The smoke may be too much and overbearing to them. These drinkers may be better off with light roasts since they are less intense.
Another group is people who seek gourmet experience. I do not think the Pike Place Blend is made for a gourmet experience; these drinkers may be better off sipping coffee from independent roasters instead.
They may find the smoky taste offensive and the simple taste ‘lacking in character.’ I suspect these are the people that came out with the ‘Charbucks’ moniker.