Starbucks Brazil Ipanema Bourbon coffee, reviewed

I’ve been disappointed by a lot of the light roast coffees I’ve had in recent weeks. Many have been really lacking in the flavor department. I can safely say that Starbucks’ Brazil Ipanema Bourbon coffee was not one of these. The light roast coffee – categorized as a mild by Starbucks – is packed with different flavors. It starts off really clean, with a subtle hazelnut taste. There are also some sweet and vaguely fruity notes, and a finish that is a little bit darker, with a hint cocoa or chocolate. It is not woodsy or overly roasty (i.e. burnt) tasting at all. It’s low acidity and is smooth and easy to drink from start to finish. This is a really nice coffee overall and should be popular with all kinds of coffee drinkers.

Incidentally, the coffee is not not pronounced “BOUR-bon” like the liquor. Starbucks says, “Bourbon” (pronounced bur-BONE) refers to the specific variety of coffee plant from which these beans come. Arabica Bourbon is one of the world’s oldest and rarest species of coffee. The Bourbon tree is carefully nurtured to maturity, its prized cherries hand selected to ensure ripeness and peak flavor.

Zhena’s Gypsy Coconut Chai, reviewed

Green and white teas are often used as the base for flavored tea when a maker wants to introduce some more unusual elements into a line. This is because their flavors are mild, and the added flavors can stand out more strongly. Black tea is rich enough that it is actually a great base for flavors, provided you match them well. In this case, the combination of coconut and chai tea on a black tea background in Zhena’s Gypsy Coconut Chai is absolutely brilliant.

The organic, fair trade tea has a rich and spicy flavor to it, with notes of ginger and cardamom. The coconut flavor is subtle, but clear, and really comes through if you decide to sweeten the tea and not just drink it black. It’s a very balanced tea, with all the flavors playing together in such a way that even those who say “but I don’t like chai tea!” will happily drink a cup of this.

If you don’t see this same package in stores, don’t worry. It seems as though the company is moving towards a simpler, all-black label for this tea at the moment.

No decaf drip after noon at Starbucks

I know a few people who prefer to drink decaf coffee in the evenings. They order decaf after dinner in restaurants and brew it at home after dinner parties. These people might be a little bit concerned to hear that Starbucks is planning to stop automatically brewing fresh decaf in the afternoons. But not to worry, decaf-drinkers. If you want decaf coffee, the baristas will brew a fresh pot for you. Your coffee will not only be decaf, it will be extra-fresh in about 4 minutes. You’ll still be able to get decaf espresso, as the shots are always pulled fresh. If the 4-minute wait for brewing is off-putting, you can always order a decaf americano.

The change – which may not be done at stores where there is an unusally high demand for decaf drip in general – is a cost- and labor-saving measure. Ordinarily, Starbucks brews fresh pots of coffee every 30 minutes. They end up throwing away lots of decaf – far more than regular drip – because it is ordered less frequently.

What is rooibos?

Rooibos tea is an herbal tea made from a South African plant, a member of the legume family, called rooibos. The name means “red bush” in Afrikaans and comes from the fact that the stems and leaves of the plant turn a reddish color when they are dried. The color actually comes through when rooibos is used to brew tea, turning the water a reddish brown color that is lighter than your typical black tea.

Rooibos, pronounced “roy-boss,” is referred to as an herbal tea, or tisane, because it contains no actual tea  but is brewed in a similar manner. This also means that it contains no caffeine. Rooibos has a naturally sweet flavor, almost as though honey has been added to it, but contains no sugar.

Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte

The vanilla rooibos tea I have at home is Adagio’s Vanilla Rooibos. It’s an herbal tea made by blending vanilla beans in with rooibos – and the vanilla flavor comes through wonderfully, giving the tea an impressive natural sweetness. Since the tea has a bold flavor and is a bit sweet to begin with, it’s a great choice for a tea latte, where added sweetness will only bring out the natural sweetness of the tea and the flavor of the vanilla will still stand out over the addition of milk.

The tea latte is easy to make by brewing strong tea – use twice as much as you normally would – and adding in some hot milk. Steamed milk is ideal, but if you use a small whisk to froth up regular milk you’ll get a good result, too. I usually sweeten tea lattes with vanilla syrup if I have some on hand, but regular sugar works out just fine, too.

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