Starbucks Passion

Whole Bean Coffee Review Part 2: Anniversary Blend

While thinking about which Starbucks coffee to dissect and review for this post, it hit me, it’s Anniversary Blend season! What better coffee to talk about than this delicious blend? The timing couldn’t be better. I love this coffee as it always reminds me of back to school time and the end of summer. However, for me, this year is quite different. It’s the first time in 19 years that I won’t be heading back to school. Now, I’ll be starting a new job in a week and I can’t wait. But enough about me, let’s start talking about Anniversary Blend.

The Coffee

Anniversary Blend was created in 1996 to honour Starbucks’ 25^th anniversary and it’s been a late summer/early fall staple in the Starbucks line-up ever since. This post-roast blend comes primarily from the Asia/Pacific region.  Most Asia/Pacific coffees like Sumatra and Komodo Dragon are very earthy and spicy. But there’s something more to Anniversary Blend. It extends beyond earthy and spicy flavours, it’s caramelly and buttery; far richer and deeper than Sumatra and/or Komodo Dragon. Also, it’s bolder and has a heavier body than these other two coffees. The caramel and butter flavours come from the blend’s mix of beans from 3 regions and 4 distinctive coffees.  Also, it uses aged Indonesian beans (Sumatra), which adds a certain richness to the brew. These beans have been aged for 3 – 5 years and help give Anniversary Blend its distinctive syrupy, full bodied richness. To sum it up, it’s a perfect bold coffee for this time of year.

The Tasting

I walked into my local Starbucks and ordered a tall Anniversary Blend. I’ve tried this blend several times over the past few years and always enjoyed it. But never before have I analyzed the brew and dedicated a blog post to it.

I sat down with the coffee and put my nose deep into the cup. I smelled the coffee like a true coffee master (even though I’m not actually a certified coffee master; I just love coffee). Initially, I smelled spice and earth, which are typical characteristics of an Asia/Pacific coffee. But there was something different to Anniversary Blend. It’s deeper, heavier and more heavenly than most Asia/Pacific beans. The smell was bold, but not overpowering. Simply put, it was delightfully brave.

Next, I sipped the coffee and swirled it around my mouth. It coated my tongue and made my taste buds dance. It was bold and heavy with a syrupy-type texture. At first, I tasted earthiness and then a mild spiciness and then finally, it came with a buttery, caramel finish. Yet, even with all these deep flavours powerfully gripping my taste buds, it was smooth and finished wonderfully. With its nutty, caramelly flavour, it tasted almost like a Latin American coffee. Later I found out that this year’s blend uses beans from Papa New Guinea, which gives it that Latin American feel. But whatever was in the cup, it was simply delicious.

I’m not the only one who enjoys this blend. Here are some opinions from some of the greatest Starbucks fans and partners out there:

Melody - @SbuxMel says: I like Anniversary Blend! It’s so bold though! Very syrupy!

Christopher - @fireflyfield says: At our house, it is a huge hit!

Riki - @RikiYamada says: Anniversary Blend’s got that added spiciness from the aged Sumatra Beans.

Gabrielle - @gabrielleashton says: This year’s Anniversary Blend tastes more like a Latin American coffee than I can ever remember. Part of that is because it is a post-roast blend of 3 regions, 4 coffees, including Papa New Guinea. That is where it gets it’s “nuttiness.” All of my favourite coffees are post-roast blends: Yukon, Christmas Blend, Anniversary… I like them dark and roasty!

Jordan - @jorda_nn says: For what it’s worth, I think AV Blend this year is much less spicey/more syrupy than I can ever remember. #2thumbsup

The Pairing

The perfect pairing for this coffee is anything with oats, maple, cinnamon and/or butter. My favourite way to enjoy this brew is with a cinnamon roll or with a bowl of perfect oatmeal.

So while it’s around, grab a bag and enjoy!

*Much thanks to Gabrielle for information on this blend. And thanks to Melody, Christopher, Riki and Jordan for their insight and opinion.