Starbucks' new brew

I was craving Starbucks this morning after a staff meeting where it seemed like everyone had a cup except for me, so I stopped by and ended up getting a free cup of their new "everyday" brew, Pike Place Roast. According to this story, Pike Place Roast -- named after Starbucks' first store in Seattle’s famous public market -- is supposed to have a bold, robust flavor profile but a smoother, more buttery finish. As the baristas dutifully explained to me, it's ground at the stores (they'd been serving pre-ground coffee for years), and they throw out any batch that hasn't been served within 30 minutes. I don't get Starbucks very often these days because I'm making more of my own at home, but I did like Pike Place Roast better than the mild blends I typically get, I think because it had less of an aftertaste. Have you tried it yet? What did you think?

AP photo by Ted S. Warren

good news, bad news

I'll have a venti skinny latte with an extra shot, but, oh, could you hold the recombinant bovine growth hormone? Thanks...
Starbucks will stop offering organic milk, which it said accounts for a small percentage of drinks, because has switched to rbgh-free milk. Starbucks has completed the switch and now only serves milk without the artificial growth hormone, which increases cows' output.
The Wall Street Journal and MSNBC had very different takes on the story.