Packaging

The holiday season is fast approaching and we are besieged with food and drink companies offering their own flavours and tastes. When it comes to coffee there is no doubt that Starbucks lead the way with original and thought-out flavours, and their annual Christmas Blend is no exception. This 2015 version is beautifully presented in a satin red airtight packet which is set off by the green Starbucks' logo from where you immediately receive the aroma of the blend through the vent.

The Beans

On opening the packet we find lovely sheeny dark coffee beans that appear packed through with promising freshness. These are actually a mix of finest aged Sumatra arabica beans together with Latin American and Indonesian arabica beans; blended and roasted by Starbucks to produce a specifically seasonal flavour. We used the Sage Barista Express to grind and make our Starbucks Christmas Blend 2015 coffee, and found a fairly coarse grind most suitable for these strong darker beans. If you don't have the facility to grind your own beans then, of course, Starbucks will grind the beans for you, allowing you to use the freshly ground coffee in your cafetière or AeroPress as usual.

Taste

Obviously you can choose whichever type of coffee brew you wish, but we favoured either an Americano, which allowed us to appreciate the subtlety of the flavours on offer, or alternatively an espresso, for that immediate caffeine shot with a more intense flavour. Both the flavours and aroma of this 2015 Starbucks Christmas Blend definitely suit the season, giving a dark nutty taste with rich and deeply spicy overtones, against quite a fruity bouquet. We really like this blend and choose it over others we have here in the studio. It's amazing how a blend of coffee can offer a 'taste' of Christmas, but there is no doubt that this one does, and Starbucks seem to put this down to the spiciness of their aged Sumatran beans.

Summary

Available from any branch of Starbucks, the Starbucks Christmas Blend 2015 edition is definitely a must-try for any coffee enthusiast, and would make an attractive and brilliant tasting present for anyone who, like us, loves freshly brewed coffee in their own environment. From the first tell-tale aromatic smell through the definitive Christmassy flavour Starbucks have given us another seasonal treat that we'll enjoy through to the big day itself.