Starbucks Bets on Blonde Roast Brew

The traditional blend of Starbucks' pike roast too bitter for you? Well the national chain debuted a tamer brew Tuesday and invited java lovers to try it out.

The corporate HQ touts it as "lighter-bodied and mellow," as the coffee is "subtle and soft with mellow acidity, (which delivers) an approachable and flavorful cup with slight hints of roast."

“It took eight months and more than 80 different recipe and roast iterations before we landed on the exact flavor profile our customers told us they were looking for,” master roaster Brad Anderson said in a news release. “They told us they wanted a flavorful, lighter-bodied coffee that offers a milder taste and a gentle finish.”

You can sample the blond roast coffee at the from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday, Jan. 13, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14.

The will have the blonde brew taste testing event until 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday, while the will have the taste testing available until 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

However, all locations told Marple Newtown Patch that customers are free to ask to try the new brew at any time, upon request, even after the taste testing events this week.

For more information, visit the Starbucks website.