Now Brewing: New Starbucks Limited-Edition Blonde Roast Coffee

Starbucks first opened its doors as a coffee roaster in 1971, quickly making its mark with its medium- and dark-roasted coffees. But its master roasters have never shied away from the full roast spectrum – and in 2012 introduced Starbucks® Blonde Roast, its shorter roast time bringing out softer, more mellow coffee flavors.  

“Blonde Roast isn’t just the same coffee roasted lighter,” said Anthony Carroll, senior manager of coffee quality. “Each coffee bean requires a balance of temperature and time to reach its individual peak of aroma, acidity, body and flavor.”

Customers in the United States now have a new lighter-roast brewed coffee to discover with 2017 Starbucks® Blonde Roast Ltd., available for a limited time. The blend was recently introduced to Canada as Starbucks Blonde® Espresso as a second core espresso option and quickly gained a loyal following.

“We first set out to create a blonde roast that would bring out the lighter side of espresso beverages,” Carroll said. “To our surprise, the recipe was also exceptional as a brewed coffee with its creamy body and bright sweetness.”

The result is a balanced blend of Latin American coffees, which give it a round, smooth body, and East African beans with complex acidity and citrus notes.

“We found that it was both a great, lighter profile for espresso beverages and the perfect juicy, lush and verdant brewed option for spring,” Carroll said.