Blind Assessment: A clean, direct dark-roast profile. The dominant pungency is free of carbon and dances rather lightly on the palate, with some spicy overtones and space for them to echo.

Notes: Makes an amiable companion for seasonal desserts, with a clean, direct dark-roast profile. The dominant pungency is free of carbon and dances rather lightly on the palate. This decaffeinated blend displays a slightly more fully dimensioned and complex profile than the regular Starbucks Christmas Blend reviewed earlier. Why would a blend whose constituent coffees have been treated to remove caffeine cup better than a blend

Who Should Drink It: The holiday factor:Should make an amiable companion for seasonal desserts, easy on holiday-jangled nervous systems and (for a dark-roast) light on over-stimulated holiday palates.