Starbucks' New Holiday Blend + Artisan Fresh Cinnamon Rolls = A Delicious Pairing!

I am a complete and utter coffee junkie! In any given week, you’ll likely find me at my local Starbucks coffee shop at least once or twice (and that’s being modest in my estimation). As you can imagine, that can quickly add up, so I try to exercise restraint with my coffee shop visits and brew my own java at home when possible.

Like most people, I have my favorite blends and my “go-to” coffee drink…the one the barista calls out when he sees me, confirming I want “the regular.” And while I actually quite enjoy trying different brews and blends, I wouldn’t necessarily go out and spend a ton of money on entire 1+ pound bags that I may not enjoy or drink.

Given that we’re in the heart of the holiday season, I’ve been hearing a lot about Starbucks’ new Holiday Blend. I actually brew Starbucks coffee at home when I’m not in the mood for a “frou frou” drink, and while I thought I would like it, I didn’t want to buy an entire bag without being certain. When I learned that Sam’s Club would be offering tastings on Black Friday, I decided to head over since I needed to do some shopping.

Expecting to find a small cup of coffee, I was pleasantly surprise to find that Sam’s Club was serving full-size cups of Starbucks’ new Holiday Blend and a full-size Artisan Fresh Cinnamon Roll! I got to the store right when they opened, and despite the line, was able to get in and grab a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee. What a wonderful morning treat for early morning shoppers. I am a warehouse shopper and I think that allowing customers the opportunity to sample foods is a great way to introduce something new. And based on the fact that I literally got one of the last 3 boxes of Cinnamon Rolls, I say it was quite effective! I picked up my bag of coffee and cinnamon rolls and my total cost was just under $25 (including tax). I have enough coffee to last me through the season (for comparison, a 16 ounce bag on Starbucks’ website is $14.95 vs. a 28 ounce bag which retails for $18.98 at Sam’s Club).

While I really enjoy my Nonfat Mochas and Gingerbread Lattes, when it comes to my typical cup of coffee, I like to taste it sans cream or sugar to get the full effect of it’s body and flavor. This is the best way for me to determine if a particular blend is too strong, too bitter, or lacking in flavor.

Although we own an espresso machine, I rarely use it. I prefer the simple, traditional French Press to precisely brew my coffee.

When I first tasted the coffee, I noticed how smooth it was. There was no bitterness that I can almost immediately detect in a low quality roast.

This particular blend has balances sweet and spicy flavors, but it wasn’t until I sipped the coffee with the cinnamon roll that I was able to detect specific spices like cinnamon. This blend also has hints of orange, pumpkin, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

After a few sips, I added some half and half (my only must-have in a cup of black coffee). I LOVED the addition and overall how smooth the coffee tastes.

Starbucks’ Holiday Blend will be available for a limited time at Sam’s Club.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.