Starbucks Bets on Blonde Roast

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.

At the  (on St. James Place at Coulter), store manager Melissa Harris said the blonde roast coffee has been well-received by customers.

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.”

Verdana and willow blends of the blonde roast exist.

Harris said coffee drinkers can sample the new coffee anytime, but special taste tests at the Suburban Square store will occur: Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Saturday from 9 a..m. through noon.

For more information, visit the Starbucks website.

Thomas J. Walsh contributed to this report.