Starbucks Chocolate
Well, now. I just don’t quite know what to think about this. Starbucks is stepping into the world of chocolate delivering tea and coffee flavored chocolates with the aid of (drum roll please)…. Hershey! Yeah, I’m being intentionally misleading. I can’t see Starbucks using anything as pedestrian as normal everyday Hershey chocolate (or Special Dark). Instead they are using an unspecified chocolate from the Hershey Artisan Confections collection of companies. And it appears to be one that is associated with bean-to-bar chocolate making. By my interpretation that would make it Sharffen Berger. Dagoba would also be possible, but if they were going organic I’m sure they would trumpet it. I’d guess they want quality without the additional cost that organic chocolate generally carries.
The flavors sound like they’ll be interesting. From the press release:
The collection includes: signature dark, mocha and milk chocolate bars and tasting squares; Tazo® Chai, Passion and Citron tea-infused chocolate tasting squares; Caffè Mocha, Chai, Espresso, Caramel Macchiato and Madagascar Vanilla Bean Truffles; and Milk Chocolate Covered Caffè Verona® Coffee Beans.
The most interesting thing about their whole foray into the world of chocolate is the fact that it will be available in grocery stores, drug stores, and the like, but it will not be available in Starbucks stores. I would be forced to wonder if this is because they’re using Hershey’s distribution channel and Starbucks stores aren’t a part of it. Whatever the reason, they’re supposed to be in stores now.
I’m curious to try some of what they are offering. I’m enjoying the whole tea and chocolate combination lately and I’ve always liked a little coffee with my chocolate so it should all be worth a taste. There is a link to the press release below and there is some neat stuff on it with product pictures and videos of chocolate tastings so check it out.
Comments
kat Said:
I just saw Starbucks drinking chocolate in a local drug store here in Hawaii, the double chocolate looked pretty good.
Posted by: kat | March 6, 2008 11:49 PM
frances Said:
If you like the chocolate/tea combination, I highly recommend the Starbucks Chocolate + Tea Tasting Squares.
I believe they're coming off the Scharffen Berger production line in Berkeley (also, I heard a rumor that one of the reasons the line isn't available initially at Starbucks locations has do to with the lack of an organic label...which supports your theory about Dagoba involvement)
Anyway, the Chocolate + Tea Tasting Squares are so full of flavor (and the chocolate isn't bad, either) that it's easy to stop after just one. Once I got used to the little bits of tea leaf in the squares, I got addicted fast!
Posted by: frances | March 7, 2008 1:58 PM
Jeanna Said:
There's only one Scharffen Berger, but some of those flavors do sound tempting, especially the last one. It's weird they're not in Starbucks too, but probably more money the other way if they had to choose.
Posted by: Jeanna | March 11, 2008 2:47 AM
Alberto Said:
I would like to suggest u another chocolate retailer: Casa Berenguela. They sell delicious chocolate as with chocolate with strawberrys, with jazmin, with muesli...It´s plenty of good flavours
Posted by: Alberto | July 9, 2008 7:39 AM
Maddy Said:
I got Scharffen Berger tasting squares last week (Extra Rich Milk Chocolate, 41% cacao) and they were delicious. This week I got the Starbucks Chocolate Tasting Squares (Milk, Dark, & Mocha Dark Chocolate). There's absolutely no comparison. The Scharffen Berger ones are so much better than the Starbucks ones (and I tried all three flavors of the Starbucks squares!).
If Starbucks is perhaps working with Scharffen Berger, then why do their squares taste like wax and chalk to me? They're thin, dry, and tasteless compared to the Scharffen Berger ones. Perhaps my box had simply been left too long on the shelf ...
Posted by: Maddy | October 27, 2008 2:47 PM
William Said:
I'd expect the Scharffen Berger tasting squares to be better as a general rule, so no surprise there. And the likelihood of the Starbucks being on the shelf too long? I know that my local stores ended up with a lot more than they were able to sell so it's entirely possible that they're somewhat dusty and old.
It does make me wonder if it's a question of SB manufacturing with cheaper chocolate, though. It's possible and not too great a stretch to imagine.
Posted by: William | October 29, 2008 8:16 AM