Recently I was lucky enough to get a couple of samples of the new Starbucks Instant Coffee. We decided we should conduct our own tasting test using a completely unscientific sample (some of my colleagues here in the office). The panel therefore ranged from Alan our resident coffee “expert” and connoisseur, to me (who will drink anything as long as its has coffee in the name).

Contrary to many of the early reviews in the press, our panel was pretty impressed. Each serving comes in a little narrow sachet promising micro-ground coffee. Once opened it revealed exactly what it said on the pack, a portion of what looks likes particularly finely ground ‘real coffee’ which produces a good and pretty authentic aroma.

On tasting everyone was impressed. It is clearly a notch up on current instant coffees, even the premium ones, though not yet as good as ‘real’ coffee. Alan was the first to pick out that it has also captured that Starbucks house flavour pretty well (but he did go on to say that this was too sweet for his personal taste).

The taste is premium (probably an unscientific 8.5/10) but so too will be the price. It will be interesting to see what share takes in the market…