I really enjoyed this coffee and it was as described on the coffee notes. It's grapefruit led but not in a bitter/rindy way. II picked up slightly savory notes, which could have been because it was made with a siphon which is pretty hot for a coffee this subtle. But overall it didn't feel overextracted.

But it was very smooth overall with a mid-palate hint of bergamot.

Cupping Method:Siphon at Turtle Beans in Bordentown, NJ

An even, very enjoyable coffee with black tea, peach, and caramel/honey notes. Smooth and subtle with some tropical aroma. While I'm describing it a little like a class Ethiopian it wasn't anything like that. The natural sweetness was the highlight.

Cupping Method:The roaster from Turtle Beans highlighted Makeworth as a favorite of his and made this for me.

Note that this review is for a one-pump so it's way less sweet.

I don't think this will be the most popular Starbucks seasonal drink...but gave it a shot.

So I tried out the Starbucks' Hot Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai at the Courtyard Marriott Starbucks kiosk in Hamilton Township, NJ, and it's a fantastic combination that I'd give 4.5 stars. It's worth noting that my review is based on the one-pump syrup version, which makes it notably less sweet, and that's just how I like it.

This drink brings together oat milk, chai, and gingerbread spice in a way that just works. The oat milk adds a creamy and slightly nutty dimension that pairs wonderfully with the aromatic chai spices. The gingerbread-flavored syrup provides a touch of sweetness and a festive twist to the mix. What really impresses me is how these elements complement each other, resulting in a well-balanced and satisfying beverage.

What made this experience even better was the pricejust $5, including a tip. It seems that this particular Courtyard Marriott Starbucks kiosk doesn't have seasonal drinks listed in their POS system, making it a pleasant surprise for customers looking to try something special without breaking the bank.

On Starbucks' 2023 holiday menu, you'll find the Hot Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai alongside the classic Gingerbread Latte. I opted for the grande size, and I appreciated the fact that it contained 100 mg of caffeine, providing a gentle energy boost.

To sum it up, if you're in the mood for a comforting and flavorful beverage that combines the richness of oat milk, the spiciness of chai, and the comforting notes of gingerbread, the Hot Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai is an excellent choice, especially if you come across it at a Courtyard Marriott Starbucks kiosk. Just remember to request it with one pump of syrup if you prefer a less sweet option. It's a delightful addition to Starbucks' holiday lineup, and I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try.

Cupping Method:At a Starbucks kiosk style location in the Courtyard Marriott in Hamilton Township, NJ

Not a ton of information for this as Hamilatte was using up a house roast that's not on the web anymore (or maybe has never been).

My receipt said Rafferty, and they confirmed the name of the blend. It was very hot when I got it but as it cooled it was quite nice to drink with hints of blueberry.

Nicely fruity medium breakfast blend as drip with a very clean finish. Thought it was really good and darn near chuggable at lukewarm.

Cupping Method:Drip to go after an espresso at the bar at Hamilatte in Hamilton Township, PA

A really nice espresso to work with in terms of milk drinks, and a very nice sipper.

This espresso has an incredible aroma. Crema is outrageous, and I definitely get the sweet cola syrup. Chocolate flavors are deep, a lot of natural sweetness, and a spot-on mid-palate turn towards bittersweet. A little earthy in a neutral way. I like the level of floral here.

Cupping Method:I drank espresso and made lattes for my wife. Extraction at 95 degrees, A53 Spaziale.

Blind tasting as part of the Leaderboard S12 game.

This was the most unique coffee the Leaderboard game this season, and really something I haven't seen before.

I got nutty, figgy, red apple, banana, and peach. So fruity and super funky. It has an incredible tropical aroma. It's a bit oddly structured and the mouthfeel is very different from your normal clean, fruity, black tea pourover. But I liked it.

Cupping Method:Chemex pour over

A light roast that doesn't much resemble most Mexicans I've had. Very light, fruity, and tropical. The roaster says guava and I can definitely see that. It's naturally sweet and tart. Unique and tasty.

I tasted this side-by-side with a Honduras SL28. I'd say this one was more fun and interesting and the Honduras is more the one I'd want to drink a lot of.

Cupping Method:Blind tasting, Hario v60

Whenever I hear SL28 I think Kenya for some reason. Lo and behold as I did the data entry it's a Honduras. It's very fruity with peach/apricot and black tea towards the back of the palate. Perhaps a touch of pineapple. A little bit reminicent of an Ethiopian actually. A tasty coffee that you could drink all day.

Cupping Method:Green Kettle Advent Calendar, Coffee #8. Hario v60 pourover. Something you could drink all day.

Straight chocolate, super smooth, low acidity. Drinks medium dark for me. Touch of smoke thats pleasant and more on the aroma.

Cupping Method:Green Kettle Advent Calendar, Hario v60 pourover. Comparison tasting vs a light roast Pink Bourbon

Oddball look lot with a very earthy almost cumin like nose. A unique coffee with very low acidity. I still got the cumin, earthiness, and a fruit like persimmon. I liked it but I'm a bit surprised this was a Panama coffee.

Smooth and light, cashew with chocolate linger. Nice lemony hint in the background. A touch of earthiness. Very nice to drink with a lot of natural sweetness. Too too complex but clean/smooth.

Cupping Method:Chemex pourover

Big, beautiful beans, looked perfectly roasted.

Very fruity with notes of red berry, lemongrass, cranberry, brown sugar, and light hints of almond.

Cupping Method:Chemex

I really liked it as espresso - medium crema, dark chocolate, naturally sweet, caramel, floral, bergamot, blackberry.

As filter, got more red berry and black tea, with a touch of lemon/lime citrus. It was nice but not complex and a bit short on structure.

Cupping Method:Got both an espresso and filter bag of this in Leaderboard Season 12.

This was a very nice blend that I got on drip for a long car ride. It was light and smooth with a very nice natural sweetness. I definitely picked up the florals and peach from the Ethiopian component.

Cupping Method:From King Coffee in Manhattan

Had to dig back through the notes as I made this listing but must not have typed in the review. Notes are that this was super fruity and had a nice twinge of hibiscus.

Very tasty. Could be a bit acidic for some in the blackberry lime range. A lot of other nice flavors going on with chocolate and a bit of caramel. Clean finish leaving you wanting more.

Cupping Method:Espresso at King St in Manhattan

A super smooth Ethiopian. Thought roasted to medium (light medium?) it's still your trademark peach/black/tea Ethiopian with a lot of natural sweetness and a medium body.

Cupping Method:At Black Fox Coffee in New York, as part of their rotating filter coffee. It's made in a fairly large quantity at once from what I gather (not pourover).

Easy drinking smooth with an almond nuttiness and a big burst of pomelo mid-plate. Clean finish and very enjoyable. Nice natural sweetness.

Cupping Method:Pourover from Patent Coffee in Manhattan

Somewhat small, irregular beans. Very fruity with almond at the beginning, the strawberry, starfruit, and tropical acidity. Maybe a bit of peach. Tilting towards the fruity/acidic side but many will like. Got some bergamot on the second cupping.

Quite good!

Cupping Method:Chemex than Hario v60, Leaderboard Season 12, Coffee #7

Espresso with really good flavor and slightly deceptive name. When I hear North Italian I think darker. This is a medium espresso in a style I like - that is, I think there are light beans that impart a strong blackberry acidity, as well as darker roasted beans that impart smoke and spice. Nice crema and body. Could argue it will be a bit acidic for some, especially those expecting a traditional dark roast.

Cupping Method:Double espresso at Spirit Cafe in Waterbury, CT. This cafe was not a very professional operational barista wise, but they did have a Marzocco that did the job.

Blind Tasting for Leaderboard Coffee S12.

Somewhat small, irregular beans.

Black tea, jasmine, ruby red grapefruit, blood orange, and pretty floral. I thought this was a pretty classic washed Ethiopian and I was right!

Cupping Method:Chemex once, Hario v60 once

This was a blind tasting from the Revolver advent calendar.

Spoon, cashew nuttiness mid-palate, slight chocolate linger. Acidity is quietly present in the background in the lemony range. A touch earthy and a lot of natural sweetness. It is really a nice coffee to drink, not too complex.

Cupping Method:Hario v60

Tasty medium dark Brazilian decaf, full bodied, bitter sweet with prune and plum notes and walnut hit mid-palate. For my tastes I find it good on its own and absolutely fantastic as a dessert food. A lot of natural sweetness.

Cupping Method:Decaf with dessert, a blueberry pavlova

Blind cupping, leaderboard season 12, coffee number 2.

Very pleasant, aromatic nose with strong cocoa notes. Nice acidity, picked up a slight savory note, and a lot of citrus/orange. For whatever reason I didn't take great notes on it but V and I both liked it.

Low acidity, super smooth, breakfast blend coffee that you can drink gallons of. A little milk chocolate, a little tea note that's more of a pleasant accent than the main platform. I get a slight cashew hint as well. There's a lot of natural sweetness.

You can see the mix of different beans on the grind. Having had enough of these medium blends, I appreciate how hard they are to get right. Giv is a roaster that's been on my list for awhile, and I'm looking forward to trying some of their single origins.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover, out of Green Kettle's Advent Calendar

A really interesting coffee from Leaderboard Season 12. This was my first coffee, and I feel like I got a lot of the tasting notes right with black tea and floral, rhubarb, a bit of herbaceousness, and savoriness. I also picked up apricot and blueberry. I thought this was a bit more tart than Colombians.

Also throwing me off was that I recently had a Chiroso from Black and White Coffee that was nothing like this one.

In any case, V and I both like this coffee but lacked the knowledge of this varietal to identify it.

Cupping Method:Blind tasting, Chemex one time, Hario v60 one time

A pretty interesting example of a well-executed natural washed coffee that retains the sweetness but doesn't have any funkiness. Super sweet with an almost syrupy mouthfeel. I think it is extremely milk chocolate forward in a super way, and stays that way through the mid-palate, until just a teeny bit of acidity to finish up. That acidity for me was in the strawberry/blueberry/lemon range. For me, I'd like a little bit more of it but hard to complain about a coffee this naturally sweet and smooth.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 on December 1 from the Green Kettle Connecticut Advent Calendar

A very interesting, slighty funky light roast with a tropical and floral aroma. Unique and delicate, maybe not what I'd want to drink every day but something fun to try that showcases the roaster's skill.

Cupping Method:Hario v60 pourover of a small sample

This is a really good cup of French roast coffee, especially given the circumstances here. I'm at the car dealership getting a flat tire repaired, and they have an Encore 29 automatic bean-to-cup machine with Peet's.

I think this Peet's French Roast has an exceptionally smooth texture and pleasing mouthfeel, making it a favored choice among those who prefer darker roasts. The French roast, in particular, is highlighted for striking a balance that appeals to certain tastes. The flavor profile of this Peet's roast is notably chocolatey, complemented by an appropriate level of smokiness. It is intensely bittersweet, the good way, similar to the qualities found in high-quality chocolate. That is driven by a really nice natural sweetness present in the beans.

For me, coffee offers a unique and satisfying sensory experience, especially for those who appreciate the nuanced characteristics of darker roasted blends.

Cupping Method:Encore 29 automatic bean-to-cup machine

A really night winter blend. Bittersweet chocolate is definitely the main note. Its a strong natural sweetness that makes it work. Also get a little bit of spice. Very smooth overall and just enough acidity.

Cupping Method:At Blue Bottle in Prudential Center Boston