a tale of two coffees
A very long time ago, and I’m not exactly sure when, there was a blend called Viennese blend. I’ll assume it was somewhere around 2001, as that’s the year on the label, but I am told it is much older than that. This is a dark roast coffee, a blend of our House Blend and French Roast coffees; sweet, balanced & smooth. Even though this blend is long gone, we can still make it in stores!I’ll be honest, when I first learned of the components of Viennese blend I wasn’t too excited to try it. How would the lively characteristics of House Blend mesh with super intense & smokey French Roast? This blend really highlights the artistry of blending coffee. I prepared the Viennese blend as a pour over and had several peers try it, asked for their thoughts, and also asked for them to guess what was in it. Everyone really enjoyed the coffee. They noted how bold it was, the smooth body, the richness. When I inquired what coffees they thought were represented in their cup, the answers were varied. Most thought it was a Guatemala/Sumatra blend (Thanksgiving blend!) some guessed Italian because of the sweetness, but not a single person guessed House or French, and honestly, I’m not sure I would have either.
To make this blend it’s pretty straight forward. 80% House blend, 20% French Roast. I realize not everyone has a scale. Using the 2 tablespoon scoop (10g) measure out 4 scoops of House Blend and 1 scoop of French roast. That’s it!
 Viennese blend and a s’mores tart |
I paired the Viennese blend with the s’mores tart. Not only because it was National S’mores day, but it really is a great pairing. The slight smokiness from the toasted marshmallow and the richness of the chocolate are a perfect match for the Viennese blend. Look for anything rich and sweet. Brownies would be excellent. Try adding caramel drizzle before toasting to help draw some of that smoke from the French Roast. |
Have you tried recreating this blend? Let me know what you think in the comments!
It’s back! Just bought a cup and it is fantastic!
I worked for Starbucks back in 1995 and we were bagging it up back then. We used to have to go to “coffee classes” and learn all about the different blends and tasting notes. I’m actually thankful for the classes, becase I learned a great deal about tasting coffees. It’s sad when I go in a Starbucks now and ask a barista about a coffee. I usually get the “I don’t know I don’t drink coffee.” response!