Caribou Coffee review

Caribou Coffee is the second largest company owned specialty coffeehouse business in the U.S., with nearly 500 locations in 18 states. Several people have told me they are crazy about Caribou Coffee. I had never experienced Caribou Coffee until Tuesday.

Driving home from an unfamiliar around 7 p.m. with Google Maps directions in hand, I missed a turn. Straight ahead was a shopping center with a Caribou Coffee shop on the corner. All of a sudden, I did not want to make a u-turn. I hadn't had coffee in nearly two weeks (doctor's orders). I'd heard nothing but praise. I decided to make an unscheduled stop.

Caribou Coffee has a warm, inviting atmosphere. It reminds me of a ski lodge or log cabin with wooden furniture and accents with a Panera Bread feel to it.

Service was friendly but slow. I ordered a small Northern Lite vanilla latte, made with two shots of espresso, steamed skim milk and sugar-free vanilla syrup. It took four minutes to make my drink. Four minutes is a long time, considering two baristas were working and there were no other customers.

My first sip was a mouthful of milk foam and bitter espresso, thanks to not stirring it. I walked over to the stir stick and sugar packet station, removed the lid, stirred it and took another sip. Much better.

Caribou Coffee drinks are more potent than Starbucks'. Caribou's size small (12 ounces) boasts two one-and-a-half ounce espresso shots with 180 milligrams of caffeine. Starbucks' size tall (12 ounces) is made with one espresso shot with 75 milligrams of caffeine.

Made with more than twice as much espresso as a Starbucks drink, you'd count on your Caribou Coffee drink to taste really strong; however, it doesn't. The espresso has a smooth flavor. It is neither over-roasted nor bitter, common complaints about Starbucks' coffee. The espresso is not overpowering, so it blends well with other ingredients.

The Northern Lite vanilla latte needs a little something extra (maybe the sugar-free syrup isn't sweet enough for me), but for 80 calories, I can't complain.

If you appreciate well-calibrated espresso with a smooth flavor profile that's deliciously subtle, then Caribou Coffee is worth a taste.