Starbucks discontinues Signature Hot Chocolate

[prochroma]

Starbucks has recently discontinued the Signature Hot Chocolate product which has virtually doomed my patronage. My drink is the Espresso Truffle (nearly exclusively), so I am saddened to see this product go. I understand their motivation behind its discontinuance. The Signature Hot Chocolate is delivered to their stores in packets which when mixed with nonfat milk, makes 1 gallon batches. The pre-mix is then stored in the barista refrigerator. This resulted in daily wastage if it wasn't all used by closing time. What I don't understand is why doesn't Starbucks make it in a scoop-able or pump-able medium? This would enable the barista to make single servings and thus reduce the wastage completely. I am currently seeking Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate on eBay and taste-alike recipes online; hoping that Starbucks does something about this.

[prochroma]

HAHA! I just joined a group on Facebook called "Keep Starbucks Espresso Truffle Past Christmas" this group has 50 other members... I knew I wasn't the only one!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...

[missionman625]

I am from Alaska, We have a local coffee company named Kaladi Brothers they scoop Hot Cocoa Ghirardelli with milk (any type you want) then steam it 4 shot of expresso on top of 20 ozs of this hot yummy mocha my friend it's rich . Espresso chocalate Truffle came very very very close this alaska find, The point hot cocoa was scooped . . .

[prochroma]

I am in Sacramento, which is not too far from San Francisco where the Ghiradelli Chocolate Company sits. I love their chocolate... even on coffee. The thing is that nothing compares to my Starbucks Quad Venti Toffee Nut Espresso Truffle. I am reduced back to mocha and the occasional 'java-chip frap' now. I'm actually considering breaking the Starbucks habit as a result of this discontinuation. I'll save about $750 a year if I do.

[GK in SO]

I found that the Signature HC tasted weird, like they used artificial chocolate-like flavoring in it, but not real chocolate. Fake tasting and too darn sweet.

Now, their regular old HC is a much better tasting beverage in my book. YMMV.

[prochroma]

The Signature Hot Chocolate base is made with a powdered mix containing 4 different types of chocolate, cold and hot water, and nonfat milk. Everything is whisked thoroughly together; usually in one of those pump-stir pitchers. It is refrigerated until needed and pumped again before use.

[GK in SO]

That's all well and fine, but the result was an awful product. I'm no expert on how hot chocolate is usually made, but perhaps the process you referred to resulted in the way this tasted.

[ferret]

Are you near a Caribou Coffee? They use melted chocolate in their hot cocoa which results in a superior product, at least in my opinion. If Starbucks was selling enough hot chocolate it would still be in their stores.

[prochroma]

I have never heard of Caribou Coffee, so no, I don't think I'm near one. I agree that if Starbucks were selling enough, that they would keep the product around. This doesn't explain why they didn't create an individual portion of the product though. It tasted great to me. I couldn't have been the only one, so they were making SOME sales!

[Chemicalkinetics]

It didn't get discontinued because Starbucks worries about wasting half gallon of milk.

[prochroma]

One of my recent suggestions to Starbucks was to make the product in single servings or scoop-able powder or pump-able syrup so that my Espresso Truffle can still be made without the end of day wastage that they were risking.