The Aussie Open, powered by the Flat White

POSTED BY BESS: And so the 2015 Aussie Open has begun. As is typical for any tennis fan in the western hemisphere this time of year, sleep schedules get juggled. Alarms go off halfway through the night. You perform your day job amid a gape of yawns  (gape is my new word for a collection of yawns - like it?) And you invariably curse yourself for falling asleep at 3 a.m., part-way through a match you really wanted to see. 

What's that you say? DVR it? Well, sure. Many people probably do. 

But I've got a day job. And live action from the next day's session starts at 6 or 7 p.m. So when, exactly, would I watch the previous night's action? And how would I manage to avoid spoilers all day? Plus, following along on the social media commentary during the live action is half the fun! No, DVR just doesn't work for me.

And so we juggle. Snooze alarms. Yawn. Curse ourselves. And generally enjoy the heck out of the first major of the year. Grand slam season is back, baby!

Snapped this photo while sitting in the drive-thru of
my local Starbucks tonight. As I ordered a CDL.

What gets us through these night-long tennis sessions? Caffeine has been known to help. Which is why this post is devoted to the Flat White, a new Starbucks offering that evidently originated in... Australia!

Back when we lived in the same town, Dave and I would occasionally meet up at Starbucks to discuss plans for this blog, along with life, love and literature. As one does.

So we gave ourselves an assignment to each visit a Starbucks (by ourselves... single tear) and sample the Flat White.

I believe I'll give it an ace. What struck me was the smoothness and the "finish." (I sound like such a snob now, but I don't even know what that means... it just seems right.) It's akin to a latte, but creamier... which is always a plus in my book.

Truth be told, I'm less of a coffee/espresso girl and more of an espresso-drink girl. Cinnamon Dolce Lattes (CDLs, in Starbucks lingo) are my jam. So I'd need to doctor up the Flat White quite a bit in order to make it truly enjoyable for me. But I sampled it. And I appreciated it. And then I ordered a CDL.

Dave's more of a coffee/espresso purist, so I'll turn it over to him for a more knowledgeable review.

DAVE REPLIES: First, let's be clear. I am not a coffee/espresso purist. In fact, I didn't even think I could try a Flat White, because I can only drink decaf. It was Bess who informed me that there is such a thing as decaf espresso. What? Why am I just now learning this?!

Anyway, the Flat White. I don't know. It tasted like a basic latte to me. (shrug) A latte with a little more bitterness, maybe, and more of a creamy finish. So, some fairly strong yet balanced flavors all-around, plus smooth texture.  

I usually drink my coffee black. And I also really can't deal with whole milk, in general. So, the Flat White was way too creamy for me. But, I can see where some people will really like the drink.

I'll give the Flat White an ace, though I do think the name needs some work. Flat White makes me think of paint. Which, come to think of it, is about the same texture as whole milk. Maybe that's where Starbucks got the inspiration.

On with the Australian Open! 

TENNIS FANS: Have you tried the Starbucks Flat White? Are you a fan? Or do you side with this scathing (and funny) Mashable post? Let us know.