Ana Alexander/ Winonan

It’s the age old question: which is better, Starbucks or Caribou?

This week I set out on a caffeinated journey to answer this long debated question. I enlisted the help of three fellow coffee enthusiasts: Gen Chilson, Becca Douglass and Matt Mundsack.

To make things fair, I selected two participants that support each coffee company: Chilson and Douglass are devoted Caribou fans, while Mundsack and I are long time Starbucks addicts.

First, I ordered an iced vanilla latte from both Starbucks and Caribou. Then, I labeled the two mugs “A” and “B,” and filled each mug with the corresponding coffee. Next, each participant was blindfolded before they tried the mugs of coffee, commenting on any flavors or characteristics they noticed, and finally selecting which one they preferred.

Chilson was the first to try both coffees.

“It tastes like cold coffee,” she said after sipping the coffee from Mug A.

“Well…is it sweet, is it bitter?” I asked.

“Bitter, because it tastes like cold coffee,” Chilson laughed.

She then tried Mug B, and had a much more extreme reaction.

“Oh my God, that one’s gross! That’s really bitter. No! The first one’s way better,” Chilson laughed.

Chilson put the second mug down as she pretended to gag, and Douglass stepped up to the plate trying Mug A first.

“It was creamy at first, and then BAM coffee!” Douglass said.

She had to take three sips of  Mug B to come to a conclusion.

“This one’s more watery, but then has a strong kick of coffee. I think I like the first one better,” Douglass said.

Mundsack agreed with Chilson and Douglass, preferring Mug A over Mug B. I took my turn, letting Douglass hand me the cups of coffee. I also favored Mug A; it was unanimous.

I informed them that Mug A was the Starbucks latte, and Mug B was the Caribou latte. Chilson and Douglass were surprised.

“I’m shocked,” Chilson said. “I was really hoping that the first one was Caribou.”

Douglass nodded in agreement. Each participant concluded that the Starbucks latte was creamier, and the Caribou latte was more bitter and watery.

Logistically, this can be explained. Not only did I compare the taste of each coffee, I compared the price, size of the cup, amount of caffeine, sugar content and calories per serving. The Starbucks latte had 130 calories, with 11 grams of sugar and 150 milligrams of caffeine. The serving was only 12 ounces for $3.65. The Caribou latte had only 80 calories, 7 grams of sugar and 180 milligrams of caffeine. The serving was 16 ounces for $4.16.

With higher caffeine content and lower sugar content, the bitterness of the Caribou latte is explained. It also was much darker than the Starbucks latte and had a lower calorie count; it’s likely that the Caribou latte had less milk in it than the Starbucks latte. With a higher amount of sugar, milk and a higher calorie count, it would make sense for the Starbucks latte to be creamier and less bitter than the Caribou latte.

Though the group collectively preferred the Starbucks latte to the Caribou latte in our blind taste test, Chilson and Douglass decided that they would both remain loyal to their longtime favorite coffee shop, while Mundsack and I will continue to be faithful Starbucks customers. So, regardless of your caffeinated affiliations, make the decision yourself: are you Team Starbucks or Team Caribou?