Yes, I know all you coffee snobs already know this, but I’m now totally on board. I never really liked Starbucks. But, after now going around and tasting single shots at various places, it’s very clear that Starbucks is mostly snowing the American public. There may be *some* stores with competent baristas that can pull a good shot, but, most stores now have fully automatic grinder/doser/tamper machines and automatic volumetric espresso machines. There’s not much for the barista to do but push buttons. So, that leaves the beans to be up to the challenge, and the machines to be perfectly calibrated. Mostly, the beans are over roasted, and the product really just isn’t that good.