There's a battle brewing between the two Americas, a war that's bubbling up on message boards and in our holy places of commerce. It's a percolating struggle which pits a rag-tag band of die-hards who claim to believe in original intent against a system looking to profit from unsophisticated conformity. The antagonists? Starbucks Corp. and a dissatisfied group of customers who bemoan the introduction of Pike's Place, a less complex (i.e., not bitter as shit) roast, as the company's main drip blend.

The Wall Street Journal reports from the front lines:

Much of that debate is taking place on the company's customer-feedback Web site, which the chain launched in March. The site is littered with thumbs-down verdicts on the new roast. Some small competitors have posted messages there trying to woo away disenchanted Starbucks drinkers.
A customer with the handle Westend complained in a posting on the site that the flavor of Pike Place Roast is "weak, watery and no substitute for the bold." Another, ArtM, called the coffee "a fundamental, grievous error." Beccajav derided its finish as "reminiscent of a taste from the dentist's office."

"A dentist's office!" That's bringing out the big guns. For its part, Starbucks notes that sales have risen 5 to 15% nationwide since the blend's introduction. Who will prevail in this titanic conflict? Experts caution that it's too soon to tell. Meanwhile, the rest of us, who have been forced by the poor economy to switch back to coffee which requires a single bill and some pocket change for purchase, can only watch in semi-caffeinated awe. And disgust.