Starbucks Reserve Coffee: Indonesian Blue Java

Coffee is just one of those things isn't it?  The word, escaping from the lips of the tired, the over worked, the stressed, is the sound of savior, of relief, of help.  But coffee isn't just a source of caffeine, it is the nectar of a bean that is carefully constructed and handled to produce a beverage unlike any other.  Now, of course, there are huge differences in cups of coffee.  You can't really say that a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee.  No- there are huge differences between brands, makers, and the beans themselves.  Last week I had the opportunity to not only taste test Starbucks newest reserve blends, but learn how to taste coffee the correct way.

Starbucks Indonesian Blue Java is special from its very start.  They are processed via the "wet method" meaning that they are washed, laid out to dry, and then the external hull is removed via washing as well.  What does this mean for the taste of the finished coffee?  Lower acidity.  This is a magical coffee.  I am a girl who, as hard as I try, cannot drink coffee without even just a splash of skim milk.  Indonesian Blue Java is the first coffee I can drink completely black, from its hottest temperature, right on through as it cools in my mug.  The flavor is earthy, full of sage, with just a hint of caramel as it the liquid settles on your tongue.  It is a clean coffee, smooth to the finish, with no acidic burn as it washes down your throat.  I loved the Galapagos blend that I sampled from Starbucks during the early fall, but this Indonesian Blue Java is quite possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever had.

Clover machine-coffee filtering

Our tasting included a look at Starbucks own Clover Machine as well.  Now I have long been interested in the Clover coffee.  It isn't available in all Starbucks shops (just adding to the mystery) but when I have seen it and requested a cup of coffee from it, I have always been pleasantly surprised.  My Starbucks coffee, always strong and rich, comes out cleaner tasting, fuller even.  Whenever I brew coffee for myself at home, I always used

The cup on the left has some French Press sludge left behind

my french press.  I feel that the coffee has a deeper flavor to it, and I really do love a good strong cup of coffee.  Apparently the
Clover brew only improves upon the french press idea.  In a normal french press the coffee is pushed through water, in the Clover, water is pulled through the coffee and the filter- sort of a reverse vacuum.  This change results in a much cleaner cup of coffee free of any "sludge" that is sometimes left behind from pressed coffee.  

During the tasting we also got a sneak peek of the new Kona blend coming out March 8, 2011.  This was a sweeter, more citrus like blend, delicious, but my favorite was the Blue Java.

Keep an eye out- Starbucks is celebrating their 40th Anniversary this March, I'm sure good things are to come!!