Starbucks Reserve: Jamaica Blue Mountain

As many of you know, I began a new job back in February.  I was raring for a change and seized a great opportunity when I saw it.  My new job, that I'm now firmly six months into has provided me with the new challenges that I sought and exciting changes to my schedule.  I have the opportunity to work remote from the office and that has made my morning cup of coffee a much more pleasant affair.  I have time now to brew a steaming mug here at home before cracking open the lap top and I can allow those first few bitter sips to jog my mind into work mode.  I watch my neighbors head to work as I boil my tea kettle of water, and ponder the days activities as the coffee grounds steep through the water permeating it with its caffeinated goodness.  And then I sit, lap top open and take my first sip as my brain focuses on what needs to be done. 

Starbucks has been my go to for my coffee enjoyment this year, and recently sent me a bag of their featured Reserve bean- the Jamaica Blue Mountain.  They launched this as a perfect seasonal transition coffee.  It leads with light and summery citrus notes, and then finishes into a smooth creamy chocolate, perfect for those first crisp mornings. 

Jamaica Blue Mountain is not just any coffee of course, it is one that is known the world throughout for its special qualities.  It is grown in the eastern mountains of Jamaica, under strict regulations and vigilant supervision.  It's history travels back to the 18th century, and its preparation and shipping is a time honored custom from those days.  This is a coffee that is rare and unique, and not to be missed!

Starbucks Iced Coffee Blend

There is nothing more effective to get me going in the morning than a nice, dark, rich cup of coffee. The combination of the deep bitter flavor, combined with the steaming hot cup is an immediate recipe for a good morning. Of course, when it's 90 degrees outside, a hot steamy cup of coffee doesn't sound as appealing as it might say when it's 50 degrees out.

Iced coffee has long been the answer to this dilemma, making it a bit easier to imbibe in the hot summer months. I will say this much-I don't like iced coffee. The ice always melts into the coffee and waters it down far too much for my liking. My normal way around this is to add a shot of espresso to my iced coffee fixes to counter the water, and to drink it quickly.

Coming to the rescue, as usual, Starbucks has come out with their Iced Blend. Earlier this month, they sent me a bag to sample. This blend, a combination of several regions, is very robust, deep and rich. Even chilling this and serving it over ice doesn't water it down. This is a coffee that I have been totally enjoying over ice, a perfect addition to my summer.

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!!