Starbucks Reserve Sun Dried Ethiopia Coffee Review
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - If you want an amazing cup of coffee, take a look at the ever-changing line of Starbucks Reserve beans.
There are not many available for purchase online, so you’ll need to check out a Starbucks cafe close to you and see if they carry the beans. If not, one of the baristas there will more than likely be able to tell you if there is a cafe in your city that does carry them.
This Sun-Dried Ethiopia coffee was, well, heavenly. Anytime you see a coffee that is sun-dried, either buy it or drink it. They are always so spectacularly smooth and loaded with flavor notes.
This Ethiopia was no exception to that.
ABOUT
This Ethiopia coffee, at least from the label, was not a coffee I thought I would love nearly as much as I did. Until lately, many of the coffees coming from Africa have not wowed me as much as the Latin American coffees.
Until recently, I also bought into the Starbucks messaging to employees (fun fact, I used to work at Starbucks) that each continent had unique underlying flavors for their coffees. I do not buy into that like I used to.
Starbucks indicates that this coffee is from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. It is an Heirloom varietal and, critically important here, it is sun-dried (also known as natural processing).
Regarding this coffee, Starbucks offered the generous write-up on the back of the card:
“At first glance, natural processing-also known as the sun-dried method-might seem simple: all you need is coffee cherries and sunshine. But nothing could be further from the truth. While this was the first method used to process coffee in Ethiopia, the effort and artistry required are daunting. Coffee cherries are picked at peak ripeness and carefully set out on specially constructed raised beds. Workers tend and turn the cherries with intense focus; if the fruit doesn’t lie evenly, the entire crop can be lost. The Chelelektu mill behind this coffee has been sharing crops from Ethiopia’s famed Yirgacheffe region for years, providing financial backing to area farmers who keep the Ethiopian coffee tradition thriving. This lot’s fruit flavors are as proud and pronounced as the effort that went into each bean.”
REVIEW
From the moment you crack the seal on this bag, you know it will be special. The aroma alone carries you to a state of coffee-induced bliss - something you do not know exists until you have been there.
All drinks used to review this roast were made using my Breville Espresso machine - arguably one of the best at-home espresso machines I have ever personally used.
Then there is the silky, almost overpowering smoothness that comes with this coffee. That is due, largely, in part to the processing method. Sun-dried really is something to behold.
As for the flavor, it is like a symphony of unique flavors - some you would have never pictured harmonizing so well together.
According to Starbucks, this coffee has “floral and tropical aromas with notes of red berries, chocolate and baking spices.”
Yes, that is all true. Starbucks is being slightly humble here and is withholding just how far-reaching the flavors of semi-sweet chocolate and red berry carry. They linger around on your tongue almost like a good Isla scotch does - it just keeps building and presenting itself after being consumed. In a sense, you almost cannot get the flavor off of your tongue. It is dominating…in a good way. Especially if you are into that ;)
Setting aside my emotional surprise of this great coffee, I have to look at it through the lens of being fair, not just overly hyped about finding one of my new favorite coffee roasts.
The verdict remains the same though - it is a coffee that I would strongly recommend anyone drink. Whether you are new to coffee or not, this is something that everyone should be able to experience.
Rating: 9.0/10