Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Sumatra Aceh
Roaster Location: | Seattle, Washington |
Coffee Origin: | Aceh Province, northwestern Sumatra, Indonesia |
Roast Level: | Medium-Dark |
Agtron: | 36/47 |
Est. Price: | $14.50/8.8 ounces |
Review Date: | April 2016 |
Aroma: | 8 |
Acidity: | 7 |
Body: | 8 |
Flavor: | 9 |
Aftertaste: | 7 |
Blind Assessment
Roundly roast-toned but nuanced. Scorched oak, dark chocolate, apricot, soft hints of lily-like flowers in aroma and cup. Roast-rounded, gently tart acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. Chocolate, apricot and flowers carry faintly into a briskly drying finish.
Notes
Aceh is a distinguished Sumatra growing region in the hills surrounding Lake Tawar in northwestern Sumatra. Produced by small-holding farmers and apparently processed by the characteristic Sumatra wet-hulled method. This is a limited edition coffee, one of an array of select small-lot coffees that together demonstrate the entry of Starbucks into the new, highest-end specialty coffee arena. It was roasted on a largish batch-roaster located on the lower level of the Seattle Reserve Roastery and packaged using state-of-the-art packaging equipment. For further information visit http://roastery.starbucks.com.
Bottom Line
A sweetly crisp roast-dominated profile complicated by a quiet under layering of fruit and chocolate.
Explore Similar Coffees
Click here for more reviews from Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Click here for more information about coffees from Sumatra
This review originally appeared in the April, 2016 tasting report: When the Small Get Big (and the Big Try for Small)