Starbucks Reserve® Indonesia Blue Java
On the semi-forested slopes of Java, Indonesia, we encountered a startling bean.
It was ordinary in shape, size and texture – but, instead of the expected yellow-green shade of a typical bean, it flaunted a stunning blue-green hue.
The exotic find seems only natural on this jungled island rich in biodiversity, decorated with ancient volcanoes and filled with native art and mythical folklore. This is our second opportunity to offer these pristine beans after their appearance last winter. Once roasted, they deliver a dark and rich flavor profile with herbaceous notes of sage and fresh earth. It’s a sweet, syrupy and full-bodied brew that’s as stunning as the beans’ rare color.
Java, Coffee Island
Joe. Jet Fuel. Go Juice. JAVA!
Probably the best-known and most-used slang term for coffee, Java is also the most populated island in Indonesia and the world. It’s also the island that produces this winter’s unique Starbucks Reserve™ coffee, Organic Blue Java.
Named for the blue-tinted unroasted coffee beans, Blue Java is a spectacular coffee that we were enamored of from the minute we encountered it in the tasting room. It has been a significant amount of time since a coffee from Java has been in our lineup, so it is very exciting to be offering this amazing cup of coffee after such a long hiatus. (We last bought significant amounts of Java coffee in 2004. A decline in the island’s coffee quality drove us away from and caused us to discontinue offering our long-standing Arabian Mocha Java blend.)
This bold coffee produces an epic cup, one that unfolds with medium acidity, good body and deep herbal notes. The processing of this coffee is unique in that is combines two traditional methods of green coffee drying. The combination consists of first partially drying the coffee bean after fermentation. Then the coffee parchment is removed from the bean and the drying process completed. Combining these two processes produces an interesting combination of acidity and body with flavor depth and clarity not usually experienced together in a cup. Traditional drying methods would consist of fully drying and milling the parchment following fermentation (the “fully washed method”) or no fermentation and milling of parchment (“semi-washed method”).
The Coffee Quality team here loves this coffee and we think you will too. It is truly a rare experience, one that will continue to support Java as not only the best-known slang word for coffee but will help to reintroduce the island as an ultra-premium coffee-producing origin. Enjoy!
Available for a limited time only
- Producer: Smallholder farmers
- Elevation: 3,000 – 5,000 feet
- Coffee Variety: S-795 Typica and USDA 762
- Processing Method: Washed
- Harvest dates: May-September 2011
- Tasting Notes: Notes of sage and fresh earth with a sweet and syrupy textured feel
- Pairing Flavors: Herbs, Chocolate, Mushrooms
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