Sun Dried Brazil Sertão joins the reserve line-up in July, but I was fortunate enough to get it early from the roastery! Sun Dried Brazil Sertão has milk chocolate and toffee notes with a malty sweetness, so I wanted to match that with a take on a traditional Brazilian dessert….
Burundi Gakenke with grapefruit bitter marshmallows
Friday’s are one of my favorite days. Not only for the obvious reason, but that is the day that my Starbucks Reserve subscription arrives! This months offering is Burundi Gakenke. The flavor profile of this coffee intrigued me from the get go. Elegant flavors of grapefruit, dark chocolate and sweet rose. Three very distinct flavors that all compliment each other, but if out of balance, could create chaos.
Challenge accepted.
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Tastefolio: Cape Verde Fogo Island
Cape Verde Fogo Island prepared as espresso, poured through a cloud of cotton candy. Paired with a a coconut and mango flavored donut topped with a plain vanilla glaze, crushed warheads (watermelon, black cherry and apple), cotton candy, marshmallows, edible gold stars, cotton candy and basically every other edible decoration I have! This is a pairing for unicorns!…
Tastefolio: Cape Verde Fogo Island
Cape Verdo Fogo Island paired with homemade poptarts filled with a mango-pineapple jam, topped with candied kiwis, lemon and lavender….
Tastefolio: Sun Dried Brazil Guariroba
2016 Brazil Natural cup of excellence winner Sun Dried Brazil Guariroba. Jasmine and red berry notes with a brown sugar sweetness pair perfectly with cronuts (croissant/donuts) stuffed with a strawberry jam and vanilla custard….
Whiskey Barrel Aged Sulawesi with cold brew caramel
Back in March, the Starbucks Roastery and Tasting room in Seattle debuted an innovative new coffee; Whiskey Barrel Aged Sulawesi. Green beans from Sulawesi were stored in used whiskey barrels from Woodinville Whiskey Company, and over the course time, the flavor and aroma from the barrel absorbed into the green beans. During the roasting process, the alcohol is burned off, but the identity of the whiskey remains. With unmistakable notes of whiskey, this is a cup of coffee like no other….
Tastefolio: Papua New Guinea Moanti
Starbucks Reserve subscription coffee Papua New Guinea Moanti paired with a dark chocolate macaron, stuffed with nutella and topped with candied yellow bell pepper and edible gold stars. I served the coffee in a red bell pepper for a visit from my regional director and regional vice president….
Gravitas blend no3
Gravitas blend no3
The third installment of Gravitas is back at the Roastery. This legacy blend launched on March 20th 2017, and I just happened to be in town visiting. Perfect timing on my part! This years version of Gravitas is a blend of Sumatra Lake Toba, Nicaragua Maracaturra and Sun-dried Brazil Barinas. The result is layers of herbal and chocolate notes with a unique dried fruit sweetness….
Kenya Kangunu with lemon mkate wa maji
Kenya Kangunu is the newest online exclusive coffee to be offered on the online store. This is the third offering, the first being Costa Rica Vista del Mar yellow honey and Papua New Guinea Luoka. These coffees are, to my knowledge, released in other countries, but a small amount is offered online. Because of the limited quantities, these seems to sell out fairly quickly! I was lucky enough to notice Kenya Kangunu shortly after it was released online and ordered it right away.
I first tasted this side by side with core Kenya, and was surprised how different they were. The Kangunu is lush with a layered complexity with notes of dark chocolate and lemon, while the core Kenya is juicy with unmistakeable notes of grapefruit.
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Nicaragua Monimbo with apricot upside down cake
Nicaragua Monimbo
Wandering the aisles of the grocery store is one of my favorite past times, especially since we are in a different part of the country. So many new stores to explore. One thing that caught my eye recently was this apricot pie filling. I have never heard of such a thing, but immediately thought how fun it would be to make an apricot upside down cake. Apricots are not in season just yet, and Nicaragua Monimbo is bursting with fresh apricot notes, slightly tart with a brown sugar sweetness….