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Coffee Review: Starbucks Ethiopia Limu

Jul 15

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | No Comments

Ethiopia Limu from Starbucks

Ethiopia Limu from Starbucks

After being disappointed with Starbucks Gazebo Blend, I had strong hope for Starbucks Ethiopia Limu to quench my thirst for coffee awesomeness.  Limu denotes a coffee growing region in southern Ethiopia, and generally speaking, coffees from this vicinity have the potential to be very good.  I like the fact that Starbucks offers authentic Single Origin coffees, because even though you buy some of their “Kenya” coffee, you are probably tasting a blend of coffees from different estates and different regions within Kenya.  In the case of Ethiopia Limu, we know all the coffee goodness is coming from the same region.  Furthermore Starbucks makes the claim that this coffee is handpicked and batch roasted.  The batches are most likely quite large to meet nationwide demand, but one can hope the coffee was roasted consistently.

Upon opening the bag the beans smelled reasonably fresh and slightly sweet.  They appear to be roasted at a medium-dark roast.

Nose: Spicy and herbal.  Jets of ripe cantaloupe push through an allspice tinged haze.  Not picking up on much floral or tang in nose.  Doesn’t smell like the body will be huge, but seems like it will be flavorful.

Mouth: Spiciness is the dominant character.  Tastes like allspice and cinnamon roasted in a pan.  There is also the tart, mellow acidic component that Starbucks describes as “tangerine”  I would say its less like biting into a tangerine and more like biting into a juicy cantaloupe on a hot summer day.  The finish is dark tasting, with much of the spicy qualities hanging on the palette for quite some time.  It almost begins to taste like a very dark chocolate before it fades away.

The Big Picture: First things first, Starbucks Ethiopia Limu is a good tasting coffee.  It didn’t blow me away, but I have some very specific things I’m looking for in a coffee.  Additionally, everyone’s palettes are always changing — what I love one month won’t necessarily excite me the next.  Anyways, if you’re looking for a good single origin cup of Ethiopian coffee, then for $12.95 / lb. you won’t be wasting your money.  If you are looking for a smooth endeavor then I wouldn’t start here but this coffee tastes full, rich, and is definitely not one-dimensional or boring.

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Coffee Review: Starbucks Gazebo Summer Blend

Jul 10

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | 1 Comment

Gazebo Summer Blend from Starbucks

Gazebo Summer Blend from Starbucks

I’m a big fan of acidity in coffee.  I’m not only looking for acidity but I do love it.  Gazebo Summer Blend from Starbucks promises to deliver a crisp, bright cup of coffee with acidity aplenty.  I remembered liking it last summer, so I thought I would give it a try and review it now that my palette is a little more adept at tasting coffee.  I bought a 1 lb. bag for $11.95 from a Starbucks near my house.  The beans are roasted lightly compared to what one comes to expect from the ‘Bucks; I would call it medium-dark.  Starbucks ensures its customers that Gazebo Blend is “…crisp and clean, with floral fruity notes…”.  Here’s what I thought:

Nose: There’s not a lot to differentiate here.  It seems fresh, and smells like it’s laced with a lemon acidity.  There’s some roasty sweetness, and  a small pepper-like note in the background.  So far I’m not floored, and hoping that the coffee brings more to my mouth then it does to my nose.

Mouth: Definitely crisp.  First thing to taste is a moderate lemon tinged acidity, which then morphs into a roasted, nutty flavor.  This then washes away into an extremely clean finish.  As I muse at how clean the finish is I realize I’ve been deceived because a dark, heavily toasted taste fizzles back onto my palette.  The acidity dominates the overall mouthfeel, and unfortuntely there isn’t much in the way of body or other flavors that come into play.  A simple coffee can be delicious, but Gazebo Blend is lacking something.  It’s like drinking Coke from a soda fountain where the syrup is running low; lots of fizzle from the carbonated water (or acidity in our case) but not much else.

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Coffee Review: Genuine Kopi Luwak from Rocketfuel Coffee

Jul 1

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | 2 Comments

Genuine Kopi Luwak from Rocketfuel Coffee

Genuine Kopi Luwak from Rocketfuel Coffee

One of the best things about being a coffee enthusiast is the vast variety — scores of countries export coffee, each with multiple coffee growing regions.  Combine this with the fact that the characteristics of coffee crops change from one year to the next, and you are presented with an exponential amount of coffees to taste.  Despite all of these choices, there is always an elite group of rare coffees in the back of my mind that I hope to eventually try.  Kopi Luwak (“Civet Coffee” in the native language) has always remained at the top of said list.  If you aren’t familiar with what Kopi Luwak is, you should read up on it here.  Basically, the coffee berries are digested by an animal that looks like a weasel and then the beans are defocated, having been altered by the animal’s enzymes.  It is generally believed that this process produces a rare coffee that contains very little bitterness.

It’s probably important to note that these the beans and the resulting brewed coffee does not taste, look, or smell like poop.  This Genuine Kopi Luwak is sold by Rocketfuel Coffee for $55 for the quarter pound. (This isn’t a bad price considering it’s sold for $600 /lb. elsewhere)  Upon opening the bag the beans smelled very fresh and appeared to be roasted at a very even medium roast.  One thing I found interesting is that among the beans there seemed to be a higher percentage of peaberry — maybe when civets pick the coffee berries to eat, they prefer the peaberries?

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Coffee Review: Starbucks 3 Region Blend

Jun 13

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | No Comments

Starbucks 3 Region Blend | Coffee Review from Mikepedia

Starbucks 3 Region Blend, 1 lb.

For the last few months I’ve been enjoying some great coffees from local roasters.  I love buying fresh premium roasted coffee especially at a low “local” price.  After hearing that Starbucks new 3 Region Blend was quite tasty from some friends I decided to give it a try.  It’s a blend containing coffees from Tanzania, Guatemala, and Papua New Guinea.  Starbucks claims that the blend will deliver a smorgasbord of different flavors and nuances including “…floral and citrus notes…”, “…cocoa notes…”, and herbs and earthiness.

I purchased a half pound of 3 Region Blend for $6.45 from my local Starbucks.  The bag was labeled with the expiration date of November, 2010.  Upon opening the beans smelled quite fresh.  They appeared to be roasted at the medium-dark level — not quite dark roast, but pushing it for “medium”.

Nose: This is one of those coffees that just smells smooth, plain and simple.  It embodies a fresh roasty sweet scent with what Michael Scott might call a “buttery cinnamon afterbirth”.  There’s also a small hint of something in the vegetable realm.  I would describe it as broiled red pepper.

Mouth: Sweet, smooth, and mild.  As soon as the coffee comes into contact with my palette there is a mellow citrus. (This becomes more prominent as the pot cools) This citrus fizzles into a milky, nutty mid palette sensation which is then washed away by a relatively clean finish.  As the coffee lingers subtle earthy notes become noticeable.

The Big Picture: Those searching for a smooth and creamy affair will be pleased.  Not so mild that it tastes bland, but it’s not quite gushy or rich.  Fans of smooth dark roasts will definitely want to check it out.  I tried a quick pairing with some California grown cinnamon almonds and it worked out great.  I can see this coffee as a great crowd pleaser (a little something for everyone) or a relaxing cup after a long day.  My mom who usually takes her coffee with cream was able to enjoy this blend black.  I would be careful when buying a cup brewed at Starbucks; a friend described it as having a mushroom-y earth toned vibe.  (I’ve never been a fan of their in store brewing methods)  All in all if you are looking to try something new from Starbucks I wouldn’t pass this one up.

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Trader Joe’s Papua New Guinea Peaberry Coffee Review and Pairing

Mar 25

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | 1 Comment

Trader Joe's Papua New Guinea Peaberry

Trader Joe's Papua New Guinea Peaberry in it's nitrogen vacuum sealed can

Trader Joe’s Limited Edition Peaberry Coffee from Papua New Guinea.  A peaberry coffee is somewhat rare.  Instead of two coffee beans growing within the fruit, only one does.  They call this a “peaberry”.  100% peaberry coffees are known for a slightly more concentrated or rich taste, and sometimes have a stronger brightness to them.

Ever since the inception of my family’s coffee obsession, we have had the need for an inexpensive coffee that is readily available and tastes good.  We love to order from specialty roasters online, but since we can consume a pound of coffee in less than a week we need a lower cost option.  So we have been trying coffee from different stores in our neighborhood.  We find Starbucks to be roasted too dark most of the time, and Caribou didn’t really do it for us either.  Enter Trader Joe’s.  Their coffees look great and are nitrogen sealed in cans for freshness.

For $7.99 per 13 ounces, this could be the winner.  The coffee appears to be on the darker end of a medium roast, with some oils showing on the beans.  Let’s find out if it tastes good.

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Rwanda Rusenyi Coffee Review

Jan 22

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | No Comments

Rwandan Rusenyi Bourbon, from Mighty Good Coffee

Rwandan Rusenyi Bourbon, from Mighty Good Coffee

Info: This Rwandan coffee from Rusenyi coffee growers was grown in the Lake Kivu region and roasted by the Mighty Good Coffee Roasting Company of Ann Arbor, Michigan.  It is 100% Bourbon Varietal, hand picked, and sun dried.  The coffee has been brought to a medium roast, with no oils showing on the outside of the beans.  Mighty Good Coffee describes it as “Sweet with notes of caramelized sugar, dates and raisins”.

Nose: Sweet, light, and meek.  A gentle sweetness with underlying scents of ripe berries and pan seared bananas.  There isn’t a massive smell coming from this coffee but it doesn’t smell weak either.  It’s crisp and aromatic.

Mouth: What a joy!  The acidity flows and delights my tongue but manages to be modest at the same time.  The brightness gives way to an easy going nutty element, and then sweet blueberry tones dance on my tongue as the coffee takes its time in the finish.  The flavors stay with you after the finish, but in a pleasant, “happy” way; as opposed to an ashy burn bearing down from an over roasted coffee.  This Rwandan offering has a restrained, delicate elegance about it.

Pairing: Dark chocolate (60% cacao) covered cashews.  After experiencing some of the tartness present in the chocolate the coffee smoothed out a bit.  There was still a little brightness left that nicely complemented the cashew flavors.  I’m sure this coffee would pair well with many fine treats such as french truffles or chocolate covered cherries.

The Big Picture: Rwanda Rusenyi was meant to be enjoyed slowly, sip by sip, savoring all of the complexities it has to offer. It may be lighter in body, but it delivers with plenty of enjoyable flavors.  Dark roast aficionados looking for creamy body won’t find their nirvana here, but anyone who can respect brightness and complexity will have a smile on their face.  It paired great with the chocolate covered cashews, and I can see myself relishing this coffee late at night with some friends.  For those who haven’t tried Mighty Good Coffee, I highly suggest it.  They ship their coffee very soon after roasting and everything I have tried from them has been exceptional.

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