SEATTLE, 2015-9-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — When Starbucks opened its first store more than 40 years ago, it brought customers fresh-roasted coffee that showcased the unique qualities of different growing regions from around the world. Customers could explore the terroir, the story of the places where the coffee is grown, and learn about the people who grow it. Starbucks Reserve® coffees take customers on a similar journey of discovery with small batches of single-origin coffees.
For the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle, the coffee team has created custom blends of some of these extraordinary Starbucks Reserve® single-origin coffees for customers to enjoy.
Abigail Kroon from Starbucks coffee development team created her first Starbucks Reserve® blend with the new Starbucks Reserve® Paradeisi Blend No. 1. It’s the third coffee blend that’s roasted, scooped and served exclusively at the Starbucks Roastery.
“We started with the name Paradeisi, which is a seaside town on the Island of Rhodes in Greece,” said Kroon. “We asked ourselves, ‘What is paradise and how is it translated into a cup of coffee?’”
The coffee development team began to try different combinations of Starbucks Reserve® single-origin coffees. They landed on a blend that combined the body of Nicaragua El Suyatal, the bright, lively acidity of Uganda Sipi Falls and the crisp citrus notes of Costa Rica La Candelilla.
“Individual coffees taste differently when you blend them together, just like in cooking,” Kroon said. “The Costa Rica coffee complements both the sweet round body of Nicaragua plus the bright acidity of the Uganda.”
The blend’s lighter roast brings out the coffee’s flavor, according to Casey Wolfe, who has been roasting Starbucks Reserve® coffees at the Seattle Roastery over the past year.
“When you think of the progression in our Starbucks Reserve® Roastery blends, we started with Pantheon, which was a complex, medium roast,” Wolfe said. “Then we moved to Gravitas, a more bold, rich, syrupy coffee. Now we have Paradeisi, which is more energetic, but still with a nice depth and complexity to it.”
To best experience Paradeisi Blend No. 1, first smell the coffee by inhaling deeply. Notice the sweet aroma with caramel undertones. Then take a sip, and detect a burst of acidity. Continue to drink as the coffee cools to taste the lingering caramel and citrus notes.
“One of my favorite things about this coffee is that it changes dramatically depending on the brewing method, which speaks to the uniqueness of the three components,” said Kroon. “Cold brew mellows it out and lowers the acidity, which interprets the blend differently than a coffee press. My favorite is as espresso, it adds to the creaminess of the milk.”
After watching her coffee roast and leading a tasting of the coffee at the Roastery, Kroon smiled as she described the feeling.
“This is a very exciting moment for me, to see this coffee come to life that I had a hand in developing. When you taste it, I think you can close your eyes and imagine drinking it in paradise.”
For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.
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