West Java Indonesia Starbucks Reserve Coffee, reviewed

Starbucks released two new reserve coffees from Indonesia at the same time, and when I saw them both pop up on the menu board at my local store, I immediately wondered what the difference was. Fortunately, I was able to set up a little taste test so I could do a side by side comparison of Isla Flores Indonesia and West Java Indonesia.

West Java Indonesia delivered a big contrast to the Isla Flores Indonesia coffee, but since it comes from a completely different part of Indonesia and there is actually quite a bit of diversity between the various islands (and microclimates within the islands), I should have expected it. I knew that Iwould like it as soon as I smelled it. The coffee had unexpected sweetness to it that reminded me bit of hibiscus. When I tasted it, I found that the sweetness was tempered with herbal notes – but the coffee still had a rich earthiness and a very low acidity that made for a very smooth cup of coffee (in contrast to bright, high acidity coffees that I am more likely to associate with distinct herbal and grassy flavors). The sweetness came through again at the end and left me with a very clean finish. Definitely a fun, easy to drink coffee that I’ll have again.

Isla Flores Indonesia Starbucks Reserve Coffee, reviewed

Starbucks released two new reserve coffees from Indonesia at the same time, and when I saw them both pop up on the menu board at my local store, I immediately wondered what the difference was. Fortunately, I was able to set up a little taste test so I could do a side by side comparison of Isla Flores Indonesia and West Java Indonesia.

Isla Flores is a very smooth coffee that has a really nice balance of sweetness and earthiness. You can definitely taste some of the butterscotch and caramel notes in the coffee, though they are balanced out by a moist, earth flavor that grounds the coffee. It is quite dark, but extremely easy to drink – even if you don’t usually take your coffee back. The beans are processed using a washed method, different from the semi-washed processing that is more common to the area. Apparently, the method brings out a unique color in the coffee beans (before they are roasted, of course), as well.

This coffee would pair well with just about anything (seriously), from banana bread to those little caramel candies that Starbucks sells at the register (and were sampled to me by a barista who was 100% right in saying they were a delicious pairing). This coffee is only available in very small batches, so this is one to taste first if it shows up at your local store, since it isn’t likely to last.

ManaTea Infuser

Manatees might not get the adoration that dolphins and some other sea creatures get, but the plump marine mammals are adorable in their own right, too. They’re even more adorable when they’re miniaturized – and that is exactly what the ManaTea Infuser delivers. These nearly irresistible tea infusers are shaped like manatees and hang gently from the side of your mug as you steep your tea. The infuser is molded from food-safe silicone and the tale slides off to allow you to fill or empty the infuser. The expression on the face of the ManaTea is one of bliss – as though he is happy as a clam to be relaxing in a warm cup of delicious tea. I suspect that it will make me want to drink a lot more tea, because I just can’t say no to a face like that.

Cook’s Illustrated Rates Medium-Roast Supermarket Coffees

Most people who brew coffee at home pick up a pound or two at their local market, rather than at a specialty coffee shop or by mail-order. Just like picking out wine, it can be difficult to pick out a coffee that will turn out a solid cup of coffee when all you have to go on is the packaging. Medium roast coffees fall in the middle of the coffee roasting spectrum and are likely to appeal to the broadest range of coffee-drinking consumers, and Cook’s Illustrated set out to put them to a taste test in a recent issue (March/Apr 2013).

This taste test sounds like a great idea, because it is always nice to know what a good all-purpose coffee is. Your average consumer (which could be you or me) will see the words “medium roast”  on a package and assume that coffee is a medium roast – with a few degrees of variation from brand to brand. Cook’s Illustrated, however, decided to color-test the coffee beans and decide what an acceptable range of color was for coffees to be designated as “medium roast” and use that as the standard. The problem with this is that (1) you can’t tell what color the beans are until you open the package, which means that if you’re not choosing a coffee from their list, you are back to square one and (2) more than one coffee in the test was labeled a “light roast.”

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Burger King revamps coffee menu

Just about every commuter knows that you can get a decent cup of coffee by swinging by McDonalds, and their other McCafe drinks have been becoming increasingly popular, as well. Other fast food places have upped their coffee ante, but there are few places that you can drive through and get a coffee that is as appealing as what you’ll find at McDonalds (Note: as a West Coaster, I’ve never seen a drive through Dunkin’ Donuts, but I know that DD has lots of coffee fans). Burger King, however, is making a move to compete with McCafe and get a bigger piece of the breakfast market in the process.

The company has been working in partnership with Seattle’s Best Coffee to put together a new coffee menu that will feature better tasting regular and decaf coffees, as well as a variety of slightly more upmarket coffee drinks to give consumers more options. The new drinks include four new iced coffees – plain, vanilla, mocha and caramel – and four lattes in those same flavors, all of which will be introduced to stores during the next few weeks.

Seattle’s Best has some pretty good coffee (and lots of lighter options that seem to appeal to a wide range of coffee drinkers), so BK could end up with a good alternative to McDonalds when you need a quick coffee fix. But since the golden arches have a multi-year head start on advertising, BK is going to come up with some strong marketing to get the word out there and have people choose their drive through over McDonalds’ just for the coffee.