Starbucks Sumatra Extra Bold

Company: Starbucks
Name: Sumatra
Growing Region: Asia/Pacific
Flavor: Intensely earthy and aromatic
Intensity: Extra Bold
Description: As you might have guessed, one of the benefits of working here at Starbucks is free coffee.

A pound a week, in fact. And it may interest you to know that this coffee is the one single-origin offering that we most often choose to enjoy at home, after we take off the green apron.

Why do we love it so? It has a full, buttery body with virtually no acidity, so the coffee’s intensity and flavor simply lingers on your tongue. Make no mistake, this is a slurping coffee. At its best, there’s no mistaking the concentrated herbal notes and earthy aroma – telltale marks this beloved brew have left on our shirts and our hearts.

Sumatra has a full, syrupy body with virtually no acidity - so the coffee's intensity lingers in your mouth. The concentrated spicy, herbal notes and earthy aroma are the telltale signatures of this well-loved coffee.

More about this coffee:
The island of Sumatra produces 70% of Indonesia's income and is home to over 38 million people.
Purchase: Here

Grind: unknown?
Preparation: Pour over in Starbucks Store
Amount: unknown
Water: unknown
Additives: none
Body: Full
Smell: chocolaty, earthy
Taste: nutty, spicy, thick and rich
After-taste: slight acidity / bitterness, but the taste coats your tongue

Notes: I really wanted to try the pour over, I find it thinner than french press but with a little more body than auto drip. This has a lot less acidity than many coffees, which makes me enjoy it without additives.

Rating: 2/3

Starbucks Mints

While I was cleaning up some miscellaneous boxes I found some old Starbucks mint tins. there have been so many redesigns!

Well now they're in the trash but I'd at least like to remember them here. These are a bit more fun than the ones I have seen lately.

Cinnamon:

Valentine's Day Cups

Today on my morning trip to Starbucks I noticed some new Starbucks Valentine's Day themed cups

My Starbucks Idea - Have you seen our new cups?

Beginning this week, participating U.S. Starbucks stores will serve hot beverages to customers in a limited-time cup – departing from our iconic white design – to celebrate a major milestone through our partnership with (RED)TM: With your help, Starbucks has generated funding for the Global Fund equivalent to more than 14 million days of medicine to help those living with HIV in Africa.

These limited-time cups feature “LOVE Drawings” submitted by customers to www.StarbucksLoveProject.com, a global site that launched over the holidays bringing people together from around the world for one purpose: Love. Now you can return to the site and create your own Valentine’s Day-inspired LOVE drawing. For every drawing submitted, we will make a contribution, up to one million submissions, to the Global Fund. The contributions will build on the achievements through Starbucks partnership with (RED)TM by using the inspiration of love to help make a difference in the world.

JarBee Coffee Seattle Blend Dark

Company: JarBee Coffee
Name: Seattle Blend
Intensity: Dark
Description: Heavy Bodied Blend of Indonesian & Columbian, Dark Roasted.
Purchase: Here

Grind: Auto-drip (was a free sample)
Preparation: http://coffeegeek.com/guides/presspot (20 ounce press pot - 5 minutes)
Amount: 2 Tablespoons
Water: boiling water, electric kettle
Additives: An ounce of half & half
Body: Medium
Smell: Scent of the ground beans is very strong and sharp, brewing mellows the harsh
Taste: strong coffee
After-taste: mild floral aftertaste to come to my attention when the coffee was cool enough to taste

Notes: Adding a ounce of half & half, as is my wont, did not eliminate the floral markers, but did curbstomp the bitterness that crept in as my cup of coffee cooled. Good coffee, but not so awesome that I would expend special effort to acquire.

Rating: 2/3

This was a free sample.

JarBee Coffee Hazelnut & Creme Medium

Company: Jarbee Coffee
Name: Hazelnut & Creme
Intensity: Medium
Description: The sweet, rich, nutty flavor of our Hazelnut & Crème coffee creates an experience second to none! This combination of slow roasted hazelnuts and the flavor of fresh crème blended with our roast-to-order Colombian beans is perfect as a breakfast coffee, middle of the day pick-me-up or an after-dinner dessert. It’s so good, it may just become your favorite new indulgence. Another gourmet flavored coffee from the from JarBee Coffee line.

Purchase: Here

Grind: Auto-drip (because it was a free sample)
Preparation: http://coffeegeek.com/guides/presspot (20 ounce press pot - 5 minutes)
Amount: 2 Tablespoons
Water: Cold water boiled in an electric kettle
Additives: one teaspoon of sugar, and one oz of half & half added after brewing

Body: Light
Smell: Hazelnut scent
Taste: A sweet yet bitter undertone, can't taste the hazelnut
After-taste:

Notes: Of necessity the coffee flavor is mild, the scent of hazelnut strong in the brewed cup, but it seems like the coffee was contaminated with a fruit flavor, raspberry perhaps? This additional flavor detracts from the hazelnut. The creme didn't really help the flavor.

This packet came with an "aroma sampler" of their "white chocolate raspberry truffle," and I am wondering if the sample contaminated the coffee.

MilitiaJim Rating: 1/3

Free Stuff

Monday January 18, 2010
I received a Starbucks gold membership coupon for a free
Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte
or
Skinny Vanilla Latte
or
Tazo® Vanilla Rooibos Full Leaf Tea

I choose the Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte and it tasted diet or something, I was glad I didn't pay for it.

Tuesday January 19, 2010
I received a coupon for a free oatmeal at Starbucks
are they trying to make up for taking away my 10% with these coupons?

i assume these are because I am a gold card holder, can anyone confirm?
I am also a stockholder
I am also a duetto holder

Weighmax® Black boxTM 500/g Digital Pocket Scale

I recently purchased a Weighmax® Black boxTM 500/g Digital Pocket Scale from ebay for $9.99

I hope to use this to better weigh out portions