Starbucks Kenya Coffee: Down to Earth.
Written: Aug 27 '05 (Updated Feb 22 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Bold flavor, roasted well.
Cons: Not very complex.
The Bottom Line: A descent coffee for someone that likes a more earthy roast.
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| yakkowarner's Full Review: Starbucks Coffee Kenya |
I normally am not excited about Starbucks coffee beans. Compared to some of the other beans I have tried they seem average. Some of the heavy roasted ones are undrinkable (at least what I tried several years ago.) So I thought this might meet the same fate as the other heavy roasted coffee’s I have tried but I was pleasantly surprised.
How I did the tasting
The beans used were whole beans. I brewed two batches. One in my Cuisinart coffee maker and another in my French coffee press. The grind in the Cuisinart could not be controlled manually but for my press I made a course grind. I also use bottled water. I tasted both batches immediately after they were done.
The taste out of my coffee maker
My first sensation is an earthy tone and it did not taste acidic to me. After a couple seconds you have a bitter taste on the back of your tongue. The bitterness is not very strong. The aftertaste is a bit earthy. What I really felt was lacking was the complexity in the taste. There was no real depth or uniqueness to this coffee, just a straightforward coffee taste and aroma. It was also balanced.
It also claims to have citrus notes. The coffee had an almost non-existant acid quality, and no citrus note.
The taste out of my coffee press
I generally prefer my coffee maker over my press. When I have used the press in the past I have generally sensed a much stronger/bolder taste to the coffee. To compensate for this I usually add a little less coffee that I think should be added but there are times it tasted a little watered down. Also, I only use the coffee press on camping trips.
I followed the directions on the back of the Starbuck’s package (2tbs per 6 oz of coffee), ground the beans to a course consistency (about 6 seconds), and placed them in the press. I poured hot water into the container. I let it sit for 4 minutes and then tasted. First the smell was a little different. It seemed more acidic and not as earthy. The citrus note was actually there. The taste was a little watered down though.
Test 2. I added 50% more coffee to the coffee press and tried it again (man am I gonna have a caffeine high today.) The coffee was noticeably darker and had an acid smell to it that I did not find too pleasant. There was a strong bitter taste to the coffee, much stronger than my Cuisinart. No real pleasant tones to the coffee. It went down the sink.
I knew puckmugger had talked about how to make coffee so after sifting through his coffee reviews I finally found his advice. It seems he recommends 1 tbs per cup of hot water. So the first press experiment seems closer to his advice. You can find his French press article here.
http://www.epinions.com/content_136038878852
My overall opinion
I am not wild about Starbucks as a whole but there are some coffee beans that surprise me. This is one of them. I actually liked the taste of this coffee for what it was. It was not over roasted and did not have a green taste to it. I thought it was pretty good and would buy it again if I was in the mood for a strong earthy flavored coffee. I normally like smoother coffee with a complex flavor profile and this does not fit the bill. But when I feel like a change now and again I may buy this.
Summary
This is an average coffee in my opinion. It has a pleasant, yet bold taste. As far as complexity and character are concerned, it has none.
Other coffee related reviews
My list of my favorite coffee reviews in order.
Cuisinart coffee maker
French coffee press
Recommended:
Yes
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