I had my first taste of the new Starbucks' Ubora Blend and was surprised that I didn't like it. What? Not like a Starbucks coffee?! (Yes, in fact, there are quite a number of their offerings that I don't like.)
This one I should have liked since it's a blend of East African coffees (and that's what I generally like). Putting aside for the moment that their blends tend to lose much of flavor of the geography, East African coffees frequently have a fairly noticeable floral aroma. This one didn't. It tasted like the inside of an unwashed stainless steel coffee maker.
Sorry, Starbucks, I won't be getting any to take home. It was too bright and tasted like Coffee™ rather than a citrus-y cup of East African selected coffee beans. Maybe my baristas had a bad day. Maybe there's something else to blame. I'll have another cup later in the week (if that's what they're serving) but won't go out of my way to get any more.
[20070831 UPDATE:] Got another cup of Ubora today, same store and same experience.
What do I like?
The Organic Lomas al Rio was good (even though it is from Costa Rica which typically produces acidic, bright coffee). Ironically, it tasted East African.
[20070831 UPDATE:] My favorite Starbucks manager at my most-frequented Starbucks store gave me 9oz of the Organic Lomas al Rio today. Yum!
The Sumatra Siborong-Borong was exceptional. Very full, very black and smooth.
So was the Ethiopian Sun-Dried that never got officially released this year due to the "discussions" Starbucks was having with the Ethiopian government about trademarks. That was tasty. Somehow managed to be given three bags (24 ounces, about $42 worth!) and enjoyed every bean.
Ethiopia Sidamo is a great house coffee (and what I usually enjoy day-to-day). Starbucks says it is "smooth and elegant, with a floral aroma" and I agree.
Sulawesi would be my other choice as a "house" coffee. I don't know how they can justify calling it "buttery" but I will agree with "smooth" and "elegant".
The only decaf I'll drink of theirs is their Sumatra-Decaf. It still tastes like a good coffee without the caffeine.
Ordinarily I like their Sumatra. It is quite often almost chewy: good and solid. Starbucks calls it "intense [and] earthy" and again, I'd have to agree.(However, much depends on how it is prepared. Late Saturday, 8/25, my youngest (11 mo) and I stopped by the Starbucks at Mayfield and Lee in Cleveland Heights, OH. I got a tall Sumatra and a large chocolate chip cookie (to share). The coffee was burnt. No other explanation for it. I should have complained, but didn't. An 11 month companion can be a handful and I didn't want to juggle her at the same time as a customer-relations issue. The cookie was a huge success, though. I haven't really "dated" in years but I remain convinced that the easiest way to enjoy a date is to wholly focus on making sure your date has a great time.)
Oh, and I should explain that I strongly feel that the best way to enjoy a cup of coffee is by grinding the beans coarsely a few moments before putting it into a clean french press and scalding it with nearly-boiling hot water, stirring initially and letting it steep for four minutes before pressing and then pouring into a large ceramic mug while heading to the front porch with the dew on the ground, a clear blue sky and the sun still thinking about rising. Getting drip coffee in a paper cup whose seam is prone to leak with a plastic lid whose air-intake port is too small is several notches below that. Especially when you're paying eleven cents an ounce.
