Starting on August 31, 2010, Starbucks will be offering a very limited coffee called “Galapagos Island” as the first coffee branded as part of the “Starbucks Reserves”. This coffee is sourced from the Galapagos Island (more specifically, the San Cristobal island) and it is the first time that Starbucks has ever sourced coffee from that growing region.
Starbucks only has obtained a small lot of the coffee, which is part of a program to bring limited coffees to a variety of Starbucks stores. Only 1000 Starbucks have been selected to sell the new “reserve” line of coffees. There are roughly 6000 company-operated Starbucks in the United States, and about 16,000 Starbucks world-wide, yet only 1000 will get the coffee. At this time there are only roughly 70 Clover Starbucks locations, so the new “reserves” program brings coffee to many more stores than just the stores that offer the Clover “small batch” coffee offerings.
My understanding is that this will retail for $15.00 per half pound and has a juicy, medium body, and strong cocoa notes with subtle herbal flavors also.
There was a limited preview selling of the coffee through gilt.com: thus some customers have actually already tried this coffee. I am not sure if it is still available through gilt.com. It might be already sold out through that partnership. I’m also curious whether Starbucks will be continuing to offer additional coffees through the partnership with gilt.com or whether this was a one time coffee offering.
One thing that is interesting is that it looks like Starbucks is adopting a strategy similiar to my previous suggestion here:
This is a very exciting new coffee offering! I’ve tried this coffee and my own personal tasting notes were that the coffee had a strong cocoa aroma, and the flavor profile was cocoa notes with deep berries like blackberry or cherry. I think the “juicy” body of the coffee is how I picked up the cherry notes. Notice that this is very opposite to Jamaica Blue Mountain which has a lot of citrus flavor to it.
And here is the logo for the new “reserves” line up of coffees:
What does everyone think of the new partnership with gilt.com or the new coffee or the new “reserves” program? It seems like this is a sophisticated re-launch of Black Apron exclusives coffees.
Talk about this or ANY other Starbucks topic. As some people might know, my home computer is still sick with a virus which is slowing down my ability to write blog posts, and I’m swamped with work, so I apologize as the pace of new blog entries isn’t quite as fast as it used to be.
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Although I am not a coffee drinker, I am intrigued by how SB is introducing these new coffees. How do they decide on the stores to market these coffees and as they introduce new coffees do they change the stores they market the coffees in? I still wonder wny they can’t do the same with teas? Tea cuppings in the future? Melody, I sure understand what frustration you must be feeling re your computer at home.
Ok, so I love the reserves idea. I think it’s awesome to have special coffee offered for a very limited amount of time. The higher price doesn’t even bother me that much, even though it’s 30 bucks per pound. What does bother me though is there is no word on what stores will get it. I’m not too excited about this one, but if I was I would want to know where I have to go to get it. There is no list online showing who will have it. Living in Ohio is like living in the armpit of America 🙁
I’m really excited about this coffee specially after our tasting the other day. Thanks again for that experience! I’m not usually a big fan of Latin American coffees but the Galapagos is nothing like any other. It doesn’t have the usual brightness that the Latin American coffees usually have. The brightness is rather subtle. I love the wonderfully strong cocoa notes.
I’ve been following gilt.com for awhile now and haven’t seen it on there yet. I’ll keep my eyes open though. I love that website. It’ll probably become available the same time it becomes available at retail stores.
@Christopher – high volume/high profile stores would most likely carry the coffee. And as Melody said, Starbucks partnered with Gilt.com. You may be able to get it from there.
It was on gilt this past weekend and I missed it.
here’s an interesting blurb about it.
http://mashable.com/2010/08/04/starbucks-experiments-with-gilt-for-exclusive-customer-deals/
OMG! This is so exciting! I haven’t been around my email and computer too much lately, so by the time i saw the Gilt email in my inbox it had sold out ( I think Brad said the Gilt promo took about 24 hrs to sell out!)
I am so excited this will be offered at the retail stores. I’m sure I am asking too early, but do we know what markets the 1000 stores are in? If Tucson isn’t in the market I’ll cry! Maybe Phoenix will…since they are getting an ASU card like the UW card.
Are the same stores going to get all the special offerings? I’d love to see some on the Lexington, KY area. I’m hoping there will be a list of stores getting these special coffees somewhere. I can’t frequent all the Starbucks in this area, so it’s possible it could be at one of the stores in Lexington and I wouldn’t know about it.
@Christopher.
I thought New Jersey (my home state) had that title. 😛
I have had my second morning now of this Galapagos coffee. I was one of those who did (with some hesitation) order it from that Sbux e-mail thru gilt.com. I was hesitant to order because I couldn’t understand the reasoning behind this Sbux coffee coming thru gilt, altho the e-mail was from Sbux. In any case, I did take the chance, got the coffee. I wrote somewhere on msi that I found it fairly aromatic, of cocoa, and the same with the taste…hints of cocoa. It does not have a very ‘clean finish’, which is negative for me. (prefer the cleaner finish) Also, just a bare hint of spiciness, which I also am generally not crazy about. Overall, I think it is “good”, not superb, or “totally-knock-your-socks -off like my beloved Yirgacheffe, but good. Kind of medium/bold to me, altho it’s officially called medium.
For those of you wondering what stores will be part of those 1000, I urge you to ask your manager of your regular store. My store is NOT getting it, but the manager did know which store closest to us IS getting it. (about a 25min city-street-drive, and its’ NOT a clover store) It doesn’t matter to me since I really wouldn’t buy it again. It’s not worth the price…alto with that gilt promotion, I believe my total cost (they gave a discount) was about $12.00 for the 8oz, about $7.00 of that was shipping. I offered the manager at my store enough for a press so he could taste it..(I had them grind it for me.) which he accepted. I think it’s ironic that I, (or we) the customers are supplying the coffee for them to taste!
As was mentioned above, this is, to me, taking the place of the ‘black apron’ coffees but those were all around…at least here, in all stores, not just a select few. That was as recently as 2006 but I don’t remember any since then. It would be nice, really nice, to have more of the ‘special’ coffees offered up in more places, as they used to do. (I know, there’s not enough)
In my opinion, for those of you getting excited about it….I think, not so much. But it’s all very subjective, I realize. So, that’s my galapagos story;)
and Melody! good luck with your computer. yikes! one of my sisters just went thru that a month or so ago. very not fun.
I was able to try the Galapagos blend and was very pleased with it. A good friend of mine and I were talking about the idea of a “black apron” alternative a few months ago so when we saw the email we were pleased. I look forward to enjoying the reserve and believe this is a much better way of distributing the special blends as I’m sure a high percentage of markets do not support the ‘black apron’ sales.
I’d be curious to see the environmental impact of growing and harvesting in that region. I think that area should remain untainted by carbon costs. Sacrificing flavour for the environment is not worth it I think.
I guess I should make a phone call or two here. I saw a previous poster say something about lexington ky and I’m here in Cinci. I’ll make a phone call here and post again when I have more info.
My store is getting it, and I’m so excited for it. I don’t think I’ve ever had coffee from Galapagos.
As for Black Apron exclusives, not every store got those. My first store (in Pennsylvania) did not.
I’ve heard rumors (which I’m now assuming to have not been true) that there was going to be something very similar to what you mentioned in your other post: a special coffee/blend for various cities: that is to say, Seattle blend, Pittsburg blend, et al.
My favorite thing about these coffees, as well as 100%Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain, is that we’re bringing in a lot of things that you probably wouldn’t expect to find at Starbucks. Obviously it’s impossible to source enough of a lot of single origin coffees to sell them everywhere, so this is a great way to still offer them. It’s just something special.
I am excited to try it, and i find it to be a nice way for those not near a clover store to be able to get small batch coffees, it’s an interesting experiment and i hope they keep looking for ways to spread the coffee love.
I’ll try and report back when I try it!
Here’s an idea to get the focus on whole bean and Starbucks’ roasting methods: Starbucks should send a small sample to all of their partners and tell them they are starting this new “Starbucks Reserves” program that is only going to be available in a limited number of stores.
However – which stores the program will be in will be determined by that store’s ability to sell whole bean and breathe new life into the core coffee culture. In other words, make it a contest that gets the partners involved. Your store may never qualify for a Clover, but you could be designated a “Special Reserve” store if you can meet the following criteria…
Designated store partners receive some form of special recognition (extra 5c/hr, bonus on whole bean sales, etc.) – or at least those partners in stores newly qualifying for special reserve status
My starbucks is not getting it, we are a very low volume store ;(, but perhaps one near where my husband works in NYC will have it.
Yrs ago, when there were not as many stores, every store I went into, did get the black apron coffees. I am in suburban Chicago….however, those same stores, today, do NOT get the small batch, or, what used to be- balck apron coffees….just as they’re not getting this one.
There really seems to be alot of hype about this coffee….and as far its taste, as I wrote: I think it is ‘good’ but not worth all this. I don’t think it ranks so high up there.
I’m always glad when another coffee is offered, I just don’t think this one makes the mark, quite.
“…juicy, medium body, and strong cocoa notes with subtle herbal flavors also…” WOW! Galapagos Island REALLY has it all! I’m anxious to see which stores shall be the fortunates! Surely, @ least 1 store in Southern CA is bound to get it! As soon as I find out which, I’d like to chase it down, myself! =9 It would be, simultaneously, delightful & shocking if I were to discover that MY store in Santa Monica was getting it! I have a strange feeling that we’ll be chosen. ;D My store is a relatively older store, we brew ONLY BOLD after noon w/ Pike Place & Decaf upon request (contrary to the standard) & we have a no headset use @ the Drive-thru prior to 7am due to Santa Monica City Noise Ordinance LOL!
Thanx for another AWESOME, informative & insightful blog post MEL!
Aawwh, memories past when “Black Apron” coffees were special and knowledge about each was the norm. I don’t think there will ever be a return to the days of actually “teaching” customers in most Starbucks outside the Roy street, and 15th Ave stores. I do hear of coffee seminars being held but I think that is more for employees wanting to get their respectable “black aprons” than a real connection, that died when L.E.A.N took over the mission statement. Sorry to hear about your computer, maybe giving a MAC a chance would do you good after all.
Well here I am as promised Melody and I’m hoping your computer gets well soon.
Does anyone have any idea how Starbucks chose which stores will get this coffee? Will all Clover stores get it? Since many stores without Clovers are getting it, how were they chosen? Would their whole bean sales have something to do with it?
Aahhh….it’s driving me crazy wondering if I’ll be anywhere near a store with this coffee! No one will give me any info…I hope that means they don’t want to spoil the surprise on August 31st!
My store is one that is getting it. It turns out the number of stores getting it is closer to 700. There may not be a list of stores out yet, but the stores know if they are one of the chosen stores, so ask your local store if they are going to be a Reserve store. They were chosen based on the volume of whole bean sales the store does. I don’t know if it was based on pounds of coffee or dollars or if it was the top however-many stores or the top 5% or what, but I know it was based on being a store that sold a high volume of coffee beans. All Clover stores will also be getting the Reserve coffees.
I’ve been meaning to get back to this thread! I need to reply to @MattGraham @Hayley @Nathan @Skooter @CD @Caeruleus
@MattGraham – Welcome to the blog. How did you find it? I think this new “Reserves” plan is a good idea. Lots of people are asking which stores, and how selected, but really sure that it has to do with store volume, whether a high profile store, and percent bean sales …
@Hayley – Your highest local performing stores should get this coffee. I would imagine if the bean sales are way above the corporate average of around 3%, those stores would get the coffee. In fact, I think that your stores should KNOW if they’re participating in “reserves”. It’s my belief that a beautiful letter, on “reserves” letterhead went to the store managers of the 1000 stores telling them that they had been “chosen” for this.
@Nathan – Highest volume, high performing stores, with good bean sales!
@Skooter – That cycles back to labor. That is a problem. There is almost no effort to talk about whole bean and even familiarize brand new partners. I was in a store the other day where I asked a partner what was brewing and she answered “Pike’s and Gold’s Roast.” I just cringed. It was clear that she didn’t know anything about the Starbucks whole bean menu. Labor. Labor is the crux of all of this. These days if partners want to know more about their coffees, they almost have to try and get the information off the clock, and I’ve even heard a number of partners say that they learned a lot from my blog – The online resources are now so valuable.
http://www.starbucksmelody.com/2010/02/04/starbucks-caffe-verona/
http://www.starbucksmelody.com/2010/01/12/casi-cielo-coffee-returns-to-starbucks/
http://www.starbucksmelody.com/2009/12/20/your-intro-to-a-coffee-cupping-at-15th-ave-coffee/
http://www.starbucksmelody.com/2009/09/26/the-magic-of-starbucks-aged-sumatra-whole-bean-coffee/
@CD – Your idea is creative but I bet that they used metrics from the registers such as brewed coffee sales, bold coffee sales, and whole bean sales, plus possible engagement metrics like customer voice and probably got a pretty good idea of what stores are really selling coffee.
@Caeruleus – It’s a good coffee. It is still not a Sanani or Yirgacheffe but it really is a fabulous coffee. 🙂
@Jenni – Welcome to the blog! Hope you will poke around at some of the archived posts. I saw a letter sent from the SSC that had that 1000 number on it. I genuinely think that most store managers should know by now if there are getting it. Are you a SM and did you see the letter that I am referring to? Of course, I’ll totally admit that 1000 is actually a really big number to send micro-lot coffees too, as well as selling them on gilt.com, so if there has been some correction to the total number of stores, after the information I saw, I would not be surprised.
Looking forward to trying this. It’s just being sold at drive thru stores in my district. No cafes. And all stores that did a great job at reaching VIA goals. I hopped onto the Gilt.com site, and it looks very exclusive and fancy!
I’m trying to remember the very last black apron exclusive. Was it Sumatra Siborong Borong in Spring 2007?
@Skooter Coffee connections still do happen.
Weren’t those Black Apron Exclusive boxes nice? (image on this site: http://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/622322)
Don’t know what happened with that link – try this one: http://a0.vox.com/6a00d41427444b3c7f00e398be49500002-pi
sorry.
@CamSpi – The drive through stores in your area got it? Not your store? Wow. That’s sort of a shame almost. And I would have thought that whole bean sales, not really Via sales, would have been the most important thing in determining which stores get this coffee/
The idea that the ‘drive-thru’ stores (at least in one area) would get a special coffee seems exactly OPPOSITE to me, of what should happen. So, they chose stores where a % of customers never even get out fo their cars……HOW would they even know/see this ‘reserve’ coffee? Is it me, or does this seem to NOT make sense???
@melody @denise r.
The stores who were selected for the Special Reserve coffee totally deserve it! They have a lot of coffee passion at their stores! I just noticed that the 3 stores in my district were drive thrus, and stores that consistently reached VIA goals. Those two criteria make sense. Drive thrus are busier and have a lot more customers… so more opportunity to teach customers about the coffee. (Quick coffee tastings ARE possible at drive thrus! LOL!) And the stores have consistently met goals of selling something. Both things are important to make the Special Reserve a success! (I just wish my semi slower cafe store would get it!!! … but alas, I shall drive thru a Starbucks and buy one… and I won’t even have to get out of the car to do so!)
I agree with Denise that it seems strange to choose a drive through to showcase the reserve coffee. As they introduce new reserve coffees, will they pick different SB sites?
@CamSpi are you seriously saying that a coffee tasting should be done thru a drive up window? I’m sure the company would frown on that since they are required to move X number of cars thru each half hour just like the cafe stores in the least amount of time possible. If memory serves the standard is every three minutes for a transaction in a drive up store but I will ask E. I would like to see the customers in the cars behind them reacting to that. I mean the woman in Toledo broke out a window over McNuggets, what would the “I’m in to much of a hurry and far too important to even get off the phone to speak to you” customer would do if the car in front of them did a five minute coffee tasting.
@Skooter I think its funny we communicate on here.
I was kinda joking… but tastings could be done at drive thrus. Not at peak business times. I have been given samples of pumpkin spice lattes via drive thru before. And I don’t mean to say you should spend five minutes doing a tasting if there are cars lined up.
But what I am saying is coffee connections can happen at Starbucks still, at the speed of life, and sometimes at the slowness of life.
I, too, work in a drive-thru, and I’ll state that it’s possible to do tastings through a window, although not necessarily wise. If it’s slow, sure, it can be done. The problem is that you never know when someone else is gonna come through, and suddenly the tasting has to be cut short.
However, also remember that most drive-thru stores have lobbies as well. Just because a coffee goes to a drive-thru store for tastings, that doesn’t mean that the tastings have to be out the drive-thru window.
to “Enlightened….”; but the info. re the reserve coffees going to ‘drive-thru’ stores (at least in that area) sounded, to me, as if those stores were chosen because they are drive-thrus…..which I can’t understand. I realize most drive-thrus also have lobbies but….that was my understanding of what was posted.
“Sampling” through the drive-thru can be easily done and I would hope that it’s done as much through the drive-thru as it is in the lobby. Obviously sampling is different than “tasting,” but the reality is there is more sampling activity than tasting activity going on at Starbucks on any given day and quite frankly, I’m sure more customers are interested in sampling vs. tasting.
@denise r – I kind of read “drive-thru” store as “high volume” store (especially in suburban areas) so I think it probably has more to do with volume and because the drive thrus get so much more traffic their volume, including whole bean, is probably larger. In other words, the “high volume” stores get the reserve coffees, and they just so happen to be “drive-thru” stores.
@Melody – I agree with your point on how the stores were targeted. I just wish the SSC would do more to engage and uplift the partners – there seems to be a constant level of partner stress these past couple of years that dampens the experience for the customer.
@CD – That probably a good observation that a “high volume” store translates into a drive thru by the very fact they get more customers.
I have seen sampling done at the drive through. If the store has an extra person, and the weather permits, you simply have a person in a green apron walk out to the drive through line and start handing little sample cups to people sitting in their cars, waiting to move. I’ve seen it done. I was very surprised, and I inherently don’t like the drive through, but I think it can be done.
Also CD, I think most of these conversation about coffee education, coffee tasting, and coffee sampling all cycle back to too thin labor. The stores are stressed and there isn’t the time built into the experience for this anymore.
I should have bought a pound when they were selling it online to gold members…can’t wait for it to come to stores
I asked the store manager of the Starbucks I frequent the most and he hadn’t heard anything about this yet 🙁 That makes me sad, because I have a feeling Tucson won’t be seeing any small batches 🙁 But, I don’t think they are a high bean selling store with where their location is…so maybe there is some hope…
I am looking forward to tracking down this blend – but Gilt was a bit annoying. I kept getting spam mail from them daily after i signed up and decided to unsubscribe to them shortly after.
Still, when we roast small batch quality coffee I am always thrilled.
Hi Melody!!
Thank’s for your post…
I just posted the Spanish version of the Galapagos San Cristobal launch at my blog.
By he way, I’m the Starbucks Coffee Ambassador for the Mexican MBU, so just drop me a line when ever you plan on visiting Mexico, we’ll be glad to host a Coffee Tating for you…
Big Hug from Mexico City…
Alfie
I was fortunate enough to order two pounds of the Galapagos reserve beans at Gilt.com before it was sold out. My only regret is that I didn’t order ten pounds! This coffee is the richest most flavorful coffee I have ever drank, and after 30 years as a “coffee connoisseur” I know every nuance of coffee flavor.
This is more flavorful than Jamaican Blue Mountain and its a privilege to drink coffee grown on islands that are considered the cradle of life on Earth. I paid $12,50 per half pound during the promotion but would consider it an exceptional value at $15. I’m just thankful it’s not $30 or $40 or more that I’ve paid for the Jamaican grown beans!
In preparation for the promotion, my ASM and I have been spending quite a bit of time with this coffee. I must say, I am impressed. My store is a Clover store as well, but I’m really excited about being chosen as a Starbucks Reserve store as well. It pairs really well with pumpkin bread; picks up a little cinnamon and spiciness.
I’m way behind in this blog post too! Welcome Eugene, Zach, and Alfredo to the comments! @Eugene – I still think a great cup of Sanani, or possibly Sun Dried Yirg might beat this coffee, but it is good! Welcome! @Zach – Hi there! I will definitely try the pumpkin loaf pairing! Great suggestion.
Thank you for the warm welcome Melody. Admittedly I dropped in because I was looking for a link to order more Galapagos Islands coffee from Starbucks.
I’ll have the try the coffees you mentioned. I must admit I was drawn to the very rarified location on this planet where this coffee was grown (one of the top 10 “must see before I die” type places due to its ties to the very beginning of life on planet Earth)… and knowing Starbucks reputation for honesty, knowing it really, really was grown there! (Even with the Jamaican, I fear some sellers are packaging regular coffee in counterfeit Jamaican certified bags, so it’s a real treat to know this is real).
Now I don’t relish driving out to Palo Alto from San Jose to a “Clover” store (with true respect, what the heck IS a Clover store? Will someone give me the sales pitch please?) to buy this coffee.
Do you or anyone know if it will be offered online? (Crossing fingers.)
Warmest wishes,
Melody – to answer, I’m an ASM, and I did see the email – initially the number was “about 1000” or “less than 1000” or something like that. The most recent info I got had an exact number, and I think it was ~670 stores that would be selling it as whole-bean coffee, plus all the Clover stores, plus a handful that would be selling it by the cup in-store. I will try to remember to write down the exact info tomorrow.
BUT all the stores that will be carrying it *should have* received their training materials (including 2 1/2 lb bags for partner sampling) today. All partners at all Reserve stores are supposed to be trained this week on Galapagos Island – San Cristobal. There will also be a tasting event on the last Saturday of August at all Reserve stores – point being all Reserve stores know who they are by now.
Also, Reserve stores will be taking pre-orders for the coffee (I’ve got the dates for that at the store too). If you don’t want to wait, http://www.starbucksstore.com/starbucks-reserve/
Also, just noticed that they added a clicky box for “Starbucks Reserve” on the Store Locator
http://www.starbucks.com/store-locator
That ought to help you out 😉
Thank you Jenni! I went to http://www.starbucksstore.com/starbucks-reserve/ and it’s actually for sale (order a dozen 8oz vacuum packs for $12,50 each, which is the frosting on the cake since someone earlier speculated the buy in price per pack at $15).
I cannot over-emphasize that Galapagos Island coffee is so rich, it explodes in your mouth with the very first sip. (I haven’t experience such a rush with a first sip of coffee since my first cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain in the 1980’s and this is far grander in taste).
Of course, I’m someone biased from the location. I don’t think customers realize just how truly rarified this coffee is, far more so than Blue Mountain. I get goosebumps just thinking that I secured six pounds of the stuff.
Melody, I took your advice and ordered the Sanani (Arabian Mocha Sanani to spell out its full name for others interested). Starbucks stopped carrying it so I defected to Peet’s (what a turncoat I am!) and purchased four 1 lb. packs for $20,95 for a 1 lb. pack… that’s just over $10 for an 8 oz. pack. Do you know at sanani.com they’re selling it for $24 for an 8.8 oz pack? Peet’s is a bargain by comparison and I trust Peet’s more. I only wish Starbucks would start carrying it again.
As a hint to keeping whole beans fresh, I freeze the unopened packs (both unopened and after opening). When I grind the beans, I sprinkle a little natural sea salt on the frozen beans to help “cut” them as they grind. My mom who immigrated from Estonia taught me this neat little coffee grinding trick.
Well, I got to try the coffee as a french press (very thick layer of oil on top) and it was a huge amount of flavor followed by a very sharp acidity, I also tried it as a pour over, where it was mellower and less acidic. i preferred the pour over.
I can’t wait to try the other reserves!