Starbucks is introducing Ka’u into their Reserve lineup beginning August 20th. It’s already available on StarbucksStore.com. It’s a coffee from Hawaii, from an area bordering the Kona growing region.
Today (August 18, 2013), I went to a coffee seminar for this new coffee. Kevin, at the 7th and Pike Starbucks, walked us through a tasting for this coffee. I learned that this is a washed coffee, and grown in a region that was once used for sugar plantations! Kevin prepared the new Ka’u coffee with a French press, and paired it with the small caramel bites.
As an aside, if you see these little containers of chocolate bites at the registers at Starbucks, definitely take a look. There are four flavors, and they are delicious!
Back to the Ka’u from Hawaii: this coffee is said to pair well with coconut, caramel, and nuts. Kevin didn’t have a coconut option to try the coffee with, but I definitely thought that the pairing with the caramel bites was good – it definitely brought out a sweetness to the coffee. The aroma of this coffee had some of the nut aroma. I thought it was squarely a medium-body coffee, with a fairly clean finish.
The four steps of a coffee tasting are as follows: 1) Smell – cover the cup and really smell 2) Slurp – aerate well 3) Locate where the flavors hit in your mouth and 4) Describe the flavors.
Kevin is a Coffee-Master-In-Training. Here he is leading our group:
Starbucks has offered the Ka’u coffee before as a Reserve coffee. Kevin explained that generally, when a coffee returns as a Reserve, it is a signal that Starbucks has purchased a new harvest of that farmer’s coffee. I think this year’s Ka’u is a little nuttier than last year’s! I loved that Kevin was very knowledgeable about the coffee and easily spoke about this being a wash-processed coffee, and could explain quite about the coffee’s growing region. And of course, it was obvious that he genuinely loves coffee!
If you ever want to go back and browse previous coffee tastings articles on this site, click through here.
I bought a half pound to take home with me. My normal preferred at-home method of coffee brewing is with a pour over – it’s very simple, and very difficult to mess up! And many coffees will taste wonderful made through a pour over. This coffee, too, is great from a pour over. I think that highlights a little more of the nuttiness.
Here are the rest of the pictures – Enjoy! Have you tried this year’s Ka’u?
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Just got mine in from the StarbucksStore! I can’t wait to give it a try!
I just recently returned from the Big Island. While I was there I visited some of the coffee farms in Ka’u, and I had a chance to meet some of the growers. In fact, I visited the very mill that processed this coffee for Starbucks.
Ka’u coffees are exciting because Ka’u farmers are not bound by laws the way Kona coffee farmers are. For example, for a coffee to be labeled 100% Kona it must be the Typica variety. This Ka’u is made up of Typica, Bourbon, and Catuai which makes for a very interesting flavor profile.
I was so pleased to see this coffee offered on StarbucksStore.com after having returned from Hawaii. I instantly ordered a couple bags. I happened to have some macadamia nuts that I brought back with me from Hawaii and they paired wonderfully with this coffee. This is not a coffee to be missed.
On the topic of brewing, Melody, Have you ever tried the Clever Coffee Dripper? It combines full immersion brewing as in a French press, with a cone filter as in a pour over. It makes a wonderful cup of coffee for those who enjoy French press and pour over.
I will give it another try, but I found it to be disappointing. I’m sorry to say. Made on the Clover, it tasted bitter and tasted a bit like caraway seed at the finish. I don’t remember being overly thrilled with last years, and I don’t remember it selling so well last year. It seemed to linger on the shelf for a long period if time. I wonder because it is a Hawaiian coffee, that people expect it to be like Kona? I hope everybody else enjoys it, but I would have rather had a (gulp)…. PPR today for half the price.
Looking forward to trying this new offering. How did you think it compares to the Tanzania reserve coffee? My local Starbucks (at least) is no longer offering it.
@Michael – I think Tanzania is much better IMHO!
@Michael: In my opinion this is a lovely coffee. The Tanzania Southern Highlands Reserve was an extraordinary coffee and a great representation of African coffee.
This Ka’u Reserve has more in common with a Guatemalan coffee. It’s a lovely coffee but it doesn’t pack the citrus punch that the Tanzania Southern Highlands coffee packed. The Ka’u coffee has more body and a longer finish. I never looked at the two coffees side by side but I seem to recall that the Tanzania coffee is roasted slightly lighter than the Ka’u so that’s an indication that the Ka’u won’t have as much acid.
The tasting notes are hit or miss. I definitely get the caramel notes but I didn’t pick up any coconut. The citrus notes were muted and not enough to make me describe the Ka’u as bright.
I know this coffee isn’t cheap which is why I took the time to offer my opinion on it but with the purchase of this coffee you are supporting the small but promising US coffee growing industry. I hope you decide to try it and I hope you enjoy it.
I agree that everybody should try it and judge it for themselves. Today I decided to ask a couple of other customers, and 2 Partners what they thought of this years KU’A. The reactions were all pretty much the same. Bitter… Not as good as last years, and last years wasn’t so great by their standards. Nobody thought it was worth the cost either. Just a note….. I was given these opinions even before I shared mine, and my opinion was quite similar. One Partner did claim to not have tried it yet, but also was not impressed by last years KU’A either.
Just my 2¢….
@Chgo – One thing I have to give you, this coffee just costs too much! I guess I don’t understand coffee pricing. The Tanzania was more exotic, and interesting than Ka’u, and cost less. And Sidamo, which I still miss, was also much cheaper than Ka’u.
@Organic FT Dave – That is a thorough reply. I still haven’t had the Ka’u from a Clover – I need to do that to see if I get more or less of which flavor notes.
@Melody – I sure hope we see a return of the Sun Dried Sumatra and Sun Dried Sidamo next year. I’m assuming that is the Sidamo you are speaking of? Those were probably the 2 best Reserves I have ever had that I can think of.
Philadelphia-area. I tried a clover-brewed Ka’u a few days ago. I routinely try all new reserve coffees but was hesitant with this coffee because I had tried it last year and simply did not like it. I recalled a bitter unappealing taste when it was first offered and thereafter stayed away from it, choosing other reserve coffees instead. The Ka’u did not sell well: it remained available on Starbuck’s handwritten reserve coffee board for several months. At the prompting of the barista, and in recognition that coffee harvests change, I decided to give the Ka’u another try. After only a few sips, I experienced the same bitter twinge near the back of my mouth followed by the same unpleasant aftertaste I felt when I first tried this reserve a year ago. A bad cup of coffee can ruin the start of a good day. Fortunately, the baristas at the Starbucks I routinely visit are very cool — they noticed I didn’t like the coffee and offered me another clover-brewed replacement. Gratefully, I chose the Sumatra Wahana Estate. If you’re looking for the quality smooth taste of an authentic Kona-like Hawaiian coffee, the Ka’u does not come anywhere it.