Starbucks is currently offering a rare coffee from Bali. It’s available right now at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room. The “Bali Vintage Klasik” is described as a “Sweet lemon and caramel notes with a nutty finish.”
This is an Indonesian coffee that is sourced with a “vintage” processing method. The label for the coffee describes this: “What makes this coffee distinct from its Indonesian neighbors is the processing method. Balinese coffees were traditionally fully washed and dry-hulled, a style yielding exceptional quality, but so labor-intensive that many farmer’s moved to quicker methods. Now three villages have to “vintage” processing. The results surprised us – a coffee with familiar washed Indonesian herbal low notes, yet floral and citrus sweetness not found in coffees from this region.”
Starbucks sourced a small lot of this coffee, roasted at the Roastery, and decided that the majority of it would be sold as a limited Reserve coffee in Reserve stores in China. Look for this coffee in China or at the Seattle Roastery and Tasting Room.
I dropped by the Roastery last night and bought a little bit of it. One of the Master Roasters, who had been involved in this coffee’s roasting, was there. He showed us the unique burlap sacks that the green unroasted coffee comes in! In talking to the partner at the scoop bar (where you buy the coffee) he mentioned that when he had it on a French press he got more of the lemony notes. A friend of mine had it on the Clover and got a smooth, trail mix quality to it. I tried it recently too and got lots of the caramel. It’s a complex, beautiful coffee well worth your time: it’s a rare coffee education opportunity to get to taste a specially-processed Bali coffee. This coffee is delicious.
Enjoy!
(If I have readers in China reading this, you are lucky! Run to your nearest Reserve store! The China market Reserve stores continues to use the older style of Reserve packaging. If you purchase this coffee at the Roastery, it’s hand-scooped and not in a flavor-lock bag.)
(The image of the coffee’s burlap sack with the black paper bag of hand-scooped coffee is courtesy of Instagram user Jocelyn. As always, please do not use any of these images without express permission.)
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Mmm this sounds like an amazing coffee!
Do you knew what is done with the burlap sacks when they are done with them. Would love to get a hold of some of those!
@Nicholas – The Roastery sends their burlap sacks back to the Kent Roasting plant. Given the Kent Roasting Plant’s “zero waste” goal, I think they have some kind of special recycling system for them. However, if you’re a partner and you want a burlap sack, you can ask at the Kent Roasting Plant. Once in a blue moon, the Roasters at the Roastery will give out a burlap sack now and then.
Good to know. Thanks for that update. I may have to hit up a partner to see if they can score me one or two. 🙂
Hello Melody, Yes of course, you got China Readers! This is Ray, a reserve store manager in Shenzhen, China. The Bali Vintage Klasik would be reach our store by Fall. I happen to be involved in the translation of the Name-Bali Vintage Klasik -巴厘复古水洗法。
hi Ray!!!! That is so cool! You will absolutely love this coffee!! I can’t stop drinking it! 🙂
I got one of the Bali bags, but I don’t know how I’ll use it yet! It’s sitting in my locker, waiting on me. Haha
@jamie, i am going to hang mine on the wall! I just wrap it around a cork board and staple gun it! OR i want to make a pillow out of it 🙂