The taste is distinctive and unmistakable—strikingly bold and full-bodied with a muted acidity and notes of rich herbs and rustic spice.
Who Should Drink It
Hard to say. There are both better earthy Sumatras and better smoky, pungent Sumatras in this cupping.
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This review originally appeared in the February, 1999 tasting report: New Crop Sumatra Coffees
On the other hand, I couldn’t discern the difference in smell. In my mocha, I preferred the other coffee. I’m not good with my coffee adjectives, but one coffee seemed stronger (bolder, perhaps?). It did a better job of standing out against the cocoa. OS thought that coffee was more bitter, if anything.
So here’s how we did the test. Ordinary Spouse brewed the coffee (six ounces of each variety), so that I wouldn’t know the brewing order. And I took the brewed coffee, divided it up, and made the modifications so that OS wouldn’t know how the cups corresponded to the order in which they were brewed.
OS found both coffees to be quite drinkable and wouldn’t pay extra for the Starbucks – whichever the Starbucks turned out to be. But since we were trying to discern the better coffee, she noted that one of her cups had a slightly better smell and flavor (which she described as fruity or almondy).
Starbucks Sumatra Coffee Review
FAQ
What is special about Sumatra coffee?
What is the difference between Arabica and Sumatra coffee?
Is Starbucks Sumatra oily?
What pairs well with Sumatra coffee?
What does Starbucks Sumatra roast taste like?
The Starbucks Sumatra Roast shows its character when I pour hot water into the grounds. The aroma is earthy, with a herbal undertone. The coffee looks a bit dark in color with some slight transparency. When I took my first sip, I noticed the coffee’s overall earthy and herbal notes.
What does Sumatra coffee taste like?
Full-bodied with a smooth mouthfeel, lingering notes of dried herbs and fresh earth, and almost no acidity Our roasters love transforming these unpredictable beans from dark coral green to tiger-orange to a rich, oily mahogany, revealing bold flavors that many of us can’t live without.
What is the best Sumatra coffee?
The best Sumatra coffee, in our opinion, is Volcanica Coffee’s Mandheling coffee Bold and earthy flavor, complimented by syrupy and chocolatey notes. Naturally low acid yet rich and dark. It’s one with a syrup like taste and flavor atypical of darker roasts, it’s perfect if you enjoy espresso or milky coffee. Is Starbucks Sumatra espresso?
What is Starbucks Sumatra coffee?
The beans were harvested from the highlands and traditionally processed using the wet hull, or ‘Giling Basah’ method, common with Indonesian coffees. Starbucks then roasted the beans dark. Sumatra coffee is known for its earthy tones and complex herbal nuances, which many attribute to the Starbucks Sumatra Roast.