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Courtesy Starbucks
A view of the Starbucks store at Brewery Blocks in Portland, Oregon, one of the 46 locations where you can sip the $7 Costa Rica Finca Palmilera coffee.
Fancy a $7 cup of Starbucks?
In this day of skyrocketing gas, grain and food prices, only a select few do.
But that's the price for a special rare brew Starbucks is serving up in just a few locations.
If you want to sip this black elixir, you'll have to ask for "Costa Rica Finca Palmilera," and fork over $40 for a half-pound. Also, you'll need to live in Seattle or Portland.
Only 48 stores in the country have the beans, and 46 of them are in one of these two cities.
It's not just any Starbucks there that have them, either. Only locations boasting the $11,000 "Clover" coffee machine are worthy to brew the beans. The coffee doesn't have to be made in the Clover, though. It's also available as a pour-over.
Jimmy Kimmel mocks the new $7-a-cup premium coffee at Starbucks with a blind taste test where he provides two identical cups of regular coffee and records tasters' "impressed" reactions.
Starbucks said Wednesday there's a very good reason for the premium price on this "exotic" blend from a rare "Geisha varietal" line, which comes from an ancient line of plants that traces its lineage back to Ethiopia.
They didn't make very much of it.
It's simple supply and demand, created for demanding coffee fans in two of the nation's most coffee-centric cities.
The coffee "only grows at extremely high altitudes, and because of the tree’s low yield allows for more of the soil's nutrients to reach each cherry, intensifying the coffee's vibrant flavors," said the Starbucks spokesperson. "A trained nose and palate might pick up delicate floral aromas, flavors of white peach and pineapple, and a juicy herbal complexity in this coffee."
In addition, all the beans came from just 3 hectares out of a single 90 hectare estate, yielding a tiny amount, a mere 3,800 pounds.
Starbucks basic tall Blonde coffee, produced in bulk, sells for $1.50 a cup.
"Costa Rica Finca Palmilera" is part of the Starbucks "Reserve" line of coffees, previously known as their "Black Apron" line, where the company hunts down rare and flavorful beans in origin countries and makes them available at just a few stores for a brief period of time.
"The Starbucks Reserve line of coffees allows us to offer our customers the opportunity to try rare, unique, exquisite coffees that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience," said Starbucks. That is, as long as they are ready to pay a higher price.
For instance, the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, when available, goes for $4.50 for a tall brewed cup. Other brews in the Reserve line go for $2.95-$6.00 for a tall cup.
That said, even for a Reserve cup, "It is the highest price we've ever had," a Starbucks spokesperson told TODAY. "It raises the bar."
Leave a Comment:
Expensive limited-time and limited-availability offerings can sell well do to simple curiosity, as the poll results clearly show.
Even if it's not expensive, limited-time goods generate a lot of buzz and sales. McRib, anyone? It's not a good product by any means, but it's limitation is what makes it appealing. Heck, I sometimes buy them simply because I forgot that I dislike them.
A ~$2 doppio espresso does it for me.
No coffee is worth that price. Also, Starbucks has an annoying habit of over-roasting their beans so their coffee always taste burnt. There are better coffees out there than Starbucks. As for the particular bean, I prefer a good Sumatran sun roast or a Kona blend, great flavor and not at all bitter.
You bet. BS hype,..
But they also mention Jamaican Blue Mountain... I've never had a problem finding it. By coincidence, today was the annual buy one get one free coffee deal at World Market. Up to 4 bags. There was plenty of JBM, until I left with 8 bags, that is. Plus Wednesday is double point coffee day - I'll get a coupon for a free bag. 9 bags of quality beans for the price of 4 and Starbucks tries to sell it as "rare".
I'm very happy grinding quality beans every morning and making a 20 oz "pour over" for 20 cents, thank you... even less if you use a lesser amount of grinds and steep in a French press. Heck, you can make Cowboy Coffee with 10 cents worth of beans and it still won't taste as burnt as Starbucks.
P.S. Their whole bean French Roast and Peruvian coffees are delicious, also. Jamaican tends to be mild. A mix of the three is my ideal "breakfast blend".
Starbucks is proof that there are a lot of people out there with more money than brains.
In Astoria Oregon there is or was a lady named Samantha Buck she opened a little mom and pop coffee shop and she called it Sam Bucks. Starbucks sued her because of her name and the name of her coffee shop. Starbucks won and Sam Bucks is no longer. I never liked Starbucks coffee and I really don't like Starbucks now after what they did to this small business owner. As I stated before, Starbucks is an over rated nasty bitter coffee. I am sure somewhere out there you can find the article on this. If I remember right it was back in 2005-2007....check it out.
For those of you who are saying its not worth it, you clearly haven't had it. I have a clover machine at my starbucks and it is without a doubt the best cup I have ever had. You can use any beans, you don't have to use the reserve beans. The christmas blend is amazing in that clover machine.
Not only that but I don't think that these coffees are meant to be your "daily drinker".
Well considering that I pay 6.83 for a redbull and vodka drink after tax, what's another 17 cents. I'd give it a try.
I remember that story and it seems to me that she also intended to play off the Starbucks name. Still there was no confusion as to the difference.
I always thought the town of Starbuck, WA should sue Starbucks for stealing their name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbuck,_Washington
Starbucks tastes burnt. blech
Everybody's taste bud's are different.That burnt taste you detect is because their beans are roasted longer. I've heard others say that it tastes burnt.I love Starbucks Verona,it is a dark roasted coffee. Peet's to me has a burnt taste.
Peet's is disgusting. Get the whole bean, grind it and make it yourself. Don't EVER buy Starbucks coffee brewed at Starbucks (definitely not at an airport) - or you'll think it's bad coffee. The Clovers they use do a nice job with the espresso drinks, though. But it's made fresh for you right then and there.
If you don't drink your coffee within 15 minutes of it brewing, you can't really comment on its quality.
Komodo Dragon is still the best everyday flavour, Sumatra next.
Over roasting coffee beans is comparable to burning a good steak. It still is burnt. $tarbuck$ is known for buying cheap beans and over roasting them to create their consistent taste, u-hem burnt.
When my daughter was in High School the kids would head to Starbucks. The coffee made her feel sick. She thought maybe it was because of an empty stomach. My ex bought Starbucks beans and my daughter had her coffee and it made her sick.
She tried my coffee, I also get whole beans from various places, and it didn't make her sick.
What she discovered is every time she had Starbucks coffee she got sick. I'm guessing it was the acid level.
Now even my ex realizes that Starbucks really doesn't do coffee all that well. She switched to Dutch Brothers.
Personally I like different ones but I really don't think that much of Starbucks.
please bring it to Charlotte
I've been buying less and less Starbucks coffee now that I have a Nespresso at home and at my office. Each machine was only $250 and the coffee I like that goes in the machine ends up costing around $0.67 per cup. It's better than Starbucks because I don't have to get dressed and leave my house for it, or leave the office in the middle of the day and it also tastes really good. I would definitely try Costa Rica Finca Palmilera, though. Just out of curiosity. And I'd splurge and get a venti. ;)
That was easy. Anything is better than $tarbuck$.
They call it what ever they want. I will never pay 7 bucks for a cup of coffee. And anyone who does, well good for you.
No way is it worth 7 bucks a cup is in the "oh look at my 7$$$$$$$ cup of coffee". In this economy, I would not be surprised if you end up wearing it.
BEST COMMENT in 2 months! Fabulous
Is this that poop coffee everybody talks about? Bet it's the leftover that they scrape off the floor. Starrburnt and a McFat food to belch by.
If you can afford it, and you're a true coffee lover, why not? I don't see anything wrong with enjoying the finer things in life, as long as you can afford them. I drink fairly expensive gourmet coffee at home, using my old Mr. Coffee brewer, and get fabulous enjoyment from it every morning - for about 8¢ a cup.
I have never seen a cup of coffee worth $ 7.00 a cup. I could get 2 pounds of coffee for price. I have had only 1 cup of Starbucks coffee and I will stick to my own home made coffee. I can get a whole meal and a cup of coffee for that price.
They're making Via in a Clover? First off, you just pour hot water over Via and it dissolves into a pretty terrible drink. Second, the Clover is one of the most advanced pieces of coffee equipment in existence. Why would you put the coffee equivalent of feces in there?
I but Starbucks and brew it at home.Other coffees don't compare but $7.00 is ridiculous.There isn't a coffee on the planet,no matter how rare,that is worth that amount per pound or per cup.
Hey,save your self some money.Have Green Mountain coffee instead. Much better and many more choices!
Art,I will have to try that brand.I don't care for Dunkin or Peets. Gevalia's pretty good.
Most people don't realize that most of the flavor of a cup of coffee comes from the water used, not the beans.
Rip-off HYPE BS. Don't "buy" it.
Want authentic caffe,...try doppio espresso done correctly.
Starbucks bs...
Starbucks coffee. Panther piss ala swill.
The only reason to drink this coffee is the same reason as owning a Rolex -
Bragging rights.
I'd certainly try the tall for $4.50. I figure most people are already buying those poorly made "specialty" drinks for $4.00, so why not pretend like I have money to waste with them.
I drink coffee for the same reason I drink liquor, for the affect. Just like I can stand certain whiskey I can stand certain ways coffe is made, sugar and cream. I may pay a premium for smooth whiskey but never $7 for coffee I would load up with sugar and cream.
Twenty Five cents for a decent cup of coffee at Carls Jr.
Then again, I don't pay $800.00 for a pair of jeans.
I know there are some people who cherish their coffee but many simply buy the most expensive so other people will know that they do.
If you bought a cup of this coffee 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year it would cost $1750yea one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars plus tax of probably 7% another $122.50 plus if you smoke at $5 a day for a pack thats another $1825 a year plus the 7% tax of $127.75. A grand total of $3825.25 for coffee and smokes. That's $318 a month. A car payment or gas or electric bill or 1/2 a food budget for the family. Corporate america is getting us all. I'm guilty too just not coffee and smokes.
It's corporate America's fault? You make a great point by laying out the numbers, and made it clear and easy to follow...then you ruin it by blaming "corporate America".
There wouldn't be a "corporate America" if there wasn't people willing to puff on cancer sticks and become coffee snobs. No one is holding a gun to the head of these people. They do it of their own free will.
Also, no corporate America would exist if so many were not willing to shop at Walmart.
A question of trivia to ponder: Why does the small desert city of Victorville, California need four Walmarts?
F Starbucks and the horse it rode in on.
*mermaid
It is a melusine, a double-tailed mermaid.
Nobody should know that