Starbucks: Judging Reserve and Reserving Judgment
The recently debuted Starbuck’s Reserve Roastery in Seattle is garnering a lot of attention. Starbucks describes their new venture as an “Immersive Combination of Cafe, Roastery, and Restaurant” that offers the”Rarest of Coffees from Around the Globe, Roasted to Perfection.”
Roast Magazine and Daily Coffee News have published a couple pieces about it:
Inside Starbucks’ New Reserve Line HQ, A Shrine to Company and Coffee
Opinion: Starbucks’ Upmarket Model and the Big Business of Little Bars
Lots of folks will shoot down the concept and store just because it’s Starbucks… you know, the “dark side” or “evil empire,” the epitome of all things bad about big corporations. The wolf is donning sheep’s clothing, posing as an elite roastery and cafe, preparing to devour small, upscale roasters and cafes around the country.
We certainly cheer for the small guys too. But, we don’t see Starbucks as inherently bad. At Coffee Review, we blindly and objectively evaluate and rate coffees based on their merits. We’ll reserve judgment on Starbucks’ Reserve until we can actually cup their coffees.
In the meantime, if you’re interested on how Starbucks coffees have fared in blind cuppings at Coffee Review, read our blog post from October:
