Cameroon Mt. Oku - Starbucks Reserve

Here's Cameroon Mt. Oku chilling with my beloved Rancilio Silvia.

Starbucks Reserve is Starbucks' specialty line of coffee. There's a single Starbucks Reserve store in Seattle, WA where all of their reserve coffees are roasted. Starbucks saw the rise of specialty coffee and decided to jump in with their own iteration of a '3rd wave' roastery.

I've been fortunate enough to stop by the Starbucks Reserve store and boy is it a spectacle. If Willy Wonka was slangin' Coffea arabica rather than Theobroma cacao, the Starbucks Reserve store would be his Coffee Factory. I'll make a post with photos and a few words on the experience I had on my visit there last summer.

This coffee was a gift from a very kind and thoughtful classmate. Everyone has figured out that I'm the coffee guy and know exactly what to get me when gifting.

Anyway, back to Cameroon Mt. Oku.

Tasting Notes: 
This coffee was brewed in a Kalita Wave.

Cameroon Mt. Oku hits the palate with strong spices and a smoky roast profile. It comes onto you kind of harsh but opens up with a juicy softness on the middle of the tongue. It's almost-bright, almost-sweet with some dark-chocolate bitterness.

Full disclosure, I'm not a huge fan of dark roasted coffee although Starbucks did a respectable job here. This coffee might make a tasty cold brew so i'll give that a try next.