Starbucks raised a few eyebrows this week when it announced a $7 cup of coffee. Yup, you read that right. Seven dollars for a cup of Starbucks coffee. If you just want the beans, it’s $40 for a half-pound.
According to Starbucks, your $7 buys you a cup of an “exotic blend from a rare Geisha varietal line, which comes from an ancient line of plants that traces its lineage back to Ethiopia”. I can’t help but wonder if this means your coffee comes with entertainment by traditional female Japanese entertainers. “I’ll have a cup of your finest coffee, and a dance”.
From NBC News – 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.”
The big question is, can the average person tell the difference? I haven’t tried it, so have no idea, but Jimmy Kimmel tried a taste test of his own. Kimmel tried a blind taste test, asking participants which of two cups of coffee was of the premium variety. What the tasters didn’t know is both cups held exactly the same blend. Almost every person had a strong preference of one over the other, which just shows how suggestible we are. The video is below. Now go forth, try the coffee, and report back!
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Ross Pullen says
I’ll pass on the Starbuck’s coffee for $7.00 ; gimme some Irish whiskey instead !
Tim Roth says
Once again, Starbucks nobly paves the way for the specialty industry to capitalize on their friendly orientation of the masses to drinking coffee differently! Thanks guys!
Ron says
Looking at the pictures above… If you gona spend $7 on a cup of coffee, at least drink it from a porcelain cup and keep the paper taste out of it.
Jennifer Crary says
Wow, $7 for a burned tasting cup of coffee? I’ll skip. I would rather have some Sleepy Monk instead