To Blend or Not to Blend Starbucks procures both single-origin coffees and regional blends from around the world. Single-origin coffees showcase what is possible in individual coffees. Blends weave together coffees from different origins to create a taste tapestry for your tongue. Some coffees are purchased solely for blending while others are purchased as single-origin offerings.

Single-Origin Coffees
We offer specific, individual coffees from 10 to 15 different countries. Each of these coffees displays an assortment of distinctive flavour characteristics. We call these "single-origin" coffees.

The term "varietal" is often misused. Arabica is one species within the genus of coffee (robusta is another species). Each species has varieties ranked underneath it, and there are many varieties of arabica coffee trees. While "varietal" is a botanical term, "single-origin" is a geographical term, and the most accurate way to describe coffees from a specific country. As green coffee beans are often grown by multiple farmers and then mixed at their place of origin, a "single-origin" coffee from a specific geographical area may have coffee beans from multiple varieties of arabica plants.

An example of a true varietal coffee is Brazil Ipanema Bourbon^TM, introduced by Starbucks in the spring of 1999. The "Bourbon" part of its name refers to its varietal status. All of the beans come from unmixed, old-stock Bourbon plants, which are prized for their elegant flavour. "Ipanema" refers to the actual farm where it is grown, thus this coffee, a Starbucks exclusive, is both a single-origin and a varietal coffee.

Starbucks Blends In addition to great single-origin coffees, our core lineup also includes blends of different single-origin coffees. The blends as a group make up a significant percentage of our whole bean coffee lineup, and each is as special in its own way as the most exotic single-origin coffee. There are many reasons to blend coffee. At Starbucks, we seek to showcase the signature style of a particular growing region (as in House Blend or Gazebo Blend®) or to combine various qualities found in different regions into a harmonious, balanced whole. Whatever the case, each Starbucks blend offers a cup of coffee that no single-origin coffee can duplicate.

Dark Roast Blends We also offer three dark roast blends: Starbucks Espresso Roast, Italian Roast, and French. These blends vary both in constituent coffees and roast intonation. Starbucks Espresso Roast is the foundation of our beverage business. Italian Roast and French Roast are among our more popular coffees.

The Four Fundamentals Learn how to brew the perfect cup using our four fundamentals of coffee.