Starbucks exclusive coffee supports welfare of workers

The coffee, which will be available in limited quantities, hails from the Indonesian island of Sumatra and is set to improve the overall living conditions of migrant workers in Singapore.

Each Black Apron Exclusives coffee highlights the pinnacle of high quality and flavor, and Starbucks maintains a deep dedication to the farmers who grow these fantastic crops.

Farms yielding coffees selected for this collection are awarded with a $15,000 grant to improve and sustain their communities and livelihood.

This grant will be dedicated to the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (H.O.M.E.), a registered society and charity that looks into the welfare and rights of migrant workers in Singapore.

The money will help H.O.M.E in improving and maintaining their shelter facilities for the workers.

Rana Shaheen, CSR and Communications Manager, Starbucks Coffee, Middle East and Egypt, said that Starbucks is always committed to being a responsible and active contributor to communities in which it operates.

"With the launch of each BAE coffee, Starbucks sponsors a cause that it feels needs more attention. The work of H.O.M.E. promotes a 'culture of welcome' in Singapore; it believes that Singapore, as a host nation, should take the interests of foreign workers into consideration and build a community that is a 'global family' to all. This comes in line with Starbucks principles of embracing diversity, providing a great work environment and treating all workers with respect and dignity."

The production of Aged Sumatra Lot #9697 begins with green coffee beans, stored for three-five years in a tropical climate to be aged to perfection.

It matures in an aging facility called Lot #9697, the coffee's namesake, where it produces a distinctive taste, because the aging process intensifies the flavor and concentrates and deepens the earthy and spicy notes.

Aged Sumatra Lot #9697 has an exceptional heavy body underscored by the intensity of spicy notes that taste of cedar.

This special coffee tastes best when paired with an assortment of cheeses, especially aged cheeses, blue cheeses and rich soft varieties, with each cheese emphasizing the distinct qualities of the coffee, such as the deep syrupy body.

"Aged Sumatra is our boldest cup, with its delightful cedary aroma, syrupy mouth feel and unparalleled flavor accentuated by the aging process, presented at its peak flavor. It is an exquisite and intense cup crafted for true coffee lovers and community givers."

added Shaheen.