Starbucks Fair Trade Italian Roast

Fair Trade Italian Roast- Tutti amano tutte le cose italiane, si tratta di raffinatezza!  The name alone enchants coffee enthusiasts to a love of all things Italian- Food, Sports Cars, Espresso and the enchantment of the Mediterranean. Like a scene out of a black and white movie this roast takes you back to a time of nostalgia. A classic moment with every sip as the beans tell a sturdy and relentless but smooth story. 

The term Italian roast really just associated with sophistication just refers to a darker style of roast. At one time, coffee roasted to the 2nd pop stage were rare to find. Typically on the east coast Italian roast is the darkest roast and on the west coast French roast represents the end of the roast spectrum.

As you look at the beans, they glisten with an oily surface representing the right amount of heat over the right amount of time showcasing a Smoky sweet cup.  The oils on the beans are significant to a dark roast profile.

 History Lesson- In the past European countries traditionally purchased inferior robusta beans and roasted them dark to mask the taste.

I appreciate the depth of a true dark roast coming from the culinary vision and finesse of the roaster.   A highly skilled roaster can control the caramelization without evoking a burnt taste.With passion and skill the they transform high quality hard beans into a dark chocolate palette with oil droplets on the canvas.

While this coffee is roasted darker than traditional espresso roast it still has the caramel sweetness. The aroma is slightly smoky and less intense than the darker roasted French roast. The aroma always reminds me of a crackling fireplace. Pair this coffee with Milk chocolate to bring out the Baking chocolate taste or some caramel chews to enhance the caramel sweetness.

Starbucks and Fair Trade:
-Starbucks is one of the world's largest purchaser of fair trade certified coffee
-Fair trade farmers are guaranteed a premium over the international market price paid for coffee

-The goal of fair trade certification is to empower small farms to invest in their farms and their communities, Protect the environment and develop business skills necessary to compete in the market

-To be certified as fair trade, coffee is to be produced only by Farmers that belong to Farmer-owned, democratically run coffee cooperatives.

-Cooperatives are formed when farmers of small-scale farms bring their resources together to obtain bargaining power and collaborate on production methods.