After a fairly severe letdown in Cheongdam, we gave the Hannam branch of Starbucks Reserve a shot.

Google maps:

Naver maps link: 스타벅스 한남동점

Especially for Korea, this Starbucks is not huge, but it does have a very large bar for the Reserve coffees, including Siphon brewers, the Clover and a few drippers.

The coffee menu is not only extensive but also beautifully made, including detailed descriptions of the beans and taste notes. Also, the taste note cards serve as great bookmarks – for actual books.

Now the actual brewing process starts. White filters and all components were nicely rinsed, beans carefully weighed and pre-infusion looked proper, too.

I am not a fan however of the main part of the infusion. All water in one long pour that led to a brisk finish in under 2 minutes. Also, no scale used for the pour.

The result was mixed. On one hand, the coffee from Congo (on ice) was very light and had a mild orange note – not bad, just light. The one from Burundi was clearly roasted very dark. An attribute typical for Starbucks. As a result, too bitter for my taste (not very tasty at all).

But, the sweets on the side are a nice bonus. Likely not enough to get us back there, though.