Starbucks Launches Subscription Service For Its High-End Coffee

In an effort to catch the attention of high-end coffee connoisseurs this past December, Starbucks opened a Reserve tasting room in Seattle that serves only premium, small-batch coffees. Not in Seattle? No problem. Starbucks has just announced the launch of its first-ever coffee subscription service, featuring the beans only served at the tasting room in the coffee giant's birthplace. A one-month subscription costs $24, while an annual subscription will run you $288.

"Starbucks Reserve Roastery subscriptions are — aside from visiting the Roastery and having our partners scoop the coffee right in front of you — the freshest, fastest, and most innovative whole bean coffee experience in the marketplace," said Howard Schultz, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Starbucks. "Combining the magic of this unique retail theater with our digital infrastructure brings two of our best assets together and ensures that customers can experience the world's rarest coffees in the privacy of their own homes."

On the second Sunday of each month, subscribers will be sent one 8.8 ounce bag of special reserve coffee known as the "Roaster's Pick," roasted just 48 hours before. The beans, according to Starbucks, are so rare that they are only sold at the Seattle tasting room. Along with your coffee, you'll receive a description of your beans and where they came from, and tasting notes from the Starbucks Reserve team. Don't want a subscription? You can also buy individual bags of Reserve varieties online.