On August 29, 2009, I bought the Starbucks Sumatra coffee beans (1 pound/453 grams) from the Canada Safeway store along King George Highway in the city of Surrey in British Columbia, Canada. It cost me $15.95 inclusive of tax. Although I don’t always buy Starbucks coffee beans, I have a plan to start my own Internet Café so I am in the process of trying out different blends of coffee.

To me, Starbucks coffee is the best. Compared to Tim Horton’s coffee, I would say that Timmy’s is geared more towards construction workers. For the corporate or office employees, Starbucks coffee often holds the charm. It is definitely pricier, but one can’t put a price to a great coffee.

I guess I was strongly influenced by the Meryl Streep character in the movie The Devil Wears Prada, who always demanded of her assistant to bring her piping hot coffee without fail every morning. Another influence could have been getting hired to work for Starbucks, which I declined at the last minute.

Besides, I love coming to any Starbucks branch. Aside from the coffee, I also love the free wireless Internet for two hours.

For the Sumatra blend I bought, I had the clerk at Safeway grind it for me. She wasn’t an expert at it, but she tried very hard so I could forgive her. Besides, I am no Miranda Priestley.

The lady clerk gave me my ground Sumatra coffee in the same pack, badly taped over because she ruined the pouch. I looked forward to having a great coffee the next morning, which was of course what happened.

I always bought a gallon of working men’s brew coffee for $6, which takes me about a month to finish. This Starbucks looks like it will take me only two weeks at the most, and I am the only one who drinks coffee at home. My roommate still prefers to buy fresh coffee every morning from somewhere.

As the label says, Sumatra is an Asia Pacific blend, which “is spicy, full-bodied Indonesia beans,” combined with sturdy herbal beans from Papua New Guinea.

The Starbucks label on the pouch further classifies it as earthly and extra bold, and I have to agree that it is so. I tried their Ethiopia Sidamo blend before but somehow, the taste did not register in my palate very well. I don’t know why.

Sumatra definitely has a distinctive rich taste to it, one that reminds me very acutely that I am drinking fresh, brewed coffee. Four spoons on my coffee maker is all it takes to create a morning magic.

I usually throw in about six white sugar cubes, and about four spoons of coffee creamer to the coffee in my huge mug. I got this habit from my former roommate, who hated having to drink coffee every morning although it was a necessity. So she always drowned her coffee with sugar and coffee creamer.

Diabetics might frown at me, but mind you, this is the only time of the day that I drink coffee. One dose is enough to keep me alert for eight to 12 hours. This Starbucks Sumatra blend is really amazing.