A Promising Future in Every Pound; Starbucks Introduces Rwanda Blue Bourbon Black Apron Exclusives(TM) Coffee

"Until recently, high quality coffee from Rwanda did not exist,"explains Dub Hay, Starbucks senior vice president of Coffee & GlobalProcurement. "But Rwanda has the perfect terrain and climate forgrowing the highest quality arabica coffee, and the proof of that isin this cup. As our first coffee from the country, Rwanda Blue Bourbonshould be celebrated not only for its amazing flavor but also for thepromising future it brings the people of Rwanda."

Until a few years ago, farmers grew low-grade beans as their maincash crop -- and almost stopped growing coffee altogether after theviolence of 1994. In 2001, individuals from the U.S. Agency forInternational Development (USAID) and Agribusiness DevelopmentActivity of Rwanda (ADAR) helped Rwandan farmers write business plansand obtain bank loans necessary to purchase equipment and buildcoffee-washing stations, which are essential to ensure quality. Theyalso taught farmers how to better cultivate arabica Bourbon trees.Farmers learned to prune, mulch, control pests and diseases, andselect the ripest cherries.

"In 2004, the Starbucks green coffee team traveled to Rwanda toevaluate its potential as a premium coffee supplier," continues Hay."That expedition led us to the Gatare and Karengera washing stations,which this year, delivered an amazing coffee."

Arabica Bourbon, one of the world's oldest and rarest coffeespecies, thrives in Rwanda's high elevations and is prized for itselegant flavor. Rwanda Blue Bourbon, Starbucks second Black ApronExclusives(TM) offering of 2006, imparts a subtle acidity with herbal,spice and cocoa notes.

"With continuing help from Starbucks and international aidorganizations, and with a renewed focus on quality, farmers canincrease their incomes, can afford necessities such as shelter,education and medical care, and can invest in the future forthemselves and their families," concluded Hay.

Starbucks awards $15,000 for each Black Apron Exclusives(TM)coffee for a project that will improve the lives of the farmers in thecommunity. These projects have made immediate impacts in education,transportation, coffee-processing facilities and the environment. ForRwanda Blue Bourbon coffee, we will award $15,000 to the Karengera andGatare washing stations in Rwanda. The money will be used to makeimmediate improvements to these station communities, improvingefficiency and coffee quality, ultimately ensuring that farmers whouse these stations will realize higher quality coffee and obtainhigher prices for their crops.

The Black Apron Exclusives(TM) line of coffee is named forStarbucks most knowledgeable buyers, roasters, tasters and CoffeeMasters, who wear black aprons in the tasting rooms and inStarbucks(R) coffeehouses. Since Black Apron Exclusives(TM) coffeeshail from very distinct and scarce crops, subsequent introductionswill be announced shortly before their arrival in select retailstores. Four rare and exclusives coffees will follow this coffee thisyear, with the next selection expected to be available on May 16,2006.

Rwanda Blue Bourbon coffee is available starting tomorrow inCompany-operated stores throughout North America (1/2 lb price: US$13, CAN $16) and at www.starbucksstore.com. It will only be availablewhile supplies last.

Starbucks travels the world in search of great coffees whichcontain defining flavor characteristics that distinguish theirorigins. The Company's whole bean coffee assortment includes more than20 single-origin offerings and blends from around the world, includingmany worldwide exclusives. The Black Apron Exclusives(TM) line-uppresents customers with rare, exotic tastes from remote coffee farms.Starbucks Coffee Masters are stationed in stores to answer coffeequestions and help customers navigate the world of coffee. Exploringthis world can also take place from one's desktop; visitors towww.whatmakescoffeegood.com can follow the journey of the Starbuckscoffee bean from farmer to customer and beyond.

Starbucks Corporation is the leading retailer, roaster and brandof specialty coffee in the world, with approximately 11,000 retaillocations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East andthe Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering thehighest quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience while conductingits business in ways that produce social, environmental and economicbenefits for communities in which it does business. In addition to itsretail operations, the Company produces and sells bottledFrappuccino(R) coffee drinks, Starbucks DoubleShot(R) espresso drink,and a line of superpremium ice creams through its joint venturepartnerships. The Company's brand portfolio provides a wide variety ofconsumer products -- innovative superpremium Tazo(R) teas andexceptional compact discs from Starbucks Hear Music(TM) enhance theStarbucks Experience through best-of-class products.