Starbucks just took premium coffee to a whole new level

Starbucks has launched a new delivery service for fans of its most premium coffee beans.

The service will deliver the beans within three to five days after they are roasted at Starbucks' Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle.

Customers can sign up for a monthly subscription to receive the small-batch coffee straight from the roastery.

Each month, subscribers will receive one 8.8-ounce bag of beans. A one-month subscription (one bag) costs $24 and a 12-month subscription (12 bags) costs $288.

By comparison, an 8.8-ounce bag of Starbucks' premium Reserve blend ranges from $12.95 to $17.95. A one-pound bag of Starbucks' Pike Place blend costs $11.95.

"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," Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a release.

Starbucks' opened the Seattle Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in December. The company has plans to build another 100 similar roasteries in the coming years.

Starbucks is also planning to start a beverage delivery service this year.

The company is "finalizing plans for two distinct delivery models - one of which utilizes our own people, green-apron baristas, and the other, which leverages the capabilities of the third-party service, Schultz said in a call with analysts last month.

Members of Starbucks' loyalty program will be able to request delivery through Starbucks' new mobile order and pay app, which will be rolled out nationwide this year.