The Roasting Process

The "Plain Vanilla" answer to the question about roasting process is this: We roast the coffee specific to its nuance. For example, the Ethiopia Harrar "Makeda" has a very distinct blueberry note to it. We roast "Makeda" in a way to make the blueberry taste slap you upside the head.

All the coffees we sell have very different "Roast Profiles" and nuances. Some are lighter and some are darker, some are long roasts and some are short. We are a small batch roaster, which means that we roast to order in small batches so our coffee does not sit on the shelf for weeks at a time. We date each roast so it gets to you fresh, at its peak. This may not appeal to some people, those who are used to the "French," "Viennese," and "Italian" roasts, which have essentially turned the beans into briquettes.

We believe that very dark roasting takes the sugars past caramelization to carbonization, hence the "campfire" note that you get from the darker roasts. Some Roasters have specialized in this area and some can taste good if you like that sort of thing. We cup every batch that comes out of the roaster to ensure quality and consistency.

Here is a glossary for some of the language that "coffee geeks" use:

• Plain Vanilla : Not ice cream, but a very short answer to a complex question.
  
  
• Nuance : a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.
  
  
• Slap you upside the head : when a person opens their hand and strikes you in the temple/cheek/ear region of your head. (One alternate definition: when the blueberry note in your Harrar Makeda coffee "pops" onto your tastebuds briefly, before dissipating cleanly.)
  
  
• Roast Profile : the time and temperature chart for the roast.
  
  
• Small Batch Roaster : A small batch roaster.
  
  
• Cupping Process : to try the coffee after it is roasted. (Yes, the 'traditional' way ... for all of you Roasters who are reading this.)
  
  
• Coffee Geek : if you are critiquing my coffee language then you are, without a doubt, a Coffee Geek.
  
  
• Campfire : See cupping notes for any coffee labeled as "French Roast."