The basics

Coffee grows all over the globe, in a very narrow strip between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, straddling the Equator, fondly known as “The Coffee Belt”. In this belt coffee grows bright red cherries, which are then carefully harvested, the fruit is removed from the center pit in a number of different ways before the resulting bean is dried. Once the beans are dried, they are packaged mostly in large burlap sacks and sent all over the world. We source coffees from many different countries in this “belt” with a focus in Central and South America. 

Coffee is much like wine, the varietal(sub species), the soil, even the weather effects the end crop. Once the coffee cherry has been picked, the way it is processed, how it is shipped and how long it sits all plays a part in how the coffee tastes. Coffee is also a very seasonal plant, it can be harvested in different parts of the world, at different times, which allows us to offer coffee year round, but our offerings will change with the seasons. The blends we offer, such as our On Point Espresso, is a rotating selection of beans picked for certain flavor notes to keep the brew tasting the same every time.

Roasting coffee is much like roasting any other food. You apply indirect heat to caramelize the sugars and develop all the delicious flavors. Coffee like many other roasted foods can be consumed directly after coming out of the roaster/oven, but should be allowed a chance to rest and redistribute all the flavors for a tastier experience. A general rule of thumb is the darker the roast, the longer you should let the coffee sit before consuming. In the cafe world, most espresso is let to sit at least 7 days before it is put into the grinder, to allow the oils to fully redistribute through the bean.

The Roasts

Coffee starts out what we call “green”, it is dense, hard and the color of fresh hay. It has a distinct aroma completely unlike the delicious aroma of roasted coffee. As the coffee is exposed to indirect heat, the sugars start to caramelize, the beans start to lighten, then develop their iconic rich brown tones. The longer the coffee roasts the more the flavors develop from fresh hay, grass and acid into deeper fruit notes, nuts and even chocolate! After a certain point in the roast the beans start taking on notes from the process itself, ranging from roasty warmth, burnt sugars to even charcoal. Listed below is a simple guide to roasts. 

Light/Cinnamon: 

This is where the beans have just started to develop color, with a bright yellow line down the crack. These coffees tend to have much higher acidity, and more vegetal or hay flavors without the developed sugar notes. 

Light-Medium/New England: 

Here is where you start to get those sweet sugar notes, still have a lot of the brighter coffee flavors of citrus, fruit and grasses. Think breakfast blends, coffees that kind of say hello! Good Morning! Let’s be awake! 

Medium/City Roast: 

Here is where the true balanced cup is created. The coffees have developed a beautiful rich chocolatey brown color, and there is a balance between the acidity and the bitterness. These coffees tend to have lots of rich flavors of chocolate, toasted nuts and even jammy wine notes. 

Dark/Vienna Roast:

This is as dark as we roast. The beans have a sheen of the oils being released, and are the color of rich dark chocolate. Here the acidity is at an all time low, with flavors of burnt sugar, dark chocolate, deeply roasted nuts. These are the big bold coffees that let you know that they are not here to play. 

Deep Dark: 

Few beans can hold up to this level of roasting without bursting into flames. Most of the flavors from the origin has been roasted out of the bean, leaving just flavors of the roast. These beans tend to have a burnt sugar, smoky tobacco flavor profile.