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A successful cup of coffee contains
three essential elements:
1. Flavor
2. Effect
3. Experience
Have you ever heard someone say that they go to Bob's shop
because he's the cheapest? The most grossly overlooked element in our industry
today is quality.
How many times has a friend recommended a coffeehouse to
you because they have 'the best coffee'?
Roaster X offers the highest
quality craft roasted coffee available. Years of experience have shaped the
style of our roast. Yet we maintain one ultimate objective; flavor: Coffee that
tastes as good as it smells.
Few cups of coffee are served only for their
effect. Yet it is important to acknowledge the dualism of flavor and the
consumption of a mild stimulant. If not for this dualism, the rich history of
coffee might not exist at all. Until the 20th century, coffee was consumed
primarily for its effect, as quality roasting techniques did not
exist.
'Experience' is a combination of atmosphere and customer service.
Serving coffee is often a misunderstood aspect of the entertainment industry.
The deft generic greeting, the all-purpose white walls of retail spell disaster
with coffee. The most essential element of the 'experience' is the barista. The
most essential element to the barista's performance is the idea presented by
Disney; the counter is a stage, and the barista transforms daily into an actor
who assumes a role.
From farm to mill to roaster to coffeehouse, the barista
has the most control over the final flavor of the cup. It is critical that
quality, consistent brewing standards be maintained to insure a perfect cup.
These standards are a simple regimen to implement; it is the knowledge itself
that we have spent years developing.
Roaster X offers an unparalleled
wealth of information. There is nothing more profound in business than a
mentor. By following our quality standards, understanding the elements used to
consistently prepare a 'perfect cup', and implementing the steps necessary to
create an 'environment' for coffee, you will create a die-hard clientele of
loyal regulars.
We drink everything we roast! And because of our
fanatical passion for coffee, we produce the very finest cup possible.
Roaster X is a 'craft' roaster. This means that every variety of bean is
roasted separately, in small batches, without the aid of mechanized timing
systems. Color, aroma, oil development and texture are our determining factors
for finishing a roast, rather than a timing system, which removes most of the
'hands on' craft from the roasting process.
Blends are produced only after
each varietal has been roasted to its peak perfection. Different coffees roast
to perfection in vastly different manners. Achieving a perfect Indonesian is a
wholly different technique to achieving a perfect African.
You will often
hear mention of roast color in terms of the use for the beans; a 'perfect'
espresso roast versus a 'full city' roast. A lot of hype surrounds the 'noble'
art of roasting and blending, and let me state once and for all; it's hype. 90
percent of the action of the roast occurs inside a two minute window, during
second crack. All of our coffees are based on this time frame. I don't care
about a name; 'full city roast'. I care about flavor, and we determine roast
color as well as all other variables based on this variable; flavor. |
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Roaster X roasts only the highest grade of each variety
we choose. We do not blend AA and AB grades to save money. We do not purchase
anything we have not cupped, and we don't purchase based on
price:
Because we drink everything we roast.
Each coffee
purchase is based on samples received either from brokers or directly from the
growing region. From the samples, the best batches are selected and ordered. If
there are no batches up to our standards we don't order that variety for that
growing season.
Roaster X roasts, cups, and blends based on traditional
styles. These are traditions dating back hundreds of years; based on Turkish,
Middle Eastern, and early European styles. Hundreds of years cupping means
something. Our espressos are based on the period during the invention of the
espresso machine. These qualities differ dramatically from today's standards
for espresso.
These coffees are damn expensive and hard to get. Period. You
will be amazed when you first taste our traditional style house coffee. Rich
and velvety, heavy bodied and smooth without the normal acidic bite associated
with today's cafes.
Our espresso is naturally sweet, with a chocolate
aftertaste, and heavy body. Easily drank straight, it would be unfair to even
put our espresso in the same category as European espressos.
For years I
served coffee honestly wondering about these accounts I would read of coffee
even up to the turn of the 20th century. I loved coffee, but I never had that
'orgasmic' experience I would sometimes read about. Not until Roaster X did I
realize exactly how good coffee could taste.
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