| More than anything else, the flavour of your coffee is determined by the type or level of roast. It's determined by how hot the green coffee beans have been allowed to get as they are tossed about in the drum of our roaster. Different roasts may go by different names in different places, and vary from roaster to roaster. In our case, there is some variation within each roast because we roast outside, by hand over a charcoal fire. We offer 4 roast levels each of which offer distinctive tastes or flavours. Taste is so hard to describe in words ... and varies so much that the only way to find your favorite roast is to try them - or do what we do, and blend different roasts for your personal blend. 2 parts medium to 3 parts Dark or French makes a great breakfast blend - zip .... and lot's of flavour! |
Medium Dark Roast is a little darker, because the sugars in the bean have just begun to caramelize, giving a fuller, familiar coffee flavour. The beans have begun to puff up more and crack for the first of two cracks. With a little less caffeine than medium, this roast provides a good balance of zip and full flavour. Much of the generic, industrial coffee sold in North America is Medium Dark.
Dark Roast is our favorite anytime coffee. Oil beads are just forming on the bean surface. The flavour is fuller - mainly because the sugars in the bean have now almost fully caramelized. Caffeine and acidity is fairly low.
The beans crack, for a second time as they reach this stage ... spectacular as we pour them, popping and cracking, into the cooling tray!
French Roast is the end of the roast road. It's as dark as we can roast without actually burning and charring the beans. Not for the timid. Often associated with espresso coffee, the flavour is bittersweet with burnt undertones - intense. Contrary to much public opinion acidity and caffeine is low! A favorite for espresso.