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Permalink Reply by Mike McGinness on March 29, 2009 at 10:06pm

Rats even though I know each specific blend element and it's % and it's individual pre-blend roast profile you disqualified me from answering since I don't buy off a roaster. Well my cafe does technically buy off a roaster, just that the roastery is owned and run by me who owns and runs the cafe. So I'm can't answer:-)

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Longsdorf on March 29, 2009 at 10:44pm

I'm disqualified as well being that we roast our coffees although ours is simple being it's more of a duo-origin espresso rather than a blend. I think knowing and being able to disclose the elements of a blend to the customer are a vital part in putting a face on our coffee. I recently blogged about the baristas role in decommoditizing coffee and opened a discussion on bx about it. Originally I had a section about blends but later pulled it thinking it was kind of encompassed by everything else that was stated. I know that all of the information, grower, farm, cultivar, etc., of each of our espresso blends it's completely open and available to each and every one of our customers wholesale and retail alike. It is my personal belief that if a roaster isn't willing to disclose that information you may want to reevaluate the relationship you have with that roaster.

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Permalink Reply by eve on March 29, 2009 at 11:48pm

Hmm yes I am not able to answer this question either as we roast and own the cafe. Just curious Dave what coffee and blend do you use now?

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Permalink Reply by Dave_G on March 30, 2009 at 12:47am

eve said:

Hmm yes I am not able to answer this question either as we roast and own the cafe. Just curious Dave what coffee and blend do you use now?

I've just switched to a local roaster and am using a generic blend of his until we negotiate a custom blend for me. He's using Santos and (don't quote me) monsoon malabah (sp?). I'm only new on his books and I'm trying to learn as much off him as I can.

Eve, off topic;
I was on James street on Saturday night and smelt roasting coffee. I came back on Sunday, but you weren't there......

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Permalink Reply by eve on March 30, 2009 at 1:07am

Ha ha! Yes we were testrunning the machine. Some beautiful organic PNG and Sumatran Mandheling is almost ready for first shots.

Dave_G said:

eve said:

Hmm yes I am not able to answer this question either as we roast and own the cafe. Just curious Dave what coffee and blend do you use now?

I've just switched to a local roaster and am using a generic blend of his until we negotiate a custom blend for me. He's using Santos and (don't quote me) monsoon malabah (sp?). I'm only new on his books and I'm trying to learn as much off him as I can.

Eve, off topic;
I was on James street on Saturday night and smelt roasting coffee. I came back on Sunday, but you weren't there......

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Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on March 30, 2009 at 6:44am

That is Monsoon Malabar from india, the other possibly Mesa de la Santos from Columbia.

Dave_G said:

eve said:

Hmm yes I am not able to answer this question either as we roast and own the cafe. Just curious Dave what coffee and blend do you use now?

I've just switched to a local roaster and am using a generic blend of his until we negotiate a custom blend for me. He's using Santos and (don't quote me) monsoon malabah (sp?). I'm only new on his books and I'm trying to learn as much off him as I can.

Eve, off topic;
I was on James street on Saturday night and smelt roasting coffee. I came back on Sunday, but you weren't there......

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Permalink Reply by Jason Shipley on March 30, 2009 at 8:08am

Maybe this sort of answers your question. For our proprietary blends we share the origins with our clients but not percentages. We would happily work with an engaged shop owner to develop a custom blend for them, at that point it would be their decision who to share that information with.

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Permalink Reply by Darren Reynolds on March 30, 2009 at 8:32am

We roast our own, but our blends have in times past and current contained 3 or 4 of the following:
Brazil 17/18 screen, like peanut butter - good base
Columbia Huila, flowers and chocolate
Ethiopian Harrar, berry nice
PNG conventional, very tangy - small %!
Costa Rica Tarrazu Santa Elena Estate, toffee, lemon
Sumatra Mandehling DP, wine, spice

Still searching for some deep, heavy, creamy, dark (not tangy), origins to bolster the bottom end. Any suggestions?

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Permalink Reply by Greenway Barista on March 30, 2009 at 8:42am

I am currently using Amaya Roasting Company Espresso 1.0
50% El Salvador Region:Apaneca-Ilamatepec
Location: Palo Campana, Santa Ana
Varietal: Bourbon, Kenyan, Caturra
Elevation: 5900 ft.
Process: wet process, sun dried, shade grown

50% Papua New Guinea AA Region:western highland province
Location: Mount Hagan
Farm: Madan Estate
Varietal: 90% Typica-Blue Mountain 6% Arusha, 4% Mundo Novo
Process: Fully Washed
Other:direct trade



Guest Espresso: Brown Coffee Company Espresso Three "Peregrine"
40% Guatemala Huehuetenango, Finca Vista Hermosa
40% Kenya Thika, Gethumbwini Estate
20% Brasil Mogiana, Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama


I also order Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic, which is a mix of Guatemala and Brazil I believe.

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