For over three decades, we’ve been roasting coffee with the same commitment to quality, community, and craftsmanship. From our humble beginnings as a small, family-owned roastery in Central Oregon to our evolution into a growing company serving coffee lovers everywhere, our roasting philosophy has remained rooted in honoring tradition while embracing innovation.
What Guides Our Roasting Philosophy?
Our approach is inspired by both our past and future. We’ve built our reputation on offering a wide range of roasts, staying true to our tried-and-true blends while exploring new and exciting single-origin offerings. Whether you’re a dark roast devotee or an adventurous coffee explorer, our goal is to bring out the best in every bean.
It All starts with quality green coffee
crafting the perfect roast
The foundation of a great roast is great green coffee. Every bean has its own unique characteristics, shaped by origin, varietal, and processing method. We start by sourcing high-quality green coffee, then develop roast profiles that highlight the natural flavors within each lot.
The roast level depends on how the coffee is intended to be enjoyed. For blends, we lean toward medium to dark roasts, crafting balanced, consistent profiles that work well across different brewing methods. With single origins, we have more room to experiment—adjusting roast levels to enhance a coffee’s most distinct attributes. Whether it’s emphasizing the fruity brightness of an Ethiopian natural or the deep, chocolatey sweetness of a Guatemalan washed, we take a tailored approach to every roast.
The Influence of Origin
A coffee’s origin plays a major role in how we approach its roast profile. After years of experience, we’ve built an internal catalog of how different regions, varietals, and processing methods react to heat. This gives us a solid starting point when developing a new roast, but we always refine the profile through hands-on trial and tasting.
While single origins are an exciting showcase of unique coffee flavors, blends are the heart of what we do. They’re what most coffee drinkers seek out daily, and we put just as much care into crafting them as we do our limited-run single origins. Each blend component is roasted separately before being mixed, ensuring that every element shines through in the final cup.
Our unique approach to roasting
- No Pre-Blending — We roast each coffee individually to capture the best roast level and flavor characteristics before blending.
- Controlled Roasting for Balance — While we roast dark, we don’t take beans past second crack, ensuring we preserve the natural sweetness and complexity within the coffee.
- Hands-On Control — Unlike many modern roasters who have shifted to automation, we manually control every batch to ensure the highest level of craftsmanship.
Roasting for different brewing methods
We consider how a coffee will be brewed when developing its roast profile. For instance:
Espresso Blend: Crafted for a balance of chocolatey richness and delicate acidity.
Cold Brew Roast: Designed for slow extraction, preserving deep layers of flavor and a creamy body.
Ensuring quality and consistency
To maintain consistency across every roast, we:
- Follow precise roast profiles with tight parameter windows.
- Measure bean color post-roast to ensure it aligns with our set standards.
- Cup and taste-test coffees five days a week to guarantee they meet our quality expectations.
Highlighting the best in every coffee
For blends, each roast component contributes something unique—some bring body and deep sweetness, while others add fruit-forward brightness. For single origins, we aim to showcase their natural characteristics, embracing acidity and complexity to push the boundaries of what people expect from coffee.
Roasting in Central Oregon’s high desert presents unique challenges. Seasonal temperature swings impact heat application in the roaster, requiring constant adjustments to maintain consistency. One of our most exciting experiments was our first batch of the Sumatra Pantan Musara Natural Process. Taking inspiration from a roasting class in Portland, we applied a lighter touch than usual—and the result was stunning. This experiment led us to refine our approach and produce one of our most beloved coffees.
Final Thoughts: Our Passion for Roasting
At the end of the day, we’re driven by a love for coffee and a respect for the craft. Whether it’s the dark, caramelized richness of Black Butte Gold or the bright, fruit-forward complexity of a single-origin lot, every coffee we roast is treated with care. We’re not just in the business of roasting coffee—we’re in the business of creating experiences, one cup at a time.
No matter your coffee preference, we have a roast for you. And if you’re looking to explore something new, we encourage you to step outside your comfort zone—because coffee, like life, is best enjoyed with a little adventure.
