Roast and Reason: A Coffee Podcast

Kenya is one of the most important coffee producing countries in the world. There are many unique features of Kenyan coffee including a unique grading system, several unique coffee varieties, and a characteristic flavor.

In this episode we will discuss the history of coffee growing in Kenya, the unique grading system and what it actually means to you as a coffee consumer, several special varieties of coffee that are grown in Kenya, and the unique flavor characteristics that can be found in Kenyan Coffee. I will also share a few Kenyan coffee recommendations.

Water makes up 98% of your coffee. But most of us hardly ever talk about it. Instead we focus on the coffee bean, how it is grown, roasted, and brewed. But water can make a huge difference.

Have you ever had this experience…you taste an amazing coffee in a coffee shop, buy the coffee to make at home and when you do it just doesn’t taste the same? Or maybe you can’t taste any of the floral or fruity flavors listed on the bag? Well, it could be the water!

Third Wave Water has a solution. They have developed a package of minerals that you can add to distilled water to create the optimal water for brewing coffee. I was a skeptic at first but their product really does make coffee taste better. The difference in flavor was noticeable right away.

In this conversation with co-founders Charles Nick and Taylor Minor we will discuss the importance of water for coffee brewing, the idea behind Third Wave Water, their business success including a successful Kickstarter campaign and appearance on Shark Tank, and most importantly how Third Wave Water can help you drink better tasting coffee.

Lets take a tour of the best specialty coffee in Vermont!

I recently traveled back to Vermont to visit family. While I was there I spent some time exploring the coffee scene and I was blown away. A lot has changed since I moved away some 15 years ago.

In this episode I will share the 3 coffee roasters and 2 coffee shops that I think are amazing and well worth your visit if you are ever in the area. Also check out the websites and online shops of the coffee roasters. It’s always fun to try new and different coffee right?

Coffunity is changing the way that the coffee community connects and communicates. This is a free mobile app that lets you discover new coffee, rate and review coffee, and learn specifics about a coffee (processing method, information about the origin and producer, flavor notes).

Coffunity also has a social aspect. You can follow your friends or favorite local barista to see what they are drinking and recommend. Coffee ratings are public so you can easily see the community’s reaction to different coffees.

In this conversation with Coffunity’s co-founder, Andrea Bolanos Pacas, we discuss how Coffunity works, the idea that created it, and her vision for her company and the world of coffee.

Black Oak Coffee Roasters is one of my favorite specialty coffee roasters out there. These guys do an amazing job of sourcing and roasting delicious coffees.

Black Oak Coffee and their head coffee roaster, Steve Cuevas have won numerous awards including several Gold Medals for different coffees, the overall Champion Roaster at the 2017 Golden Bean North America roasting competition, and the 2017 US Cup Tasters Championship.

Steve and Black Oak Coffee’s production manager Mckenzie Alexander have a wealth of coffee industry knowledge. I hope you enjoy this conversation.

There are many varieties of the Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) plant. Just like different apples or different wine varieties, coffee varieties look different and produce coffee that tastes different.

In the early 18th century Arabica coffee plants were taken from their native Ethiopia and planted throughout the world. When this happened the genetic and phenotypic diversity narrowed dramatically. The first Arabica coffee variety planted outside of Ethiopia, Typica, remains the most common variety today. However, there are a handful of common varieties, each with their own unique story and flavor profile.

This episode will discuss Typica, Bourbon, Maragojipe, Caturra, Catimor, Catuai, Timor Hybrid, Mundo Nuovo, Jamaica Blue Mountain, Kona, and Geisha varieties.

This is part 2 of a two-part series on Arabica coffee varieties. In this episode we will discuss the individual varieties of coffee. How do coffee buyers identify the different varieties when visiting coffee farms? How are the common coffee varieties similar and how are they different? What are some classic flavor characteristics of each variety? Check out this episode to find out!

Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) originated in the highlands of Ethiopia. It didn’t take long for humans to discover the stimulating effects of the fruit and beans of the coffee tree. Coffee quickly spread and became a global beverage as early as the 16th century after the Ottoman Empire conquered the Arabian Peninsula. Its rising popularity made coffee extremely valuable. The European powers, particularly the Dutch and French, set up coffee plantations on their colonies throughout the world.

Just like different varieties of the apple tree or wine grape, Arabica coffee has many varieties that produce coffee cherries and beans with their own unique appearance and flavor. In its native homeland of Ethiopia the coffee tree has thousands of different native varieties. However, as coffee was transported from Ethiopia and planted elsewhere there was a narrowing of the genetic diversity. The result is that a small handful of varieties make up the majority of coffee produced today.

This episode is part 1 of a two-part series on Arabica coffee varieties. In this episode we will discuss the history of coffee and how it spread from Ethiopia to the rest of the world. Part 2 of this series will then discuss the individual varieties of coffee.

Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) is the most common type of coffee in the world. While it is the most delicious, diverse, and prized type of coffee, Arabica is also difficult to grow and sensitive to growing conditions.

However, Arabica coffee is just one of 100 different species of coffee plant. Several other species of coffee, including Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) are also grown for commercial use.

This episode will cover the differences between Arabica coffee and Robusta coffee. Learn about the history, growing conditions, and flavor profile of each coffee species.

In this episode we journey to the birthplace of coffee: Ethiopia.

Ethiopia produces some of the most amazing, high quality, and truly unique coffee in the world. This two-part focus on Ethiopian coffee will explore basic information about Ethiopia, the history of coffee, traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, important growing regions, and my recommendations for some OMFG level amazing coffee.

This episode (Part 2) will focus on the varieties of the Arabica coffee plant grown in Ethiopia, the most important growing regions, and the flavors that you might expect from an Ethiopian coffee. I will also give my recommendations for some of my favorite Ethiopian coffees.

In this episode we journey to the birthplace of coffee: Ethiopia.

Ethiopia produces some of the most amazing, high quality, and truly unique coffee in the world. This two-part focus on Ethiopian coffee will explore basic information about Ethiopia, the history of coffee, traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, important growing regions, and my recommendations for some OMFG level amazing coffee.

This episode (Part 1) will include basic and historical information about Ethiopia, the story of our friend the goatherd named Kaldi, why Ethiopian coffee production and consumption is unique, and what is involved in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.