I'd like to talk here—or rather, start talking here—let's put it this way—start talking about what's been on my mind these past few weeks. Share it with you and start a conversation.
It won't be about tips for barista routines or reviews of espressos I've tried lately.
It will be about information, competition, and the growth of the specialty coffee industry, in one area in particular – roasting.
As you probably know, I'm located in Lisbon, Portugal, which is just entering the specialty coffee world and becoming the birthplace of some new roasters.
Specialty coffee is going to be a boom here in the next two years, I dare say. To what extent—we don't know yet, as it depends on many factors. The quality of the coffee specialists on the scene, their internal motivations, their understanding of quality, of specialty for what it is, their palates, their ongoing training—and their ability to communicate all of this to their local customers.
All of these things influence the quality of the coffee roaster we'll have at the end of this period – will they be only local? Will they be known in Europe? Or, who knows, maybe the whole world, and for good reason?
And I focus primarily on coffee roasters, because for me, coffee should be viewed the way we view bread. We don't import bread from other places; we bake our own. Local roasters mirror the "state of the art" of specialty coffee, in my opinion, because on the one hand, it requires a deep understanding of coffee at every level, and on the other, it requires an understanding of the specific nature of local consumption. That kind of "union" between understanding the product and the consumer.
So my question is this.
A question for myself and for you. Fortunately, we're long gone from the days when coffee roasting was seen as a mystery, an artisanal process beyond our control, and for which you had to have a talent. Those were times when roasters hid their profiles (if they had one, of course) so no one else could replicate them.
This is in the past, like David Schomer's Barista Bible.
Now we meet at the roasting camps, sharing, learning, and talking.
What we have now is the opposite. It's the abundance of information. It's open, it's there, and you can take it. Just to give you an example, you can go on Google right now and check out the profiles of the World Coffee Roasting Championship. They can do it. There they are.
Books? Easy. Articles? In a matter of seconds. Want to learn about coffee chemistry? Barista techniques? Roasting strategies? Harvest calendars? No problem at all.
All this information exists, it's real, and sometimes it's free, other times it's not—but what's important is that it's available. You can easily pay a little money and take roasting courses or online courses with Scott Rao or Willem Boot. It will make you feel special, yes. If you're attentive, you'll take something for yourself. Like the thousands and thousands of other coffee specialists who took the same courses as you and who have read the same books.
So, what should we reasonably expect? Certainly, better espressos, because more baristas have discovered the refractometer. More developed roasts, because everyone now takes ROR into account.
So… let's assume it's happening. Roasts are becoming less so flat and end up getting sweeter and sweeter. Espressos are no longer so sour, and are now more complex and much more stable from barista to barista.
The question is…
What is going to distinguish a toaster A from a toaster B? They both bought the same machine, read the same books, took the same courses, have the same or similar coffee importer, and are trying to apply the same roasting strategy.
And now let's imagine the ideal situation, and suppose both roasters don't make the classic "mistakes"—like getting the coffee almost to the second crack, when it tastes burnt and smoky and loses all character, or flat roasts, or gourmet coffee that's presented as a specialty. None of that.
Why choose roaster A? Why choose roaster B? What's the difference between them at the end of the day?
Do those famous "background" factors come into play now more than before? Do we buy packages because they look pretty? Because they put pretty labels on the bags? Because it's blue (pink, black, gold, etc.)? Because we liked their Instagram? How do we decide which one is the best? Who's worth our money? Is it enough to simply "sell it right" for us to believe it's good? Are we really making informed decisions? Or do we, like the flock, follow the shepherd, follow whoever claims to be the best?
I was thinking about my choices. The toasters I love, the ones I'm curious about, and would like to try. I'm not a typical consumer, of course, but still...
There are categories of things I've tried only once, and then never tried again. I understood what I wanted to understand, and I didn't feel any connection, I didn't sense any personality, I didn't taste anything of that exceptional quality that I'd like to taste again. I tried it, and I left it.
There are some roasters who don't have a public image, at least not one I know, but after trying them, I felt the quality and honesty. I felt like they were buying quality coffee, and paying a price for it. I felt like they cared about how the final flavor would be. I remember them. And I'll shop there again if I want something solid to drink.
There's a third category of roasters: those who have a fixed image in my head. Those who have a personal story I believe in. I buy into the character. I buy into the image of the person leading the company, or roasting for that company. And, what's indicative, some roasters I like contradict one another. But what am I buying? I buy into a strong personal opinion, the courage to be different. I'm drawn to the values this person communicates; I'm drawn to integrity.
I guess that's my answer so far. We have the same information available, just reach out and take it, it's yours. Everything can be the same. Machines, packaging, origins, even the roasting style. So why buy from roaster B, and not A?
I was told last week that what can't be copied is style. I'll go further. I'll say it's integrity.
And it's a funny thing, it seems we've come full circle, and we've arrived back where it all began. Like the days when our grandparents bought coffee from local roasters they knew personally, now we buy beans freshly roasted by those we like, or with whom we identify.
