Light, medium, or dark roast? Which roast is the best roast and what is the roasting philosophy of The Backyard Beanery?
Here is what I have learned, and am learning. There is really no such thing as a “best” roast, since roast levels are really a matter of preference, but…
Each coffee farm produces a unique lot of beans, and many factors go into that uniqueness: growing region, altitude, coffee varietal and processing methods. Roasting the green coffee offers the potential to increase or decrease the value of the bean quality that is already there. Over the years the roasting trend in specialty coffee has shifted from very dark roasts to very light roasts. Neither is wrong, but if a roast is too light, acidity goes up and outweighs some of the unique flavors of origin. And if it’s too dark a roast, carbon-y (burnt) flavors mask some of those amazing flavors.
My aim at The Backyard Beanery is to find the roast level that makes the best flavors of each specific coffee shine. My goal is to bring you a sweet, clean, and balanced cup. This usually occurs between when the first crack begins and full city+ (see diagram). I will be using recommendations and cupping experience from my supplier and my own experimentation to determine a roast level that is balanced for each batch of beans.
A wonderful variety of coffee flavors exists naturally throughout the world. With each batch I roast, I will do my best to connect you to those flavors. I think you will love them!
