Why we have different roast styles for filter and espresso
On the shop section of our website, you may have noticed that some coffees appear to be listed twice…
This is because we believe that coffee should be roasted to obtain maximum flavour and enjoyment and this will depend on how the coffee is going to be brewed. Different brewing techniques require different styles of coffee, not just in grind size, but in roast profile too – filter coffee grounds are in contact with water for up to 4 minutes, an espresso has water that is forced through the coffee at high pressure for under 30 seconds.
The danger in having a single roast profile to cover all bases is that the coffee can become a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ in style. At best this will taste just ‘ok’ but there is a danger of it tasting burnt and bitter when brewed as a filter coffee and too acidic when brewed under the pressure of an espresso machine.
Our filter roast is a light to light/medium style of coffee. Our aim for filter coffee is a roast specifically designed for pour-over, cafetiere, and aeropress, roasting the coffee to bring out the floral, fragrant, juicy flavour notes. Ideally, the coffee should be drunk black, so that the subtleties in the flavour will be fully apparent, though it will taste equally delicious with milk. A light filter roast brewed as espresso can occasionally be good, but more often than not it will taste sour and acidic.
Our espresso roast is a medium style of coffee in both colour and duration. Our aim is to make a well balanced, sweet bean and with a strong aroma. Often drunk with milk, espresso coffee should not taste bitter or have any smokey or roasty taste characteristics. A good espresso will have a deep richness of layered flavour, while often fruity it should also possess strong bass notes. We aim to consistently make both our roast profiles to be fully developed and of the highest quality.
This is especially key with espresso roasted coffee – its no good if you can only pull one amazing shot every so often. “Consistency of quality is the aim”. We achieve this by making sure we source the best green coffee available and roasting it both scientifically and sympathetically.
ACCOUNTABILITY
At Proud Mary’s Micro-Roastery Coffee Infusion we want to know where our coffee comes from, its as simple as that. Why this is important? Single-origin specialty coffee is about accountability. Knowing just the country of origin isn’t enough. The quality we look for is only possible if beans are sourced from farms and co-operatives we can trace. Each coffee region and varietal has its own unique characteristics, flavour and feel, and it’s our job to roast sympathetically to bring that out into the cup.
For coffee lovers, being able to trace back along the supply chain will give you a better understanding of what you buy and when we can buy direct from single farms and co-ops the farmers will earn a higher price.
SUSTAINABILITY
Specialty coffee is about sustainability for the producer. Reinvesting back into the farm improves the picking, preparation and packaging of the bean before it even begins its long journey to us and then to you. We only buy our coffee from suppliers who care not only about the current crop but all the crops to come and who work closely with farms and encourage them to constantly improve standards.
Washed processed coffee on a patio being dried.
QUALITY
Coffee is a seasonal product and with all seasonal products, crop quality and quantity can vary significantly. Whether we select our coffees from Africa or Central America, Guatemala or Ethiopia, our job is to source, test, roast and supply only the very best. One of the most exciting things about speciality coffee is that it tastes different and amazing, and that is due to the care and attention of the bean through the whole of its journey from tree to cup.
The ground the coffee is grown in, the type of bean, the way it is picked, how the bean is cleaned from the cherry, how it is washed and dried, how it is stored and transported and how it is roasted all will have a dramatic impact on the coffees overall flavour. From the blueberry fruity flavour of a natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe to the deep chocolate of a Guatemalan Bourbon our coffee’s are truly special and something we are deeply passionate about.