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Coffee Roasting Journey
Coffee Roasting Journey
This page is a record of my home coffee roasting experiments, each one treated as both a craft project and a story. Every roast begins with a carefully chosen origin and ends with a small batch shared with friends. Along the way, I explore flavor, process, place, and memory.
Each entry documents a single roast, including the coffee’s origin, varietal, and processing method, along with tasting notes and the thinking behind the roast profile. Every batch is paired with original artwork, most often a hand-carved block print made specifically for that coffee. Together, the coffee and the art mark a moment in time, a place, or a person worth honoring.
These are not products for sale. They are experiments, gifts, and reflections. Taken together, they form an evolving archive of how I learn, taste, and make.
- The Goat.
Ethiopia Keffa Wush Wush Limited Oxygen Natural
Ethiopia Keffa Wush Wush Limited Oxygen Natural
Favor Notes: Blackberry, grape soda, elderberry.
For my first small batch home coffee roast I selected green coffee from the town of Wush Wush in the Keffa region of Ethiopia. I chose this region because the origin story for the discovery of coffee is that a goat herder named Kaldi in Keffa, Ethiopia noticed that his flock had a lot more energy after eating the coffee fruit. The herder gave an account of this to a local monk, who brewed the bean into a drink that allowed him to stay up all night with his prayers.
More than 600 years later, farmers are still growing coffee in those very same fields. A collection of 2,500 farmers gather fruit in the mountain region and bring them to the washing station in Wush Wush each year to clean and dry. A sign over the gate reads “GENALEM GEWYERO” which translates to “God Is Good.” I find myself thinking that same thing when sitting down to drink coffee with friends. For that reason, I decided to start roasting coffee to give out to people like you. These beans come from the birthplace of coffee, so they were an easy choice for my entrance into home roasting. I roasted them light-medium to preserve the berry origin flavors that Keffa is known for.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print stamped onto the coffee bag and card was initially generated using the newly launched DALL-E, an artificial intelligence image program developed by OpenAI. As an experiment in exploring new tools, I asked it to imagine what it might look like for a goat to discover coffee, then carved the resulting image into linoleum and hand-stamped it onto the bag and card. I did not find the process of working with AI images creatively satisfying, and since completing this project we have learned more about ethical concerns surrounding DALL-E’s training, including the use of artists’ work without consent. I support human artists!
2. The Valley.
2. The Valley.
Colombia Las Mandarinas Anaerobic Natural Caturra
Flavor Notes: Raspberry, grape, cranberry, balsamic vinegar.
Colombia Las Mandarinas Anaerobic Natural Caturra
Flavor Notes: Raspberry, grape, cranberry, balsamic vinegar.
For my second small batch home coffee roast I selected green coffee from the town of Algeciras in the Huila region of Colombia. For this roast I hunted for an experimental bean that was grown and fermented with a tangy “wine-like” brightness flavor profile in mind. Many home roasters pointed me to this micro-lot from Las Mandarinas farm. The coffee cherry is allowed to ferment for a week in a tank, and then a further 15 days in drying houses to avoid seasonal rainfall and allow a sweet tang to develop.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
This block print is a carved interpretation of the Huila Valley near Algeciras, Colombia. The layered lines reflect the region’s rolling terrain and the slow, deliberate fermentation process that gives this coffee its bright, wine-like character. Each print is hand-stamped, with subtle variations that echo the experimental nature of the micro-lot.
3. The Rainbow.
3. The Rainbow.
El Salvador Finca Rainbow Bourbon Natural Anaerobic
El Salvador Finca Rainbow Bourbon Natural Anaerobic
Flavor Notes: Tropical Fruit, grape, watermelon, lemonade.
Flavor Notes: Tropical Fruit, grape, watermelon, lemonade.
For my third small batch home coffee roast I selected green coffee from the town of Concepcion de Atacoin in the Ahuachapan region of El Salvador. I was attracted to this lot because of the mix of red, yellow, and orange Bourbon varietals. The Bourbon coffee variety is traced from Yemen to Bourbon Island and then to South America. Fernando Alfaro and family grow these on a 37-acre farm and ferment in barrels for 96 hours before drying for 20 days in the Illamatepec mountains.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print stamped onto the coffee bag and card is inspired by the packaging supplied by the Alfaro family that accompanied the beans when they shipped around the world. Having such beautiful art distributed with coffee is rare so I chose to honor that work here. I carved the shape onto linoblock and stamped it to bag and card.
4. The Diamond.
4. The Diamond.
Costa Rica "Black Diamond" Las Lajas SL28 Natural
Costa Rica "Black Diamond" Las Lajas SL28 Natural
Flavor Notes: Pomegranate, tangerine, lime.
Flavor Notes: Pomegranate, tangerine, lime.
For my fourth home coffee roast I selected beans from the Poás, Central Valley region of Costa Rica. I asked coffee aficionado Isaac Stinson, “Do other regions match the taste of Ethiopia?” and he told me to hunt for the very hard to find SL28 varietal grown in Costa Rica. SL28 originates in Kenya and has spread around Africa and to Latin America. SL28 is known for a delicious flavor and remarkable resilience. Trees can be left in the wild for 80 years and still be productively farmed. The Chacón Solano Family has been growing coffee in the area for three generations.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print stamped onto the coffee bag and card originates from the “Black Diamond” badge of honor given by the Chacón Solano family to distinguish their highest quality crop each year which was given to these beans. I carved the shape onto linoblock and stamped to bag and card.
5. The Village.
5. The Village.
Brazil Fazenda Vila Boa Anaerobic Natural
Brazil Fazenda Vila Boa Anaerobic Natural
Flavor Notes: Fruit punch, cane syrup, cocoa powder.
Flavor Notes: Fruit punch, cane syrup, cocoa powder.
In honor of my co-worker and friend Jayme Jacobson's birthday, I've chosen Carmo da Mata beans from Brazil for my fifth home coffee roast. The beans hail from Vila Boa Farm, founded by Monica Borges de Sousa in 1988. A coffee-growing pioneer, Monica's initial 7-hectare plot now covers almost 400, housing numerous experimental micro lots. Vila Boa, translating to 'pleasant village', encapsulates her mission of building a good, like-minded community - a trait she shares with Jayme, known for her knack for creating vibrant, playful communities.
Print Label
Print Label
To honor Jayme’s creative approach to art I'm venturing into an innovative technique that I've termed "dots and scraping." By transferring acrylic paint into a dropper bottle, I carefully arrange dots in linear formations. These dots are then manipulated with a rigid edge, morphing the paint into distinctive shapes. This method ensures that every bag and card is truly one-of-a-kind, each boasting its own unique visual appeal in the colors of Brazil.
6. The Blend.
6. The Blend.
El Salvador Finca Miravalles Caturra (50%)
El Salvador Finca Miravalles Caturra (50%)
Brazil Dry Process Fazenda Rio Brilhante (30%)
Brazil Dry Process Fazenda Rio Brilhante (30%)
Ethiopia Sidama Durato Bombe Kontama Natural (20%)
Ethiopia Sidama Durato Bombe Kontama Natural (20%)
For my sixth home coffee roasting experiment I’ve decided to step into the more traditional approach by exploring the blend. Most espresso around the world is traditionally a mix of beans from different regions. This allows the roaster to adjust and maintain a consistent flavor profile throughout the year, regardless of changes in crop profile. My approach with this blend was to mimic the rich and historic Italian Espresso roast profile that I adore while traveling in Italy. Like most Italian espresso, this blend consists of coffee grown in Central America, South America, and Africa that has been roasted dark to bring out a rich, bold flavor great for the moka pot.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print is inspired by the view I had while visiting my Italian American mentor and her wonderful husband in Italy in 2013. The photo was taken from the top floor of Carmen and Rico’s house in Mese, Italy which looks east toward the Val Masimo Alps. Even after a decade I still close my eyes and imagine this view often as the most beautiful and peaceful place I’ve ever visited. This roast is dedicated with lurf to Carmen “The Connoisseur” Werder and shares her many bold, rich and wordly qualities.
7. The Dragon.
7. The Dragon.
Guatemala Acatenango Gesha AA
Guatemala Acatenango Gesha AA
Sumatra Lintong Sigumpar Village
Sumatra Lintong Sigumpar Village
Ethiopia Dry Process Dogo Sodu
Ethiopia Dry Process Dogo Sodu
For my seventh home coffee roast I chose to create something that honors creativity, courage, and the quiet fire that drives people to take meaningful risks. The Dragon is inspired by Aaron and Shannon Long of Painted Dragon Studios, where Aaron’s work as an oil painter, mentor and friend has shaped a generous and welcoming creative community. I chose coffees from Guatemala, Sumatra, and Ethiopia, three regions shaped by volcanic soil, to connect the fire of volcanoes with the heat of a dragon’s breath. Watching Aaron step fully into life as a full-time oil painter, while continually lifting other artists up through freely shared knowledge and encouragement, finally pushed me to pick up a brush myself. This roast is a small tribute to that spark, bold and grounding, meant to be savored slowly while making something by hand.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print on card and bag features the Painted Dragon Studios dragon, the studio mark of Aaron and Shannon Long. It reflects their shared commitment to craft, patience, and the steady work of making art with care. This roast is offered in appreciation for the creativity, generosity, and encouragement they bring into the world, and for the quiet ways they make space for others to grow.
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