Boiling Down Coffee Roasts & Processes
from a former full-time barista, here's a quick rundown on foundational coffee terms and practices
For the readers who have become “regulars” to our area's third-wave cafes — or even those who brew at home for family breakfast on the weekends — coffee can tell a story. This belief also echoes through the regional coffee purveyors of the Chippewa Valley and broader state of Wisconsin.
From the relationships they build with producers from around the globe, to the careful craft exemplified by the roasting process, each step contributes to the unique narrative found in every cup.
Because of the special connections this beverage can foster, we invite coffee lovers — from amateur to expert — to discover the rich and diverse intricacies of the process.
With options ranging from single origin coffees and blends to natural, washed, and honey processes — and we can’t forget decaf — there's sure to be an option for everyone to explore the precision and passion within each small (but mighty) bean.
Single Origin vs. Blends
What is the meaning behind a coffee whose title references a specific region? What constitutes a coffee blend? Well, each has their own qualities and characteristics, but area roasters like Viroqua-based Wonderstate Coffee pay attention to every detail, “be it a single origin or be it a blend.”
Single origin coffees come from one specific location — either an individual country or farm; or a lot on that farm — from a singular harvest throughout the four seasons.
“The intent of single origin coffee is to highlight the nuance mother nature creates through terroir — the place, the weather, and the soil,” Methodical Coffee writes. “You’re tasting a singular place and a moment in time, which is what makes single origin coffees so special.”
While single origin coffees might embody the organic nuances of a region’s landscapes, blends, in turn, can instead elicit one specific or continuous flavor profile. A roaster like Wonderstate Coffee may find several single origin coffees from South America — each with a rich, chocolatey flavor — and choose to combine them to enhance that specific flavor profile.
More often than not, your favorite coffee blends are available year round, as a result of intentional data tracking which ensures consistency of the roast profile in each cup. From Wonderstate Coffee, blends in this current season — including Harvest and Driftless — offer crisp, syrupy, cozy, and balanced flavor notes.
Alternatively, one of Wonderstate’s single origin roasts, Organic Guatemala Tojquia, highlights the complex flavors of black and red cherries, with a touch of lemon.
These coffees are available to purchase locally at the Menomonie Market Food Co-op (206 N Barstow St., Eau Claire), SHIFT (615 Graham Ave., Eau Claire), and online through wonderstate.com.
Light, Medium, or Dark?
You may have noticed coffee roasts falling into three main categories: light, medium and dark. If you have encountered these terms — through your local barista or coffee packaging — you likely wondered, what actually makes these varied levels of “roasts”?
Roasting coffee, in its simplest form, is the process of converting a coffee seed into a coffee bean. A coffee roaster might select the coffee’s final roast profile purely depending on what “level” of flavor they intend to expose from the original coffee seed.
Some coffees from select regions may taste better when roasted on a lighter scale, while others provide deep, rich flavors at medium or dark levels. As coffee gets heated and roasted to its final form, the flavors will gradually evolve from their original profiles to those created by the roasting process itself.
At Hiker Coffee in the Chippewa Valley — a local roaster which recently opened its own cafe in Chippewa Falls — the team ensures each small-batch roast is monitored under careful supervision, “making sure we control what goes in our bags and bodies.”
Hiker Coffee’s medium and dark roasts, two of which we often drink amongst the staff at the Volume One office, both appeal to all types of coffee drinkers.
These coffees are available to purchase at The Local Store (205 N. Dewey St.,) in downtown Eau Claire, or at Hiker Coffee in Market on River (128 W River St. Ste 103) in Chippewa Falls.
To Caffeine, or Not Caffeine
Ultimately, the choice boils down to two options: caffeinated versus decaffeinated coffee. Whatever roasts your bean, there are local options available for both parties. Take it from the Ruby Roasters team, based out of Nelsonville, who shared “It’s no secret that we’re big fans of all-day coffee drinking, and at a certain point, that coffee tends to switch to decaf.”
Put simply, when a coffee is decaffeinated, the process revolves around the removal of as much caffeine from the coffee bean as possible. One example of this can be found in Ruby Roasters’ Latin American decaf roasts, which are often decaffeinated through a “sugarcane process” — a non-invasive way to decaffeinate coffee.
Ruby Roasters is one of many area businesses (including the ones mentioned thus far) which finds value in sharing these processes with customers, with the intent to foster greater coffee education and curiosity.
Don’t worry, if you still want that buzz, Ruby’s Creamery blend cannot be missed. A timeless, medium roast profile that draws out the “sweetest qualities” from coffees ranging from Latin America to Ethiopia.
These coffees are available to purchase locally at the Menomonie Market Food Co-op (206 N Barstow St., Eau Claire), Eau Claire Downtown Coffee (ECDC) (205 S Barstow St., Eau Claire), and also online through rubycoffeeroasters.com.
