When I was young, my dad taught me a coffee-making ritual that involved Cafe Bustelo and a Mokka pot, so that I could make him a quadruple espresso every morning and bring it to him as he was getting ready for work. I grew up thinking that's what coffee should be - hot, black, strong and bold. Over the years, my tastes have not changed very much. It was a common bond that Dad and I shared for several decades, and some of my most cherished memories are rooted in shared cups of coffee with that bold flavor.

When my dad died in 2015, I wanted to find coffee that was like that coffee that we  shared together, but "gourmet" whole-bean versions of ultra-dark roast were very hard to find. So, I started learning how to roast coffee, taking classes, reading articles, working for coffee roasting companies and trying over and over again to create that special profile. After 2 years of  learning and persisting in the face of critical opposition (pretty much every roaster I have ever worked with has told me that the way I want to roast my coffee so dark and so bold is "wrong" or "bad"), I felt I had a roasting profile that got it right - dark. bold, smooth, delicious. I was confident enough in the results that I decided to put my name on the label, and Rob's Roast Coffees was born in 2017. 

Of course, I have learned how to roast hundreds of different beans from all over the world, and not all of them are suited to a bold, dark roast and not every coffee drinker likes their coffee the way I like it. So, I have continued to learn to roast across the full spectrum of coffee profiles, sampling, tasting, monitoring and listening to feedback every step of the way. I continue to research and explore the wonderful world of coffee sourcing and preparation.

This chapter of Rob's Roast Coffee is the one where I reach out to you to share personal tastes, share knowledge, dispel misconceptions and continue explorations together, one delicious cup of coffee at a time.