Choosing Coffee
All coffees are not alike. Where the trees are grown, the grade of beans produced, and how the beans are roasted all affect a coffee's flavor and aroma.
At Uncommon Grounds, we take great care in selecting which varietals to import. Our quality control program helps us determine which are the finest quality arabica beans, by cupping samples (as in the picture to the right) in their roasted forms. We also identify which beans best complement each other to create our uncommonly good blends.
Because roasting is one of the most crucial factors in producing fine coffee, our roastmaster must determine which style of roast best suits a varietal. Roasts fall into four basic categories: Light; Medium; Dark; Darkest. These categories correspond to the European nomenclature: Vienna (our lightest roast); Full-City (our medium dark roast); Italian (our dark, smooth roasts); and French (our darkest, smokiest, most developed roast).
Although certain coffees are roasted lighter to produce specific desirable characteristics (Kauai Peaberry and Kenya for example), most coffees respond best to a darker roast which emphasizes rich and mellow flavors. Accordingly, we prefer to roast the majority of our coffees in the dark range (Full-City to French) in order to develop the rich, smooth, dark, delicious coffees for which we are known.