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We’re always looking for rich, smooth coffee.
There is something magical about the mountains. As a boy I spent summers in the lower Sierra Nevadas at about 5800 feet elevation. Many of my fondest memories are from those mountains.
Rocky Mountain Roastery
Recently we came across a roaster in Durango, Colorado. The roastery elevation is 7900 ft. These guys seem like really cool mountain people who love coffee just as much as we do.
Apparently the high altitude affects the roasting time, which is something I had never thought about before regarding coffee roasting. But that makes sense because I remember how long it took to boil water when we camped in the mountains.
Slow Roast
So Rocky Mountain Roastery does a slow roast. Apparently the high altitude and slow roast creates unusual smoothness in the coffee. If you look at different search engine results about “how altitude affects coffee roasting”, you’ll find these comments:
“When you roast coffee at a high elevation, you need to use a higher temperature because less oxygen and moisture are in the air. Conversely, at lower elevations, you can roast at a lower temperature.” – fathomcoffee.com
“At high elevations, the air is more thin and dry. Less oxygen and moisture in the air results in a faster roast development over a shorter period of time.” – theexoticbean.com
If you read what Rocky Mountain Roastery says about their roasting style, there seems to be a discrepancy between what other roasters are saying about high elevation roasting and what Rocky Mountain Roastery owner and roaster, Wade Wilderman is saying:
“We also enjoy pushing the limits of coffee roasting, and to that end, we have been roasting coffee long, slow and deep since we began in 1993 in Fraser, Colorado. Slow roasting allows more flavor to develop in every batch.” – rockymountainroastery.com/pages/about-us
Contrarian Roaster
RMR roasts at a lower temperature for longer periods of time to “achieve more flavor development”. The roaster says in a video that he doesn’t just use the science of coffee roasting. He clarifies that coffee roasting is both “science and art.” So apparently he has developed roasting techniques that get exceptional results in a manner that other roasters would not anticipate achieving.
It’s almost like listening to a “contrarian investor” who buys stocks when other people are selling them and vice versa.
There is something appealing to me about a contrarian viewpoint. In my experience, people with a “different way of doing something” usually develop that approach through careful observation and lots of practice. It starts with noticing something other people don’t and studying it. Over time, I have found that it often turns out contrarians were right.
Apparently what it’s not just fluff either. People love his roasting.
Google Review:
Look what a customer says in a Google review about her experience at one of the Rocky Mountain Roastery Cafes (4.8 stars out of 5 and 223 reviews by the way) :
Jennifer Pricemoore
3 years ago
“This is my morning plan. I sit at the local table with all the regular crazy locals. I love them and they make my day. The people who own the place are hard working and family orientated. The coffee is the best you can buy. The baked goods are so good. They work so hard. Everyone is friendly. I am happy to have this hub . Good coffee and good friends.
Review of Rocky Mountain Roasters from Dan R. on bestqualitycoffee.com:
“The energy and focus Rocky Mountain puts into crafting small batch after small batch of beans is a testimony to finding the greatness in the bean itself and the process that brought that bean to the cup. And its ever-changing. Each bean hides a taste and feel that lies just beneath the foundational flavors that represent where that bean came from. The commitment and mastery Rocky Mountain invests into developing all that bean has to offer is something I could certainly enjoy over and over again. And being fully satisfied every time.”
Rocky Mountain Roastery
Rich Organic Coffee
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