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Image by Rodrigo Flores

The beans make all the difference.

Red 5 Coffee only roasts quality beans.  Of course, that's what they all say, but here is why our beans are different.

I say "our" beans because there are only four people involved from ground to grind. 

The farmer, the importer, the roaster, the brewer.

You are the fourth person to ever touch these beans.

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The Farmer

Nicolas Calle Chininin grew these beans in San Jose de Lourdes, Peru

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The Importer

My friends, Cesar & Izabella, importer green coffee beans to Cincinnati directly from Peru.

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The Roaster

It's me, Jeff.  The guy behind Red 5 Coffee.  Let me roast and deliver great coffee to your door.

What makes speciality beans special

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4 Ways To Identify Specialty Coffee

Here are a few “tests” many of us use to identify how deeply involved in the specialty community a coffee company is (compared to the regular commodity industry).
 

  • The coffee origin test. Does the coffee packaging transparently give you information about the coffee’s origin region, processing method, or farm. Usually, the more information a roaster gives you, the more proud they are of their high-quality partner farms.

    The roast date test. Does the coffee packaging give you an exact date when the coffee was roasted, or a vague “best by” date? Honesty about the specific roast date indicates that the roaster prioritizes freshness and isn’t trying to trick you into buying stale coffee.
    The flavor descriptor test. Does the company describe their coffee with detailed flavor notes, or are the descriptions bland and general? Specific flavor notes (like blueberry or cinnamon) tend to indicate higher quality, more nuanced coffees.
    The roast level test. How dark are the beans? Are they oily and black-as-night? Super dark roasts destroy the unique, natural flavors in coffee and end up tasting dull and bitter.

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Why Many Don't Consider Starbucks 'Specialty'

To many, Starbucks doesn’t meet the standards we just discussed.

  • They don’t publish specific roast dates on coffee bags (their beans are often weeks or months old when you buy them)

  • They don’t usually publish specific information on the coffee origins

  • They tend to have more general flavor notes

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Here's some nerdy information from the Speciality Coffee Association of America

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