It is typical of many coffee roasters in Australia to make a distinction between (i) “Espresso” and (ii) “Filter” roast styles. The distinction usually corresponds to, on the one hand (i) a slightly darker, more soluble, and less acidic roast style to be used for coffees prepared with an Espresso machine; and on the other (ii) a lighter, more acidic roast style, free of flavour taints that often accompany darker roasting, which is intended for preparation using one of the various filter brew methods (think V60, Chemex, Aeropress, CCD etc.).
Since opening our doors back in 2014, we at Blacklist Coffee Roasters have followed suit by making all of our Single Origin coffees available in these two roast styles. As of this week (end of November 2015), we are officially abandoning this distinction in favour of an “Omni” roast style.
This simply means that each of our Single Origin coffees will be roasted to one unique profile. This is a profile that results in a product which we regard as being suitable for use both through the espresso machine and with filter brew methods. We would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain why we have chosen to move in this direction.
Our approach to roasting coffee has always had an emphasis on bringing out the inherent qualities in each lot of green beans that we source. Before settling on a particular roast-profile for any new coffee, we roast it a number of different ways by making adjustments to certain parameters which we use to track the quality and consistency of our roasting week to week. The goal is always the same: find a profile that makes the most of a given coffee’s potential.
In going through this process many times, we have found that our preferences often settle on a single profile. It is the profile which results in a brew that maximises sweetness and aroma, and provides a balanced quantity and quality of acidity. We have also found that our favourite roast on the cupping table comes through just as nicely when prepared on the espresso machine—provided it is appropriately extracted. When we have tried to deviate from this profile and roast for “Espresso” or “Filter”, we have been underwhelmed by the comparison. As a result we see no reason to roast any differently for “Espresso” or “Filter”.
In practical terms, the only change that will result from this new direction is that when you order a bag of one of our Single Origin coffees, it will no longer come stamped as “Espresso” or “Filter”. It will simply come with an indication of the roast date.