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Blended to Perfection

Read time: 2 mins
Roastmaster Dave rapidly cools coffee beans.
Christopher C. Oct 24, 2022

From the time Fresh Roasted Coffee was a dream in Andy Oakes' head in 2009 until now, we've prided ourselves on bringing you a world of coffee—beans from the farthest reaches of the coffee-growing universe. Not just with the single-origin selections that you've come to know and love but also with Roaster's Choice, our exclusive subscription program that goes deeper and brings to light some of the rarest coffees on Earth, planted and produced by farmers who continuously elevate coffee to the next level. While only in coffee's third wave, we're consistently seeing top-notch lots that redefine what great coffee can be, and we're right there on the cutting edge.

You'll find exceptional quality in not only our single-origin selections but also our artisan blends, both of which receive the same level of care and craftsmanship. At Fresh Roasted Coffee, blends are not an afterthought—they're not a means of cycling stock or using up undesirable beans. We blend to create coffee experiences you've never had before, melding the most palate-pleasing flavors of different origins into one supergroup, like Roastmaster's Blend and Drago. We'll aim to marry African wine-like brightness, Indonesian spice and earth, citrusy Central American, nutty-chocolatey South American, and floral Island flavors. Buying one of our blends never means you're getting lesser coffee. In fact, it means just the opposite.

The blends we build—from Anniversary to White Knight—are composed of high-quality single-origin coffees. No fillers, just 2 – 5 high-quality coffees coming together in perfect harmony. We want to make coffee you can count on, where each cup is as delicious as the last, giving you the same sensation from the moment you tear open a bag to the moment you're ordering more. We couldn't do this without starting at origin, sourcing the best-cupping coffees, forming longstanding relationships with producers, and roasting with unparalleled precision and control. Each of our 80+ roast profiles have been meticulously crafted, adjusted, and readjusted to keep the coffee you love tasting how you expect. We roast a coffee for everybody.

Roastmaster Dave's Take on Blending

While Dave's official title is “Roastmaster,” he's also a verifiable blendmaster, proud to put his name on heavy hitters like Roastmaster's Blend, Cold Brew Blend, and the FRC Signature Series. Being that he's the guy, we wanted his sage perspective on blending.

“My thoughts, methodologies, and approaches to blending,” he begins.

  • I create blends to provide customers with consistent coffees and flavor profiles year-round, as some coffees aren't available at certain times (disruptions to harvest times, supply chain issues, etc.)

  • You can create new and compelling flavor profiles that maybe a single origin can't bring on its own.

  • Typically, I use three coffees at a 40:40:20 percent blend ratio.

If you've ever considered undertaking crafting your own blends, today's your lucky day. Here's Dave's personal roadmap to blending coffee:

  1. Part I

    The sweet base. I like Brazilian, Peruvian, and Mexican coffees in this slot.

  2. Part II

    The mid-palate banger. Make this one mild and softly sweet with some nice malic acidity. Costa Rican, Guatemalan, and Nicaraguan coffees work really well here.

  3. Part III

    The high tones. I'm talking about light and bright with some zesty, citric acidity. Ethiopian, Rwandan, and Kenyan coffees bring blends on home.

Before characteristically signing his response, “Dave out,” he left us with one golden rule of coffee blending. The blend must be better than its individual components. Simply, putting coffees together must be worth it. Like I said earlier, we don't just blend to blend—we do it to create entirely new coffee experiences.

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