Ricpac wrote:anybody ever tried dallis?? any recommendations? im looking to buy one bag from every place i can(central, south america, india, africa)

They replaced Intelligentsia as the supplier for 9th street espresso's "Alphabet City" blend. I am definitely a fan. Still one of my top 5 shops in the city. I believe it is all Brazil

Living in Chicago gives me lots of options, but when I'm in the middle of nowhere there are few.

It was with joy in the wilderness a couple years back that I discovered Caffea in Sioux Falls. Worth recommending for anyone going by there on I-29 -- just a few seconds off the highway and a quick back-on. But the reason they're worth a stop is because they rescued Sioux Falls (in my opinion) from being a coffee wasteland. Yes, there are other roasters. But these folks have good bean selection and they roast well.

I'm not certain they've quite nailed a distinctive espresso yet, but I couldn't identify anything about it I didn't like. They offer diverse conventional brewing methods. They also share a building with a wine bar or somesuch, with common space in a center suite as well as their own seating.

If you're travelling on I-90 a cup of anything will set you back about 20 minutes for the quick detour south on I-29.

Anyway, I know the thread's about roasters, not coffee shops. If you're driving and are out of beans, or are in a hotel in Sioux Falls (how often?) and need beans, I commend 'em. The alternatives in those parts have not been satisfying to this writer.

Chert wrote:Here are two other skilled roasters I would recommend for such a list:

MADCAP and Brown Coffee Co.

I'll second Brown Coffee Company in San Antonio. Local to me and stunning coffee. Very small roaster and cafe...and meant to stay that way.

I'd like to throw in a couple new Seattle roasters,

Caffe Ladro and Slate Coffee Roasters.

Ladro's roasting department consists of Jared Linzmeier (formerly roaster for Intelligentsia) as the director of coffee and green purchaser, and Dismas Smith (first North American Barista Champ and cofounder of the BGA). caffeladro.com

Slate Coffee Roasters is owned by three members of the Walker family, Lisanne, Chelsey, and Keenan. Keenan is head of roasting and buying, and he's way good at it. Their focus is on showcasing the fruitiness of coffees, so you'll be getting some brighter coffee, but it's some of the most well developed bright coffee I've ever had, and I find it enjoyable. http://slatecoffee.bigcartel.com/

Both of these are worthy and important additions to this list!

You should remove Ecco and Deep Cello RIP.

Mountain Air Roasting

Intrepid510 wrote:You should remove Ecco and Deep Cello RIP.

Srsly. Ecco is dearly missed.

And, despite what is written on the Ecco website, I dont see any "Ecco Project" happening at Intelly...


Ecco roasted what I still consider to this day to be the coffee that allowed me to pull the first truly mind blowing single origin espresso shot, and that was about three years ago. They also had a hardcore grip on me with their Organic blend, which was the epitome of amazing espresso if you asked me. Not to mention, every time I ordered, EVERY time, I got upgraded to 2 day air shipping FOR FREE, and on numerous occasions, they sent me a pound of a new coffee they were about to put on the website, before they actually listed it for sale. I got to try an AMAZING Rwanda two weeks before they sold it on their site.. It wasn't a cheap offering, and it was easily one of the best coffees I had that year.

Ecco shared the coveted spot of Favorite Roaster of mine, with one other. I love many roasters, and order a variety all the time, but Ecco quickly became a hardcore favorite of mine. I really miss their coffee and their online support rep, whos name I can't remember.

Great coffee, its a shame they're no longer here.

Re: Deep Cello, it's true that they've ceased to be, but their roaster's other gig, Badbeard's, is still very much alive. I suspect some of the Badbeard's blends might taste very familiar to Deep Cello fans. Will check with Justin and report back if I'm able.

This past week I ordered Red Bird and Blue Jaguar which was roasted on 05/13/2013. I haven't tried the Red Bird yet but the Blue Jaguar is delicious. I've never been a big latte person but I make one for my girlfriend every morning. I usually do a 18Gr dose for 25gr extraction in 5oz of milk but since I started using the Blue Jaguar she's been asking me to use only 2-3oz of milk because the coffee tasted better than the Hayes Valley I was previously using. I would have to agree with her, in a latte the coffee is sweet, rich and a very strong caramel taste. In a shot its mellow, sweet and almost like hot chocolate. I definitely think resting it 2-4 more days will benefit the beans. I'm going to tear into the Red Bird tomorrow morning and see how it is.

This is my first time ordering from Red Bird and I'm 100% sure i'll be ordering again.

Threads like this a great, and keep me coming back to HB. I tried quite a few recommendations. All have been good, but I keep coming back to Red Bird Espresso for my weekly lb of beans. Perhaps it is just a perfect fit for my setup, but for whatever reason it is my favorite. Plus they have the best, most consistent shipping I have ever seen. Just a great company.