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Stumptown Coffee Roasters has been around since 1999, when the chain's flagship café and roastery opened up in Portland, Oregon. Since then, they haven't had much trouble convincing customers they've got something special. They were even named #2 on this list of the best coffee roasters in the nation.
The judges wrote, "Stumptown can legitimately claim a degree of authorship over the current specialty coffee zeitgeist. Their sourcing and well-rounded armada of offerings are second to none, and their cold brew may well take over the world."
As it often is with coffee, the devil is in the details, and it's many small measures than one grandiose scheme that makes the superior product. For Stumptown, a few of those little details are the following:
- Instead of doing things the now-traditional way, Stumptown does not buy their beans in bulk from a trading floor in a capital city. They send "The Green Team" (named after the color of coffee beans before they're roasted) to go straight to the source — "that farm or washing station high atop a distant Ethiopian hill" where they sit down to discuss the year's crop with the producer and form longstanding relationships. The journey can last up to four days. This way, they get much better yields from the experts who both know how to make superior beans and are also incentivized (with a culture of pride around Stumptown, a sustainable partnership, and a much higher payment) to regularly go the extra mile, whatever that means.
- Instead of roasting all coffees as if they were the same or separating them by color and then roasting, Stumptown roasters do everything with expertise and precision, trying to bring out just the right individual flavor profile of every bean and adjusting for things like the roaster being cold in the morning, but hot in the evening (meaning you might want to shave 45 seconds off the evening roast).
- "The Green Team" also identifies potential future producers — "maybe this side of the mountain has just the right climate, but the quality level isn’t there yet" — and Stumptown will invest in that farm, mill, or factory if that potential can be nurtured.
Like many good things that are intent upon meticulously preserving their integrity while they grow, progress has been slower than the roaster's fans may wish. Currently, they have stores in five major cities around the US.
However, the world is a different place today than it was in 1999. While their physical expansion might be moving at a slow and steady pace, their availability online means shoppers outside of those five major cities can enjoy the same discerning, quality brews in their own homes.
Below are a few of the Stumptown Coffee options you can pick up through Amazon. Or, you can just shop them all here.
SEE ALSO: A coffee expert shares 7 accessories that'll make your cup of coffee taste even better
House Blend
Cherries and plums lead and chocolate follows in this supremely balanced cup.
Stumptown Coffee, House Blend, 12 0z, $27.85
Cold Brew Nitro
If you're really in love with their cold brew, you can pay $14 for a can, but you might be happier buying multiple at your local store (if you can) for a fraction of that price.
Stumptown Coffee Cold Brew Nitro, 11 oz, $14.95
Holler Mountain
A bright burst of citrus pairs beautifully with creamy notes of caramel and hazelnut. Beautiful as espresso, drip or anything in between, this is Stumptown's signature organic blend.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters Whole Beans, Holler Mountain, 12 oz, $26.83
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