Batdorf & Bronson	Felt like more of a factory, rather than a lab. Much more noisey, and lots of machinery.
Olympia Coffee Roasters	More spaced out, and very systematic in production
Olympia Coffee Roasters	Olympia Coffee Roasting video, insight from farmers and workers. They have a lot of information about where their products come from.

Coffee in Olympia, Washington is widely available, and generally delicious. If you’re looking for a cup of drip, you can choose from a standard cup of anonymous coffee at any of the restaurants or bakeries, or you can buy a cup that is marketed with its flavor descriptors, its processing method, and its country of origin. Within the local roasteries that use information about the origins of their coffee to sell products, there is a range between the amount shared.

Between the two main local roasteries in Olympia, Batdorf & Bronson and Olympia Coffee, there is a striking difference in the amount of information provided to consumers about each different bag or cup of coffee sold. Although each company emphasizes the quality of their purchasing and relationships with farmers, Olympia Coffee Roasting Company goes above and beyond. They make a point to give the consumer sourcing information, because they have built their brand around the terroir of their coffee and the quality of their relationships with farmers and cooperatives. A bag of Batdorf & Bronson coffee includes (if single origin and not a blend), the country of origin, the region and farm, a quick aroma profile, and ‘shade grown.’ Just enough information to please the savvy consumer. In contrast, even a blend from Olympia Coffee, like their current Holiday Blend, includes on the package detailed aroma and flavor profiles, information about where each of the coffees were purchased, and what each different coffee brings to the ultimate blend created. The educational and excited way in which the information is conveyed to the consumer creates a connection between the consumer and that place, so that my holidays now include a little bit of the terroir of Honduras, Karinyaga, Kenya, and Yirgacheffe Ethiopia.

http://www.olympiacoffee.com/collections/coffees/products/holiday-blend-2

“This year’s holiday blend is approachable in flavor, rich in complexity, and perfectly balanced. Three very different coffees are combined to achieve a drink that pairs well with a cool morning or a holiday dessert table. The heart of the blend is a combination of micro lots purchased during the Capucas Cooperative Competition earlier this year. These award-winning lots are put together as Capucas Reserva and represent our sweetest and best tasting Honduran lots. Flavors of blackberry and caramel are derived from Kenya Kiunyu. The name Kiunyu is from a stellar washing station in the Karinyaga region of Kenya. Lastly, a natural processed coffee from the Banko Cooperative in Yirgacheffe Ethiopia adds spice and more berry fruit to this winter-friendly mix. Happy Holidays from Olympia Coffee Roasting Co.!” (printed on a bag of Olympia Coffee Roasting Co.’s Holiday Blend)

Rain was blowing sideways as our class walked into Batdorf & Bronson, and everyone was dripping wet and chilled through. As I passed through the doors, my glasses fogged up and the earthy aromas of freshly roasted and brewed coffee danced around me. I was transported to my childhood home-

I am sitting in front of the heater on a frozen morning in Wisconsin while my dad grinds coffee beans. I’m still in my pajamas, trying to warm up before I brave the snow, ice, and -20 degree windchill on my way to elementary school. My dad adds ground coffee to the humble french press, and the kettle begins to whine- my brother’s alarm clock. Before returning the coffee beans to their place on the shelf, my dad gingerly selects a few and tucks them in his palm. Still perched in front of the heater, I watch curiously as he reveals the beans and offers them to me. I gleefully accept and crunch on one that tastes dark like the winter sky. The warmth and bitterness cover my tongue until every fraction of each bean is gone.

The brewing coffee gives off its signature nutty and acidic aroma, and we move into the Wonka-like coffee roasting room, where memories linger just as the caffeine does.

 

Olympia has over twenty cafes, all of which help us understand the taste of place in each experience. Although coffee grows between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, the roasting, cupping, and tasting that occurs in Olympia greatly influences the flavors we perceive in each sip.

Name of Cafe	Address	Resourceful People	Terroir
Obsidian	414 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501	Chris Beug Danielle Ruse Howie Clark (All the onwers)	Obsidian balances light and dark to create a coffee experience that pairs well with their homemade waffles, dim lighting, and lichen-covered-tree-branch-decor.
Cafe Love	205 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501	Joe (owner)	Cafe Love represents terroir by creating an environment not unlike a cup of coffee; warm and cozy, a bit dark, and reminiscent of every other cup of coffee you’ve enjoyed.
Olympia Coffee Roasters	108 Cherry St NE, Olympia, WA 98501	Oliver Stormshak and Sam Schroeder (co-owners)	There’s something special about a cup of coffee made with beans roasted in the same building that they are consumed and Olympia Coffee Roasters go even further than that by putting so much care and attention into each cup of coffee crafted there.
Bar Francis	110 Franklin St NE, Olympia, WA 98501	Michael Elvin (owner)	A cozy oasis from Olympia’s heavily visited cafés. The atmosphere creates a comfortable urban sophistication without the pressure. Owner’s wife makes the ceramic cups, which bring the home sentiments to your cup, while you chase down your delicious coffee with one Elvin’s (owner) homemade shrubs. Highly recommended spot.

On a November 10th, our class took a field trip to Olympia Coffee Roasting Company’s newly renovated storefront and roastery in downtown Olympia for a tour and a coffee cupping (tasting).

 

During the course of answering all the questions asked of them by our classmates, OCR owners Sam Schroeder and Oliver Stormshak spoke about what they think terroir means in regards to coffee.

An audio clip recorded by Emily Dunn-Wilder on November 10th, 2015 at Olympia Coffee Roasting Company. Two separate quotes spliced together using Audacity Audio Editor and Recorder.

 

When asked by Sophie if they see terroir as primarily the place, soil, and climate where the coffee is grown, Sam and Oliver replied:

“I think it’s very specific to the place. This farm, on this hillside, that gets this kind of weather, at this elevation, that’s what we see as terroir. Elevation, we know, has a huge impact. The most important thing, the reason Olympia Coffee tastes the way it does, is the roasting process. The roasting process, actually, is the most important thing.”