While at Olympia Coffee Roasters, having an intake from both Sam and Oliver, it was interesting to hear what their intake on how terroir affects the flavor of coffee. We learned that the variety is important to think about rather than where the coffee comes from. Where the coffee is grown is not the primary factor in determining a flavor. Commercially, there are only six varieties of coffee from around the world, each with slightly different characteristics. Yet if the location of where the coffee comes from doesn’t necessarily matter, then why do they source their coffee from so many locations around the world? Rather, the variety and the processing of the coffee beans is most important for flavor. The processing of coffee can be done in all sorts of ways, with natural and honey processed coffee making tasting terroir the hardest. For example, natural process coffee is harvested, spread out and dried. Different countries around the world do processing depending on their resources they have. The most common processing is washed coffee, which can be considered “higher quality”. Some places that do washed coffee are Central and Southern America, and Ethiopia. The roasting of the coffee is also very impactful on the flavor.
Four Cafes in Olympia
By Otto Markel
3b) Consider how cafes may serve as places to educate coffee drinkers about coffee terroir. Create a post that includes a table of your group’s 4 favorite coffee cafes (eg. places) that offer customers information related to different aspects of terroir. In your table include: business name, business address, any particular resourceful people, and the aspects of terroir you can learn about at this place. At least three of these places should be other than Olympia Coffee Roasters or B &Bronson.
| Date | Name | Address | Aspect of Terroir |
| 11/23/15 | Café Love | 205 4th Ave E Olympia, WA | Serving great coffee from Hawthorne Coffee Roasting Milwaukee, WI. The uniqueness of this coffee shop is really its small cozy setting and barista’s detail to making you great coffee. |
| 11/27/15 | Olympia Coffee Roasters | 108 Cherry St. NE, Olympia, WA, 98501 | OCR uses direct-trade with small farmers to bring in single-origin beans and product exquisite roasts. |
| 12/4/15 | Cafe Au Lait | 2925 Harrison Ave NW, Olympia, WA 98502 | Local drive thru coffee stand that sells organic fair trade coffee and local artisanal baked goods. They also try to purchase their ingredients locally from small businesses |
| 12/1 | Cafe Vita | 124 4th Avenue East, Olympia WA 98501 | Natural feel, and look to their location with soft lighting and warm feel. They are dedicated about sourcing and passionate with serving. |
Three Insights from Olympia Coffee Roasters and Batdorf&Bronson
| Date | Location | Insight |
| 11/10/15 | Batdorf & Bronson
200 Market St NE, Olympia, WA 98501 |
“It’s easy to sell really good coffee. It’s harder to sell run-of-the-mill coffee.” – Bob Benck |
| 11/17/15 | Olmpia Coffee Roasters
108 Cherry St NE, Olympia, WA 98501 |
In the future, with a new demand for water, coffee will be processed using less water-intensive methods. Countries that now produce certain flavors will produce different flavors as a result. |
| 11/10/15 | Batdorf & Bronson
200 Market St NE, Olympia, WA 98501 |
Roughly 12-25% of the coffee weight is lost in the roasting process. 1.2 pounds of green coffee equal approximately one pound of roasted beans. |
Favorite Coffee Related thing tasted
At Batdorf and Broson, I ordered a 12 oz vanilla latte, which cost about $4.50. The drink was presented in a while tea cup with saucer. The drink was filled to the brim, with the correct latte displayed pattern made from the thin layer of foam on the top of the drink. A thin layer surrounded the brim of the cup with espresso, which had a bitter but not overly powering flavor. The drink itself was very smooth, and was not too hot, so I was able to drink it right away. The coffee was a tan color, and very light in comparison to dark, black coffee. The taste itself had nutty tones, and the flavor of the espresso hit much more strongly when reaching the tip of my tongue from the side of the cup. The closer to the bottom of the drink, the more the flavor with bitter tones was presented. Some sediment was found at the bottom of the cup, which was just a few little specks of thin flecks of grounds, which were about sand sized. The drink also had a faint amount of nutty tones with hints of fruitiness as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the drink, and I would order this again.