One of the most important things to Stumptown Coffee, aside from providing exceptionally delicious coffee beans to customers, is their direct relationships with the coffee producers who are the base of the entire process.
If you haven’t heard of Stumptown Coffee roasters or you’re looking for a bit more information on them, let’s take a look into the company and just a few of the bean selections they have to offer.
What is Stumptown Coffee
The roasting company of Stumptown Coffee was founded by Duane Sorenson, who has made it the mission of the business to know where their coffee comes from. This includes the coffee farms, the people that produce it, and the regions it’s grown.
Over the years, many Direct Trade relationships with coffee partners have made Stumptown what it is: a coffee roasting business that cares about every step their beans go through. In fact, their coffee team spends nearly half of the year in the producing countries from which they source their beans. Through that time, they meet directly with their producer partners directly at the farms, mills, and cupping labs.
Stumptown Coffee Review
I was lucky enough to receive three different bags of coffee beans from Stumptown Coffee to try out for myself. These included one blend and two single-origins, all of which were delicious in their own way.
Holler Mountain
The first bag I tried was the Holler Mountain, which is an organic blend from East Africa, Central America, and South America that’s a signature for Stumptown Coffee. These beans are produced using a strict, organic-certified supply chain. It’s described as being full-bodied and complex with tasting notes of bright citrus, berry jam, and creamy caramel.
While this specific bag of beans is said to be perfect for a variety of brewing methods, I settled with a simple French Press brew, which worked out great. The aroma of the coffee was sweet and decadent. I could really tell that there was a beautiful blend between nutty caramel and delicate citrus notes.
Upon tasting the finished product, I found that it was very delicious and easy to drink. The rich and decadent flavors of the creamy caramel and hazelnut come together to create a smooth body that has just a touch of sweet citrus acidity in the finish.
Ethiopia Mordecofe
Ethiopia Mordecofe
Indulge in the exquisite Ethiopia Mordecofe. Immerse yourself in a complex and floral cup, adorned with the sparkling essence of nectarine, melon, and jasmine.
Next up was the Ethiopia Mordecofe single-origin coffee. This has been a lasting offering at Stumptown Coffee since 2006 and for good reason. The Mordecofe farms, which are short for “Mora Mora River Valley Development Coffee,” are owned by Haile Gebre in the Guji highlands.
This exceptional bag of beans is described as offering a complex and floral cup that’s sparkling with tasting notes of nectarine, melon, and jasmine. With single-origin picks, I usually prefer to brew them using a pour-over method.
Having done this with Mordecofe, I found that the aroma was very interesting with light and sweet notes shining through. The taste was light, floral, and sweet as well, with a slight acidity to complement the sweetness.
Guatemala El Injerto Bourbon
Guatemala El Injerto Bourbon
Delight in a sweet symphony of flavors, combining the zesty notes of orange sherbet with the velvety richness of buttery chocolate.
The last bag I got from Stumptown Coffee was the Guatemala El Injerto Bourbon, which is another single-origin selection. This coffee comes from the Aguirre family of Finca El Injerto, which Stumptown has been partnering with since 2003.
The El Injerto Bourbon is consistently complex and delicious thanks to the father and son duo of Arturo Aguirre Sr. and Arturo Aguirre Jr., who produce and process some of the highest-quality Guatemalan coffee while ensuring the preservation of the natural environment.
This coffee is described as having a sweet combination of tasting notes that include orange sherbert and buttery chocolate. Upon brewing with a pour-over method, I noticed that the aroma was rich and dark with a subtle citrus sweetness coming through. Meanwhile, its taste was dark and bitter with just a slight citrus acidity to match, leaving a smooth body and mouthfeel.
How Does Stumptown Coffee Roast Their Beans
Now that we’ve looked over some of their coffee selections, you might be curious as to how Stumptown Coffee roasts its beans. Since the company believes that the roasting process should be transparent, they make sure to honor the way the beans were produced by roasting in a way that showcases the distinctive qualities of each coffee.
Instead of attempting to make each product their own, they try to highlight what makes the variety or farm from which the beans come from unique. Aside from this and actively keeping their team knowledgeable about where their coffee comes from and how it’s produced, Stumptown also makes sure to fairly pay those who produce it.
Since they purchase coffee that’s handpicked at ideal ripeness and processed with careful detail, they pay producers much more than what they would get on the commodity market. This is done with the help of buying their coffee directly from the producers. With this process, there’s not only fair pay but also complete transparency when it comes to the coffee.
How Much Does Stumptown Coffee Cost
With each bean being different, Stumptown Coffee’s pricing varies. But, with the goal to more than fairly pay their producers, the effort that goes into each bean is shown in its price. So, just for a few examples, the Holler Mountain blend that I received is about $17.00 a bag.
However, the single-origins, are going to be a little more pricier since they’re specialty beans. The Ethiopia Mordecofe is $23.00 a bag and the Guatemala El Injerto Bourbon is $25.00 a bag. Of course, these prices further vary on shipping, though if you choose to subscribe to Stumptown Coffee, you get free shipping.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Stumptown Coffee is a great choice for not only delicious coffee that has a lot of care put into it from seed to production to roasting but also for supporting those coffee farmers and producers who are there from the start.
With the evidence shown in the careful roasting to keep the integrity of the beans’ flavors and the direct relationships between the Stumptown Coffee team and the producers in other countries which ensures more than fair pay, you know you’re getting quality coffee that sustains the environment as a whole.
Stumptown Coffee Review: High-Quality Coffee From Seed to Cup
A Stumptown Coffee review that goes over the company's careful coffee process and three of its delicious offerings.
4.5
