Coffee roasters differ in their talents. Some roast more by sight while others rely more upon their other senses such as sound or smell. As legendary coffee pioneer, Jabez Burns (1826-1888) said:
'All coffees do not roast alike; some will be a bright light color when done, and others will be dark before done. There are two infallible rules, which if properly appreciated and tried will prove to be practically useful. One is, when the aroma is sufficiently developed to produce a sharp, cutting, but aromatic sensation in the nose. Those who practice that way do not need to see the roast. The other rule is that when a berry [i.e., a coffee bean] is broken it is crisp and uniform in color inside and out. Those who are accustomed to this method may be good coffee roasters, albeit they may not have any nose at all. But we must state in this connection, that a man who has no smell and is color blind is not a fit candidate for the coffee roasting profession; and, moreover, we affirm that any person who can not roast coffee, so far as judgment is concerned, after a few trials, will never make a good operator.'
Coffee roaster Gerry Leary perfectly illustrates Burns' point. He's not merely color-blind. He's totally blind. Still, he is able to use his other sense so well that he is a successful coffee roaster. He is the owner of The Unseen Bean in Boulder, Colorado.
If you would like to learn more about his story in the video below!
Dutch Hedrick is the founder and head roaster of Rube's Good-Brain Coffee. He has roasted coffee since 2003 and has previously roasted for Counter Culture Coffee and Joe Van Gogh. He began his career in specialty coffee in 1993. To shop our line of delicious specialty-grade coffees, just click wherever you see 'FRESH COFFEE NOW!'
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