Rocky Mountain Roastery Review

Allow me to start of this Rocky Mountain Roastery review with a brief annecdote that I believe sets an appropriate stage for this article.

Recently I was talking with a co-worker and he mentioned that he was a “coffee snob.” He said it matter-of-factly, as if that term represented a certain level of sophistication. I imagine I make similar statements concerning things I am genuinely interested in. However, he followed that declaration with another comment that really stood out in a contradictory manner… “I only drink [so and so] coffee.” This conversation had taken a wild turn for me and prompted me to really ponder the implications of his comment. How could you love coffee so much to be a “snob” and limit yourself to only one coffee producer? Is that even possible?

Around the same time I had an opportunity to sample three different roasts from Rocky Mountain Roastery. Rocky Mountain is based in Durango, Colorado and has been around since 1993. The Roastery sits at 7900 feet in elevation and that elevation is a key factor in the high-altitude roasting process unique to Rocky Mountain’s coffee creations. While I was excited to experiment with Rocky Mountain’s offerings, I did so with this nagging question in the forefront of mind, “could I survive with only one coffee brand for the rest of my life?” Perhaps unfairly, I naturally wondered whether could I endure such a situation if that one coffee producer was Rocky Mountain Roastery?

In order to answer this question, I knew this Rocky Mountain Roastery review had to go into a little more depth than is standard protocol.

Rocky Mountain Roastery offers a variety of single-origin roasts as well as several blends. As a self-proclaimed snob, I have always been attracted single-origin roasts. Single origin coffee, for those who don't know, is coffee that is sourced comes from a single farm. Contrary to blends which source coffee from different farms and often different quality, single origin coffee usually offers a better coffee experience in terms of quality and consistency.

For example, Rocky Mountain Roastery sources organic beans from all over the world. They're one of those roasters that clearly take the time to develop intimate relationships with growers, understand the variability in growing conditions, and shape roasting techniques to adapt to the characteristics of specific beans. Rocky Mountain Roastery owner and roaster, Wade Wilderman, takes this a step further by roasting beans in micro-batches. Presumably he sticks with small-scale roasting to maximize the features and subtle flavor nuances of each specific bean. Wildernman lets the uniqueness of the bean guide him in the roasting process. This type of investment to me is a testimony to just how committed the company is to creating an exclusive product with exceptional quality.

Mastering a bean from one location and pulling the most out of it, is how I define coffee excellence.

Sure, this process can be accomplished with blends and blends can offer great flavor. However, I often look for flavor confirmation based upon a bean’s origin. For example, many varieties of Ethiopian beans tend to be more earthy and commonly considered as having a winey taste. These distinctions are the direct consequence of the growing, production, and roasting process. And this is precisely where a master roaster shows their hand.

I have spent considerable time lately with Rocky Mountain Roastery’s Ethiopian coffee. This coffee really showed the expert hand of the roaster and it was a pure joy to experience. The base flavors I've come to expect of Ethiopian coffee were definitely there. The medium-dark roast is wonderfully complex. You surely get a glimpse of it right away after inhaling the aroma produced during brewing. What I love about this coffee is the strong, robust taste, yet consistently light feel in the mouth. I tasted a hint of floral notes and dry fruit, while never experiencing an acidy aftertaste.

I did make adjustments to find the right ratio of beans to water in order to maximize the flavor to suit my preferences. However, I eyeballed it rather than using a scale. While I know this would cause many to disqualify me as a coffee snob, it was certainly good enough for me.

Rocky Mountain Roastery Review: Ethiopian Notes

Strong, robust taste, light body
Wonderfully complex
Hints of floral and dry notes with no acidy aftertaste

Another single origin I enjoyed was Rocky Mountain’s Guatemala bean, another medium-dark roast. Guatemala beans often have the feature of being grown in volcanic soil. In my opinion, this can result in a sweeter coffee, but also overly rich. While not as complex as the Ethiopian I so enjoyed, this bean really makes a fine cup of coffee. I found myself smacking ‘this is really good’ time and time again. It is a simple cup that provided consistency with a just a few flavors, chocolate and leather. The thought of leather may sound unappealing in the context of describing flavor. But this is just one of those things you'll have to experience yourself to understand. This brew will certainly enjoy a prominent place in my coffee drinking regimen.

Rocky Mountain Roastery Review: Guatemala Notes

Chocolate and leather flavors that combine very well together
Grown in volcanic soil
Delicious medium-dark roast

Lately I've been focusing on light roasts. Specifically, those with a more pronounced citrus flavor profile. I was eager to taste Rocky Mountain’s Costa Rica single origin, a lighter roast meant to have a clean finish. Some Costa Rican beans are known for their impressive citrus flavor. Unfortunately, some Costa Rican beans are also known to mask this citrus flavor with an overwhelming sweetness. Perhaps this is naturally developed in the roasting process. Either way, Rocky Mountain’s Costa Rica was a hit with me. I soon developed a routine of having a cup in the early afternoon while I was working. The flavors were complex in a much different way than the Ethiopian variety. Think of the difference between the Ethiopian jungle and a Costa Rican beach. Both exotic, but in much different ways. The Costa Rican was fresh, light, and wonderfully invigorating. Not overly sweet, but almost refreshing in a cold brew type of way. It's an excellent coffee in every sense of the word.

Rocky Mountain Roastery Review: Costa Rica Notes

Refined citrus flavor
Complex notes
Fresh, light and invigorating

The single coffee producer my co-worker has committed to does offer a variety of coffees. And they have a very active marketing campaign. Yet, there is no evidence this company emphasizes the features of what I consider to be necessary for truly great coffee. And those features, I believe, are what brings out the individuality of the best coffee producers in the world. I know I could not just drink that coffee brand exclusively, simply because it does not rank anywhere near what I consider great.

Rocky Mountain Roastery Review: Conclusion

So now I judged Rocky Mountain Roastery on that same scale. Could I just drink Rocky Mountain coffee? I think could and I will tell you why. The energy and focus Rocky Mountain puts into crafting small batch after small batch of beans is a testimony to finding the greatness in the bean itself and the process that brought that bean to the cup. And its ever-changing. Each bean hides a taste and feel that lies just beneath the foundational flavors that represent where that bean came from. The commitment and mastery Rocky Mountain invests into developing all that bean has to offer is something I could certainly enjoy over and over again. And being fully satisfied every time.

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