The R-evolution of a Coffee Lover
	My earliest memories of coffee emerged from the old Savarin commercials that had a character named El Exigente - "The Demanding One." In the commercial, he'd sit down and taste a cup of coffee. All the local villagers crowded around him in anticipation of his opinion. If he smiled, the entire community rejoiced because El Exigente only chose those coffee beans that are deemed to be of the finest quality. When I began drinking coffee, I brewed Café Bustelo in a colador or a moka pot. I'd prepare a typical café con leche with two spoonfuls of sugar. So how did this coffee taste? Syrupy sweet. Much later, I joined the masses: Starbucks was my caffeine kick. And how did that coffee taste? Bitter. And pricey.
I wanted more aromatics, balance and flavor. Just like El Exigente. So I embarked on a journey. In 2002, I began to home roast using a Fresh Roast 8 Roaster. I was amazed at the aromatics, the tastes, the subtle changes in flavor as the coffee cooled in my cup. This was the first time I tasted coffee the way it was intended: fresh.
I roasted for friends and family and fine tuned my skill. It did not take long for them to change from their coladores or drip coffee makers for a French Presses and Unclebeanz Coffee.
Going pro was all together different. Getting to REALLY know the intricacies of coffee has taken a lot of hard work and commitment. Roasting coffee is an art form. Each coffee bean has a different size, shape, color, and density which requires a masterful roasting process to coax out it’s full flavor potential. Artisan roasted coffee tastes superior than mass roasted coffee because only hand-crafting allows the proper adjustments to be made in the roasting process to capture the subtle nuances of each bean.