As a tiny organic Spokane roastery, we have gained access to some unbelievably delicious and unique coffees. Some customers rely on us for the consistent comfort of their favorite beans and for others we are a conduit for the interesting and rare. At the same time, Roast House committed from the very beginning to fight for old-growth forests, for water sources, and for the people of coffee-growing regions by serving exclusively organic coffees.
We are able to continue to adapt our way of hitting these goals by very intentionally cultivating relationships with both our importing and agricultural partners. Over the years your preferred flavor and cup profiles allows us to have continued support of these farms and co-ops. In turn, it allows them to invest in the infrastructure and labor it takes to produce the badass beans like the ones we are featuring this summer.
You may recognize Peru Rutas del Inca as a cornerstone of Roast House's offerings. The coffee shines solo, and also gives life to some of our favorite blends. This five-year relationship coffee has weathered literal droughts, storms, and pestilence! As coffee crops fluctuate season to season and year to year due to natural circumstances (weather, water access, etc) the conventional coffee economic wheel can cause the commodification of entire farms and communities of people. Producers might only be paid a fraction of the amount of money invested into the crop, or may be left without any buyer at all. In these instances the quality of the coffee either tanks or stagnates across the board. We see that when producers have a financial commitment from a buyer, the coffee quality is able to be increased to new levels and better withstand the trials of being an agricultural product.
Through the investment of our importing partner, Sustainable Harvest, we are able to have access to Rutas del Inca's micro-lot, El Chasqui! Named after the messengers that carried secret messages throughout the entire Incan empire on behalf of the Emperor. This lot represents 6 producers from Rutas' 278 members. Kyle and Aaron have dialed in the roast to marry complexity and drinkability. Starting with a cacao-laced body, the flavor slides into the fruit category for a stone fruit finish reminiscent of cherries and nectarines!
Brazil Daterra's Sweet Blue first visited our Tasting Room as a limited release, but we quickly brought her back to become a beloved staple of the sweet-bean lineup (it was the only way to get Deb to stop screaming). Five years later, Organic Products Trading contacted us to participate in the sampling and auction for the unveiling of the Masterpiece collection, a series of experimental lots on Daterra's farm. Cupping 14 coffees, Kyle set his sipper on the Catira and promised us funky fruits and a sweetly dynamic cup. A month later, Aaron spent hours in an auction battling to secure this lovely coffee. *BRAG ALERT*: We are one of 3 roasters in the whole world that got our hands on this lot! To try this anywhere else you'll have to make a trip to Singapore or Australia.
Visit the Tasting Room to see our special Catira Tasting Menu or El Chasqui on our Modbar pour-over system.
At a distance? Not to worry, you can scoop up El Chasqui and Catira and have it shipped right to your doorstep!
