FAQs
Through strict quality standards and careful selection. Only a small percentage of global coffee production meets 88+ specialty-grade scoring, requiring the right combination of genetics, elevation, climate, soil conditions, precise harvesting at peak ripeness, and meticulous processing and export.
Each coffee is evaluated against these factors and selected only when it meets strict standards for clarity, structure, and overall cup quality.
Coffees scoring 88 points and above represent the upper echelon of excellence—where structure, balance, and distinction become unmistakable. Beginning at this level ensures that every coffee has the inherent potential required for refinement. Select offerings reaching into the 90s are chosen for outstanding character and rarity.
Upon arrival, each coffee is pre-portioned and double vacuum sealed. This process protects freshness, clarity, and aromatic integrity until the moment roasting begins—allowing the coffee to be handled intentionally rather than in bulk.
High-scoring coffees are highly sensitive to repeated exposure. Oxygen, moisture, heat, and light gradually degrade aromatic compounds, soften acidity, and mute structure over time. Each exposure accelerates this process, and without proper storage, noticeable loss of clarity can occur in a matter of weeks.
Light-medium roasting allows the coffee’s origin character to remain expressive while developing greater sweetness, balance, and body.
Compared to very light roasts, light-medium profiles often produce a smoother acidity, fuller texture, and more developed flavor structure without overwhelming the coffee’s natural characteristics. Floral notes, fruit, and clarity can still remain highly present, but with a more refined and approachable cup overall.
Burnett Coffee Roasters uses a precision drum roasting system designed for micro-batch specialty coffee production.
This style of roasting allows for greater control over heat application and roast development, helping preserve clarity, sweetness, structure, and origin character within each coffee.
Why Drum Roasting?
Drum roasting combines conductive and convective heat, creating a slower and more controlled roasting environment compared to many high-airflow systems.
Benefits include:
- Improved sweetness and caramelization
- Greater body and texture
- More even roast development
- Better control over delicate high-elevation coffees
- Enhanced balance between clarity and structure
- Reduced harshness and underdevelopment
This approach works especially well for ultra-premium specialty coffees, including rare varietals and high-scoring microlots where precision and consistency matter.
Each batch is roasted in small quantities to maintain close control over development and cup quality.
Some coffees return; many do not. Single-estate farm offerings are shaped by season, harvest, and availability. When a coffee is gone, it is often gone permanently—this is part of what defines its character.
Even when a coffee is offered again from the same cooperative or single-estate farm in a future year, it will not be identical. Cupping scores, flavor notes, and sensory profiles naturally evolve, as no harvest can be perfectly replicated from one season to the next.
Store coffee in a cool, dry place, away from light and heat. Avoid refrigeration. For best results, open the bag after a brief resting period post-roast and reseal carefully between use.
For coffees scoring 88 points and higher, water quality is critical. Use clean, filtered water with low to moderate mineral content—free of chlorine and heavy alkalinity—so it doesn’t mute acidity or sweetness.
Properly balanced water allows the coffee’s clarity, aromatics, and natural sweetness to fully express themselves.
