Word on the street is Quills is in the roasting biz. It’s all true. Roasting coffee has been part of our vision from the beginning, but now it's a reality. Once we landed our little roaster that could and a place to do its the thang, we have been full speed ahead.
The question of the day is who is behind this magical experience. The answer is our very own John Letoto. Hired on for his expert coffee knowledge and home roasting skills, John has taken on all parts of becoming a barista in addition to spearheading our roasting endeavors.
Spying on John as he roasts at our future New Albany location, it’s easy to see how much John loves coffee. With scribbled notes on paper, iPad documents and timers, John has it all down to an art. The complexity and the challenge is what John loves about roasting coffee.
He says it is intriguing to take something raw and make it this delicious thing that opens people’s eyes to the rich flavors coffee can have, much different than what they are brought up thinking coffee should taste like.
It is that moment that motivates John. Once someone tastes a quality roasted coffee, they are hooked, they want to know more and more. Being part of the experience that excites folks about coffee is tops on the list for John.
The support and comradery of being part of a small number of small batch coffee roasters in the country is nice too. Because there is always something to learn to further coffee, the support and info sharing done between them makes roasting better for John, and coffee quality better for everyone.
Being a part of the roasting and the brew process provides a deeper insight to the flavor profile of the coffee. Knowing how the coffee is going to be brewed allows John the chance to adjust the roasting to fit the extraction process. The details are everything.
Sniffing and watching the beans while they roast, John takes in every detail of the process. John is coffee obsessed to say the least, sharing his personal thoughts on coffee on his blog www.hermitudinous.com. This obsession makes him a perfect fit for Team Quills. Thank you John, for all that you do.