When I began my in-depth foray into the world of small-batch, locally-roasted craft coffee, I hadn’t the faintest idea what I was getting into. Not being a connoisseur, or even a daily drinker for that matter, I can’t proclaim any expertise on the subject. In fact, some would argue that the sissy espresso drink that I’ve been known to order in the past, “decaf, iced, skim milk, one-pump-of-sugarfree-hazelnut-syrup latte” isn’t coffee at all, but merely a way to sound persnickety and insipid before complete strangers.

But tasked with writing about the stuff, I needed first to learn about it. Though I’m certainly more well-versed at this point, I still know relatively little, as the subject is vast. Tasting coffee, with its multitudinous origins, varieties, blends, roasts, grinds and preparations, is every bit as complex and nuanced as the universe of wine, and is considered to be just as personal and subjective an experience. In other words, it’s about what you like; there are no wrong or right answers. And while I now have a much greater knowledge of and appreciation for the process of getting the bean from the burlap sack to the coffee cup, I can’t say it’s changed my taste in the slightest.

Coffee is judged on four characteristics: aroma, body, flavor and acidity. Like many foods and beverages, coffee tastes much like it smells. Body and acidity are evident to anyone, while flavor is discerned based on the individual’s palate. One person may be able to detect the “hint of blackberry” and “faint notes of chocolate,” while another may find the brew to be “nutty” or “earthy.” I’ve always found it’s easier to detect such subtleties after I’ve been told they’re in there.

I tried and evaluated coffees from two local roasting companies. For the most part, I stayed away from bold flavorings, or anything that would mar the purity of the special roasts. Owners, operators, roasters and baristas alike were happy to share the knowledge and passion that they bring to their respective professions.

Astoria Coffee Company

Owner Rick Murray is the go-to guy for coffee beginners as well as the highly experienced. Rick encourages curious parties to sniff beans, taste from demitasse cups and note the sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious differences between the different varieties. With 35 distinct blends on hand, broken into categories of origin and roast characteristics, you’re sure to find your happy place among the lot.

I was granted a behind-the-scenes tour of the premises, where I got to see the 25-pound capacity roaster and the green coffee beans that were to be roasted the following morning. I was then shown two versions of the same Indonesian bean, one roasted medium to a brown and shiny finish, the other roasted dark to an almost black, very oily finish. But as much as roasting time and temperature determine how a coffee will taste, the inherent flavor of each variety of bean is equally responsible. I learned that Indonesian beans are usually less acidic, while East African and Guatemalan beans are more acidic.

Astoria Coffee Company‘s house blend (simply called House Blend’) is a full-bodied, medium roast without a strong aftertaste. Working Girl a darker blend was more acidic and sour. The dark roast Sumatra was smooth and less acidic. It was interesting to note the differences that would have been masked considerably with the addition of cream and sugar, ingredients usually reserved for “free” coffee; the stuff you find in big offices, churches, meetings and events for large groups where coffee is coffee is coffee.

What sets Astoria Coffee Company apart? The coffee they serve you was roasted that very morning and ground to order. All 35 varieties are available in weights as low as 1/4-pound bags. Astoria Coffee Company’s blends are also served at the vegetarian cafe Blue Scorcher.

Columbia River Coffee Roaster

This is a massive operation. Ever hear of Thundermuck? Of course you have. This is where it comes from. Operations manager Jon Reimer walked me through the facility that roasts coffee for more than 100 retailers and coffeeshops (most of them here on the coast) including Kick-Ass, Rusty Cup, Peter Pan Market, Jack’s Country Store, Astoria Co-op, Mariner Market, and of course Three Cups Coffee House, which shares the historic Uniontown Finnish Meat Market building with Columbia River Coffee Roaster. CRCR has two roasters: one a 15-pound capacity model used for smaller batches of special blends, the other a howling, computer-brained behemoth complete with touch screen interface that could moonlight threatening British secret agents in underground lairs when it isn’t spinning 100-pound batches of Thundermuck, French blend “Clatsop Spit” and their other most popular brands. The computerized roaster allows CRCR to keep the coffee incredibly consistent by limiting the human error factor, and makes pulling up past recipes as easy as swiping through an alphabetically-sorted folder on the screen.

Although I’d had Thundermuck before, I’d never had it so fresh from the source. Thundermuck is a dark-roasted, full-bodied coffee with a smooth balance that contributes strongly to its popularity. This is always available at Three Cups and Rusty Cup as house coffee. Jonny Tsunami, named for Reimer, is the blend Three Cups uses for espresso. Roasted less than most espresso blends, Tsunami beans result in a more mellow, smooth and subtle shot, something Reimer tells me more espresso shops are leaning toward. Rusty Cup, however, uses CRCR’s High Water blend for its espresso drinks, a darker, stronger, more robust flavor. I found High Water to be better suited to Rusty Cup signature drinks such as the Mexican Mocha, which boasts chocolate and cinnamon; strong flavors that require a bold blend to stand up to them.

After I finished meeting with these local roasters, laughing and learning and smelling and tasting, I stopped by a nearby Starbucks to see if their convenience and propaganda-based popularity was backed by coffee that would please my freshly-educated palate. I found that not only does the faceless global corporation all calculation, no personality not make as fresh or complex a coffee as I can find here in my own hometown, but the peddlers don’t know squat about what they’re peddling.

Buy locally from the coffee experts.