Summer coffee is bright. It is made for long light and open windows. Fall asks for something else.
The mornings start cold now. The dark lingers at both ends of the day. The cup has more work to do.
So our fall coffee moves with the season. We chose four for fall, each a little deeper than what came before. Medium and medium dark roasts. More body. More warmth. Each one is named for something the mountains do this time of year.
For the first frost.
In the mountains a warm wind can come down in the night and take the snow with it by morning. It is called a snow eater. Snow Eater makes the same kind of turn. It opens bright and finishes deeper. It is the bridge from summer into fall.
For the long view.
Fall in the West is a season of distance. The air clears. You can see farther than you could all summer. Big Sky is cocoa, caramel and vanilla. A sweet steady cup for wide open days.
For the first snow.
Cold smoke is the lightest powder there is. It drifts off the ridge like smoke in still air. This coffee drinks the same way. Dark chocolate. Dried fruit. Earth. It lingers. Cold Smoke
For the last light.
Illumination Rock sits high on Mount Hood where the alpine glow lands last. These Guatemala beans rest thirty days in bourbon barrels before roasting. What remains is soft oak and a smooth sweetness. Illumination Rock is the cup for the end of the day.
Choosing a fall coffee.
Light roasts taste of fruit and flowers. They suit the warm months. As the days cool, a medium or medium dark roast brings chocolate, caramel and spice forward, with a fuller body. All four come as whole bean. Grind just before you brew. A French press or a pour over suits every one of them.
Together they carry a fall day from first frost to last light. Pour one and watch the season turn.