FAQs
What’s the story behind "Forebears?”
Our forebears are our ancestors. The name Forebears Coffee Roasting pays homage to everyone who helped pave the way to make Forebears possible. On one hand, Forebears honors my family’s heritage and history, and how their legacy has shaped me and led to the creation of this company.
On the other hand, Forebears celebrates the diversity and incredible stories of the people all over the world who produce the coffee we love to drink. With each cup of Forebears, we continue to tell the stories of those who came before us.
What is single-origin coffee?
Put very simply, single-origin coffee is NOT blended. If it’s single-origin, it’s traceable to a single producer, co-op, crop, microlot, region, or country. At Forebears, I only roast single-origin coffees.
Tell me more about blends.
A blend contains coffee beans from multiple origins or producers. For example: your favorite “House Blend” may be a mix of coffee beans from 3-4 different places (e.g. 40% Guatemala, 30% Mexico, 30% Honduras).
Why do you only offer single-origin coffee? (Why don’t you sell blends?)
At Forebears, I want to use each bag of coffee to shine a light on a specific farmer, family business, group of women, and/or co-op. I also want you to be able to experience that unique origin story through every cup that you brew. With single-origin coffee, I can truly highlight the single place, person, or group the coffee comes from in a way that I can’t with blends.
I also think single-origin coffee makes coffee-drinking more fun! With each brew of single-origin coffee, you get to travel the world and experience the distinct flavors of each place that coffee was produced. You can explore the unique differences between a coffee from Africa and a coffee from South America, or compare the nuances between coffee from Chiapas, Mexico versus Oaxaca, Mexico.
How come you don’t put tasting notes on your bags?
Tasting notes are really subjective to the person drinking the coffee, and as much as they can help guide you to make a purchasing decision, they can also turn you away from trying something TRULY delicious. Instead of providing very specific tasting notes, I share general flavor profiles and things you can expect with each roast.
I want your experience of our coffee to be guided less by fancy marketing, and more by the people behind the beans and the craft nature of every roast. No matter what, each bag is going to be delicious because it’s freshly roasted.
How will I know what to buy if I don’t get to read tasting notes?
I find that for MOST coffee drinkers, what’s more helpful for picking out a coffee you’ll enjoy is knowing what kind of roast profile you prefer. In specialty coffee, roast profiles can get all sorts of confusing. However, I make it easy for you by offering 3 basic roast options: Light, Medium, and/or Dark.
What’s the difference between your light, medium, and dark roasts?
Here’s what you can expect with Forebears:
LIGHT: Bright, fruity and/or floral. Thin body (think: skim milk versus whole) and high acidity (like: bright citrus or stone fruit). No oil on the beans.
If you’ve ever thought that the coffee from the cool shop with the fun indoor plants is “too sour,” light roasts probably aren’t for you. But if you love something juicy and nuanced, then let’s get this tropical party started!
MEDIUM: Nutty, milk to semi-sweet chocolate notes. Less acidic (less fruit-forward) and some oil to no oil on the beans.
These are crowd-pleasers and easy-drinkers; just as good in the morning as they are in the afternoon.
DARK: Bold, roasty, dark chocolate-like flavors. Heavier body with more oil to a light sheen of oil on the beans.
Take all of the good things you love about your favorite diner coffee, and scrap any of the bad stuff. This is coffee that’s roasty and toasty, but definitely NOT burnt-tasting.
*Keep in mind: Every roaster has a different definition of/personal take on their roast profiles; the ones shared above are ours.
*Some of our beans may not be available in certain roast profiles. In that scenario, I believe that roast profile won’t be a good match for that bean so I don’t offer it as an option. In all other scenarios, if you’re following the guide above, you can’t go wrong. :)
Why don’t you sell ground beans?
When it comes to coffee, I am steadfast in my belief that fresh is best. This means, freshly roasted beans (after they’ve had some time to degas) and freshly ground beans. The pre-ground stuff stales quicker. My recommendation: buy fresh whole beans and grind them JUST before you brew them. The grinder doesn’t need to be fancy (I’m happy to recommend options for any price level, just email me!), but grinding fresh really does ensure you’re getting the most out of your brew.