Coffee Roasts

The following is a simple explanation about the different degrees of roasting coffee. None of these are intended to be exact guides. There are thousands of permutations depending on the roasting master.

City Roast
This is a very light roast. It is about the light brown color of milk chocolate. Few coffees are well suited to this light a roast; however, there are some blends that are much better suited to the lighter roasting level.

City+ Roast
Slightly darker than the City roast. It is also a milk chocolate color. This is an excellent roast for a light flavor bean that won’t be made into flavored drinks (lattes and the like). It’s best for those who like to drink lighter coffees without anything added. The coffee flavor of lighter beans that are roasted to the City or City + level won’t cut through cream and milk in coffee drinks, leaving these drinks tasting somewhat flat.

Full City Roast
This is the most common roasting level. It is a dark brown color, typically used medium to full-bodied coffees. This roast with a good, strong bean will work very well in flavored drinks or with flavored syrups.

Full City+ Roast
A very dark chocolaty roast. This will really bring out the spicy or “earthy” flavor of robust beans. This roast level is often used for espresso and cappuccinos.

French Roast
This is a very dark almost black bean. Sometimes called Italian roast, this is a good roast for many espressos. (Interesting side note: there is no such thing as “espresso roast” – espresso beans are designated by the flavor of the bean and the level of the grind. Some beans make very good espresso at a lighter roasting level, of Full City or Full City+.

Hayes Station

Where does the name Hayes Station come from? It is the name of the farm owned by my father where I grew up with my brothers. We were a small family dairy farm raising crops like, tobacco, corn, hay and soybeans. Located in the Licking River Valley of Northern Kentucky the farmland is lush and green. Even though I am not living there anymore, Hayes Station Coffee is acknowledgment of my roots.

Custom Roasted Coffee

Coming Soon, Custom Roasted Coffee. In the next few weeks I hopefully will be able to follow a long time interest in providing custom roasted coffee to friends, neighbors and the general public. As soon as permits, etc. are in place you will see a change in this blog listing everything available at Hayes Station Coffee Company.