QUESTIONS

In an (over)saturated coffee market, where value is often dictated by visual appeal in both digital and physical worlds, one might wonder what makes this coffee any more special than what you would buy elsewhere. Fair question! The answer is everything and nothing. I am just an(other) coffee buyer, roaster, barista, taster, and business owner selling you just an(other) bag of coffee beans. I am only one star in the vast coffee galaxy, one among many specialty coffee roasters doing my best to offer you a great product.

Yet, every coffee is unique, just like every star. In each cup, we can appreciate its complex, multifaceted nature, birthed from a beautifully versatile plant. A host of (other) factors contribute to this uniqueness – tree varietal and age; soil composition; temperature; humidity; rainfall; fungi; bugs; macro–, micro–, and regional climatic variables; fermentation and processing; exporting conditions; roasting; and brewing. A sequence of small and large, controlled and uncontrolled factors all play a part in the cup’s composition. Coffee seeds (a.k.a. beans) are packed with incredible flavor potential and can taste like many things at once. This is often why specialty coffee packaging includes descriptors, such as “starfruit,” “peach,” or “spices.” Roasters and tasters are pointing to (assumed) commonly understood flavors to describe what they perceive to be happening in the cup. However, taste is subjective, and I don’t want to define yours – I include a few flavor notes for each coffee to help you with purchasing decisions.

The parentheses are meant to capture two sides of the same coin and to emphasize other things of value in the coffee universe besides what we taste (although taste does matter).

Most business operations take place at home in Arlington, MA – roasting coffee samples and small batches (1 pound at a time) on a Huky 500T, cupping, packaging, etc. I rent time on a Loring S7 at an industrial coffee roasting facility in Rockland, MA, where I can roast larger batches (up to 14 pounds). I specifically sought out someone with a Loring, because it has a smaller environmental footprint than traditional roasters (without getting into the weeds, it uses less gas). Doing business this way helps me keep my overhead low, allowing me to spend as much as possible on the coffees I purchase and, therefore, invest in the lives of people who grow them. The coffee you receive from me could be roasted on either of these machines.

We sell coffee here and through wholesale accounts, which is our avenue into brick-and-mortar environments. Check out some of the lovely spots where A(O) coffee shows up in retail bags, beverages, and/or popups. Contact us about wholesale.

This small business aims to centralize coffee farmers and producers, rather than consumers, as the primary concern. Without farmers, there would be no coffee! If you picture the solar system, I want farmers to be the sun, with coffee industry workers (like myself) and consumers as surrounding planets. I’ve done my best to structure my operation around this ethos.

That said, I am methodical, thoughtful, and intentional about who I purchase my coffee from (not to suggest that others aren’t!). I prefer to develop close relationships with people who I believe uphold just values and equitable business practices. This means that my origin offerings do not represent every growing region and country, because I have not done the groundwork to establish trust in a business relationship. I do, however, offer some different processing methods (e.g., honey, natural, washed) from exporters whom I trust to provide what variety I can.

I am actively working to include tasty offerings from all over the wide world of coffee. Stay tuned!

Much coffee cultivated around the globe is organic, but it’s simply not certified organic. Many small farms may not apply chemical pesticides or herbicides to their coffee trees. Those chemicals are expensive, and in most cases, the desired effect/result is achievable with natural (technically organic) ingredients that don’t contain synthetic chemicals. At any given time, ~1-3 coffees in the shop are organic, although they are not marketed as such (since they are not certified organic). I trust the word of exporters and farmers I purchase from regarding agricultural practices.

Marketing certified organic coffee is a good thing – it benefits farms, farmers, and customers who aim to be conscious consumers. That said, organic certifications are too expensive for many coffee farmers to obtain, and the process requires a substantial investment to complete. Some larger farms might consider this worthwhile for a portion or the totality of their crops. However, for smaller farms, which we typically purchase coffee from, organic certifications aren’t always financially feasible.

Yes! Check out our Wholesale page for more information!

I would love to connect and chat about whatever your coffee needs are. If you are interested in exploring what’s possible or what an account could look like, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

I offer samples to folks interested in setting up wholesale accounts (see previous question).

Unfortunately, I am not able to roast samples for all customers (yet). I am happy to chat with you about my coffee offerings if you are unsure about committing to a full 12-ounce bag! Occasionally, I may slip a sample into your package. No guarantees, but you might get a surprise.

Yes! Feel free to reach out to me anytime. I am happy to connect about all things coffee and to consider which of my offerings would be the best fit for your palette, preferences, and brew routine. I have worked in many different coffee settings and feel passionate about meeting consumers wherever they are on the coffee spectrum. While there are many wonderful things about the specialty coffee industry, one of its weaknesses is that it can be* inaccessible and exclusionary. I do not want to perpetuate this reality; I hope you find your an(other) coffee experience to be welcoming, enjoyable, and educational.

*This is not a blanket statement, nor is it true of every person or company working in specialty coffee. However, the trend is common and evident enough that many consumers I’ve encountered have expressed this sentiment. I think it’s important that we (the industry) attend to this.

Coffee people use industry-specific terminology to describe various processes, aspects, and characteristics. Some words might be familiar to you from another context; many terms are borrowed from adjacent industries (such as agriculture, wine, and beer). We don’t want the use of particular words or phrases to be a barrier, which is why we’ve created a Glossary with a brief list of terms that we use on our website and packaging, as well as some of the vernacular from coffee culture. Feel free to contact us if you have suggestions about other words you would like to see on the list. We welcome the feedback!