03-29-2015, 08:13 AM
A local coffee shop just opened that features beans from Counter Culture. Their beans make excellent coffee. At the typically optimal temperature and grind, it produces smooth and well balanced between brightness (aka sour) and bold (aka bitter). Not the best results I've had at home. That distinction still belongs to a local roaster Barrington with another local roaster gracenote coming in a close second. I don't recommend either unless you live in Massachusetts. My experience has been that you do get better results from local roasters because they optimize for local water conditions.
What business nerd here admires is Counter Culture's business plan. Counter Culture has set up a supply chain that should scale quality nationally better than anybody else. They don't open coffee shops, leaving the direct customer experience to local entrepreneurs. They roast the beans at regional centers so that they can presumably optimize roasting to local water conditions. This has resulted in a superior product to Starbucks or Peet's. If there's a local shop that sells their beans, I recommend trying them.
What business nerd here admires is Counter Culture's business plan. Counter Culture has set up a supply chain that should scale quality nationally better than anybody else. They don't open coffee shops, leaving the direct customer experience to local entrepreneurs. They roast the beans at regional centers so that they can presumably optimize roasting to local water conditions. This has resulted in a superior product to Starbucks or Peet's. If there's a local shop that sells their beans, I recommend trying them.