Behind the Roast | Nolan from Visible Coffee Roasters
So, you stumbled into Assembly and saw some new beans on the shelf from our Guest Roaster, and you were like, “what is this Visible Coffee Roasters all about?”. It’s simple, they make really delicious, locally roasted coffee! As well they have two shops in the Seattle Metropolitan area where they invite you to come in for a drink and to be seen, heard, and loved. It’s refreshing to find other purveyors that believe that coffee should be a good time, and of course, not some snooty. Good human, musician, husband and Coffee Director over at Visible, Nolan shares a little bit on how they live these values by keeping it fun and approachable, both in their stores and during those moments of what can be described as, um, "stressful" work shifts.
Spilling the Beans on Roasting, Choosing Beans Like a Boss
Nolan, six years deep in the coffee game, shares how when the chance to roast came knocking at Visible, he jumped on it like it was the last cup of coffee on Earth. "I read all the books, took online classes – basically, I caffeinated my brain to roast with joy ever since!"
“We roast two or three times per week and it begins with preparing for the week by knowing exactly what we need to roast through planning ahead on Monday. We hand measure each batch, and use a roasting software to keep each batch consistent with the last. One of the amazing things about being a small batch roaster is that we hand pack each bag that we use every single time And it is always fresh!
Nolan says they aim for the best in the world. "We stick with some mainstays, but we also throw in seasonal beans to keep things interesting. You know, keep the coffee party lively."
Meet the Silent Partner: The Coffee Roaster
The roasting goes down on a Diedrich IR-3 machine. But does this beast have a name? Nope. Nolan's throwing that hot potato to us. "It does not have a name… any suggestions?”
We will have Visible in all November and December so come on in to try their Winter Blend in a Pour over or take home your own bag of the House Roast, Winter Blend or Bourbon Barrel Aged beans!