Our Expertise

Selecting

PapaNicholas understands the variables which dictate great taste. Climate, altitude and soil conditions are all critical factors which vary in premium coffee growing regions. Our family has over one hundred years of experience in selecting, roasting and blending coffees from different origins to arrive at a variety of complex taste profiles.
 

Roasting

Light Roast vs. Dark Roast?

The roast style is a key factor in bringing out the true essence of a specialty coffee. At PapaNicholas Coffee we use a traditional five-tiered scale to indicate roast type:

• American Roast
• Full City Roast
• Viennese Roast
• French Roast
• Italian/Espresso Roast

Typically, a lighter roasted coffee will have a smoother and sweeter flavor throughout the entire tasting experience. As the coffee roast gets darker, an experienced pallet will pick-up a strong/"fruity" note early, with a smooth finish. Please note that these are general references and that the origin of the coffee bean will also dictate specific taste profiles.
 

Blending

Premium coffee is often compared to wine, in that both beverages derive critical taste elements based on the raw materials used and the way they are processed. In the wine world, Merlot has become widely popular, because vintners have discovered that they can deliver complexity by combining different grapes.

The Papanicholas Family has been roasting and blending coffee for over one hundred years. Early on, family members discovered the benefits of combining coffees from different origins, to deliver more complex cups of coffee that were rich and full-bodied. When the first blends were developed, different coffees were put in the roaster together, because there was really no better alternative. The family understood the taste characteristics associated with different coffees from different origins. While some coffees might contain superior fruity essence, they sometimes lack body, or mouth-feel, that translate into richness. So for over one hundred years, the family has experimented with different combinations, taking that fruity coffee, and combining it with a coffee that delivers great body, to develop a superior cup.

Packing and Distribution

PapaNicholas has always, and I mean ALWAYS, had freshness as it's #1 priority. From the point of origin, we are continually seeking ways to enhance freshness. About a year ago we made a decision to keep the majority of our green coffee supplies in a temperature-controlled underground storage facility as just another measure to maximize the freshness equation. As a company, we have always used a "Fast-Pack" system, which minimizes the time from the Roaster (Big Brown) to the package. We are continually evaluating the freshness of our packaging, and investigating new packaging options that lead to greater freshness. While it has been an industry standard for premium roasters to use one-way valves as a freshness measure on large coffee bags, PapaNicholas was a leader in utilizing a one-way freshness valve on our 1.75-ounce Single Pot Pack. We realized that this is often a consumers way of "dipping their toe" in the premium coffee "pool" and we wanted a consumer's 'first dip" in our product to be as fresh as the larger offerings.

But freshness doesn't stop at the packaging line, because we use a "Roast to Order" system in processing orders. This allows us to move the freshest possible product through the system which maximizes the consumer coffee drinking experience with GREAT FRESH COFFEE!