Never Before Have I Believed in a Coffee Company
I have loved several coffee shops in my day, but until now I have never believed in one. I actually haven't been to the coffee shop in Boulder, but I did spend some time with Gerry Leary, the owner, master roaster, and visionary of The Unseen Bean, and here is my story.
I was informed by my dad that my uncle knew a guy who roasts his own coffee in Longmont and sells it at his local coffee shop in Boulder. Intrigued with such news, I wondered if I could somehow spend a day with Gerry and see how the whole roasting process works. I contacted my uncle and he informed me we could stop by and hangout for awhile. When we finally got there, this is what happened.
The Unseen Bean isn't just a name whimsically dreamed up. In fact the name has extreme relevance. Gerry, the owner has been blind since birth. He used to be a Porsche mechanic but got bored and wanted to get into the coffee business. No one would teach him how to roast coffee by justifying their answer saying that coffee beans need to be seen in order to get the perfect roast. Not taking no for an answer, Gerry finally found someone in California who would teach him how to roast based on temperature and sound. So it all began. Two years ago Gerry bought a small roaster that roasted half a pound at a time. He would roast coffee for friends, and finally made enough to buy a bigger roaster and open a store off Pearl Street in Boulder. He has done well, and here was my experience.
When we got there, Gerry was roasting a batch of coffee from Zambia. To my left were raw coffee beans and to my right were freshly roasted coffee beans. He explained the process of roasting by hearing the cracks and following the temperature. He had a thermometer that would relay the numbers by sound since he obviously couldn't read the display. After the batch was done roasting, it was ready for cooling. He then made roasted some coffee from Ethiopia then Panama. He explained why the Zambian coffee roasted 3 seconds longer than the Ethiopian and why the Panaman roasted a whole 30 seconds quicker than the Ethiopian.
While we were there he gave us an espresso chocolate bar made from his coffee, of course a cup of coffee from the freshly roasted beans, and I bought a pound of coffee in support of his business. When I asked if I could try a freshly roasted bean, he replied, "Take several. Take a handful. Try them all." He sent me off with two bags that the raw beans came in, one from Zambia, and the other from Panama coincidentally enough. Midnight, his dog that's displayed on the company logo, meandered inside and out. He slept and stared. He knew his place in the business and helped out.
It wasn't as though Gerry was flawless either. Since he was blind he could be seen listening to his laptop as he filled out invoices. He often stumbled as he would run into buckets of beans. He obviously had to feel his way through the warehouse. That made me respect him and his business so much more.
The Unseen Bean put a whole new perspective on coffee for me. It is no longer just a fluid that I drink for taste or energy. I will now taste the process, the passion, and the privity. I will wholeheartedly support Gerry and his company, because I saw his zeal and love for coffee. He didn't let an "impairment" hinder him; rather he pushed forward and started one of, if not, the most respectable coffee companies in Colorado.
I was informed by my dad that my uncle knew a guy who roasts his own coffee in Longmont and sells it at his local coffee shop in Boulder. Intrigued with such news, I wondered if I could somehow spend a day with Gerry and see how the whole roasting process works. I contacted my uncle and he informed me we could stop by and hangout for awhile. When we finally got there, this is what happened.
The Unseen Bean isn't just a name whimsically dreamed up. In fact the name has extreme relevance. Gerry, the owner has been blind since birth. He used to be a Porsche mechanic but got bored and wanted to get into the coffee business. No one would teach him how to roast coffee by justifying their answer saying that coffee beans need to be seen in order to get the perfect roast. Not taking no for an answer, Gerry finally found someone in California who would teach him how to roast based on temperature and sound. So it all began. Two years ago Gerry bought a small roaster that roasted half a pound at a time. He would roast coffee for friends, and finally made enough to buy a bigger roaster and open a store off Pearl Street in Boulder. He has done well, and here was my experience.
When we got there, Gerry was roasting a batch of coffee from Zambia. To my left were raw coffee beans and to my right were freshly roasted coffee beans. He explained the process of roasting by hearing the cracks and following the temperature. He had a thermometer that would relay the numbers by sound since he obviously couldn't read the display. After the batch was done roasting, it was ready for cooling. He then made roasted some coffee from Ethiopia then Panama. He explained why the Zambian coffee roasted 3 seconds longer than the Ethiopian and why the Panaman roasted a whole 30 seconds quicker than the Ethiopian.
While we were there he gave us an espresso chocolate bar made from his coffee, of course a cup of coffee from the freshly roasted beans, and I bought a pound of coffee in support of his business. When I asked if I could try a freshly roasted bean, he replied, "Take several. Take a handful. Try them all." He sent me off with two bags that the raw beans came in, one from Zambia, and the other from Panama coincidentally enough. Midnight, his dog that's displayed on the company logo, meandered inside and out. He slept and stared. He knew his place in the business and helped out.
It wasn't as though Gerry was flawless either. Since he was blind he could be seen listening to his laptop as he filled out invoices. He often stumbled as he would run into buckets of beans. He obviously had to feel his way through the warehouse. That made me respect him and his business so much more.
The Unseen Bean put a whole new perspective on coffee for me. It is no longer just a fluid that I drink for taste or energy. I will now taste the process, the passion, and the privity. I will wholeheartedly support Gerry and his company, because I saw his zeal and love for coffee. He didn't let an "impairment" hinder him; rather he pushed forward and started one of, if not, the most respectable coffee companies in Colorado.
1 comments:
Sean, that makes me want to spew the cup of Starbucks out of my mouth I just drank.
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