In this episode, Kenneth sits down with John Lawrence the Co-founder and owner of Mudhouse Coffee Roasters in Charlottesville, Virginia. John has been creating specialty coffee for 20+ years. In 2014, he and his co-founder became licensed Q graders. They were also Roast Magazine´s Coffee Roaster of the Year, in 2017.

They talk about the specialty coffee movement and how this approach ensures that you get the best from every bean. John also speaks about the new Panamanian specialty coffee farm he is developing with a partner. He provides a fascinating insight into what it takes to source and prepare the land, plant & take care of the coffee bushes and the ecosystem they are growing in. They round off the episode by discussing the new super specialty coffees that are made with experimental varieties and processing techniques.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Specialty coffee is sustainably produced and has a superior cup quality and taste.
• The term 'specialty coffee' has been around since 1974.
• There is a lot of pride in the way specialty coffee is produced and made. Everyone brings their best, at every stage of the process.
• It only takes one underripe cherry, impurity, or foreign object to ruin your cup of coffee.
• Sustainable coffee farmers take care of the soil and the ecology of the area they are farming.
• Specialty farmers protect and nourish their bushes without using chemical herbicides or pesticides.
• There is more to coffee. More to discover and learn about. Take Geisha coffee for example.
• Super specialty coffees are the next iteration.
• In time, people will start talking about the different types of coffee like they do with wine now.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Specialty coffee is a sustainably produced product, and we all have a responsibility to that.’ 

‘A defect in just one bean can destroy a cup or decanter pot.’

‘For specialty coffee, there is more to come – more to discover, learn about and create out of.’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Mudhouse Specialty Coffee Roasters website: https://mudhouse.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Award-winning single-origin specialty coffee: https://umblecoffee.com/

You’re disciplined and high achieving. You never settle. Shouldn’t the fuel that helps you reach your goals be held to those same standards? Instead of a crash-inducing cup of jo, you need coffee with optimal antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. A coffee so good that you can drink it black.

At Umble Coffee, we only roast specialty-grade arabica coffee from around the world with cupping scores 84 and above. Don’t sabotage yourself in pursuing your goals - drink coffee that tastes better and is better for you. No crash, great taste, and better long-term health benefits. That’s Umble Coffee. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umblecoffee/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umblecoffee/
Twitter:  https://mobile.twitter.com/umblecoffee

ABOUT THE HOST

As a coffee lover, physician, chemical engineer, serial entrepreneur, competitive runner, writer, and family man, Kenneth knows what it’s like to push yourself to achieve goals very few accomplish. He’s one of the best specialty coffee roasters in the United States as he’s a multi-year US Coffee Roasters’ Competition Finalist. He created Umble Coffee Co with the belief that, if sourced and roasted right, coffee can taste phenomenal and be good for you.

“Life’s too short to drink bad coffee.”

CONTACT METHOD
Want to reach Kenneth? Have questions, show ideas, or want to just let us know you’re enjoying the show? The best way is to leave us a great review and put your thoughts in the comment section - Kenneth reads all of them! The second-best way is through DM on social media.

HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW
Enjoying the show?!  We’d love for you to leave us a review. It helps us grow and educate more people about coffee! Here’s how: if you’re on apple podcasts, ‘search’ for us as if you didn’t already follow the show. When you click on the show, scroll down to ratings and you’ll see where you can leave a rating. Spotify is a little easier - follow and listen to the podcast, then you can rate and review it.

Podcast Description
Coffee 101 is an educational show on all things coffee. The host, Kenneth Thomas, starts with the most basic questions about coffee and builds your knowledge from there. If you love coffee, are curious about coffee, or you’re a business just looking for a resource to train your team, Coffee 101 is without question the show for you! 

Season 1 - Coffee's Journey From Seed to Shelf