Estate Coffee & Santa Barbara - Local Roaster Review

Estate Coffee Company is another coffee roaster in San Antonio (located on E. Houston St. downtown) that we were eager to try. We picked up a bag of the Santa Barbara (pre-germ washed) the day after it was roasted. What freshness!

Estate Coffee labeled this bag as having balanced notes of citrus and toffee – two of my favorite coffee flavors. From the bag, it smells very toffee forward but once brewed and sitting in the French press, I smelled a strong citrus aroma. 

These beans have a rich coffee depth and a hint of dryness. The citrus flavors start subtle and flare up at the back, even though I was expecting more of a punch because of the strong aromas. The toffee is not overly sweet or present in flavor and instead contributes more to the creaminess of the coffee. Although the brew smelled strongly of both flavors, it really was well balanced.

An interesting aspect of their bag and company was the MASL labels. After some research, MASL refers to the meters above sea level - which means the Santa Barbara we bought was grown at 1,432 meters above sea level, which is 4,698 ft (or 0.89 of a mile). Researchers have seen that coffee grown at a higher altitude tends to mature slower and have a denser bean. Denser beans roast more evenly as a result. High altitude beans are often a higher quality and have a higher acidity. 

This is a smooth, dark coffee with a mild acidity that has been roasted perfectly to highlight the balance of flavors. It has a nice caffeine and acidic balance, deep flavors, and is perfect for year round enjoyment.

Head to Estate Coffee downtown next time you are on an adventure and pick up a bag. They have quite a few to choose from, but this Santa Barbara will not disappoint.

Cheers,

Mrs. Brew