with her roaster . “ The machine is an extension of my body at this point ,” she says . “ I ’ ve replaced solenoids by myself , I ’ ve replaced engines that needed new bearings , and I ’ ve replaced ignition switches . Whenever I call up Mill City , I get to talk to people that built the roasters , including a very helpful engineer named Aziz who always responds promptly whenever I leave a message . I can talk to them over FaceTime with the electrical engineers who will walk me through how to replace something . It ’ s great to work with another small business that cares about their products and the overall customer experience as much as I do .”
In addition to working with complex machinery in her roastery , Bryant also has to take into account complex flavor profiles and tasting notes while roasting her beans . “ Not many people know this , but coffee actually has more flavor notes than wine ,” says Bryant . “ The flavor notes are influenced by many different factors , including the density , the geographic location where the coffee is grown , the terroir and elevation , and the varietal .” To that end , the variations in the density and varietal type of the “ single-origin ” coffee beans that Bryant uses determine the ideal temperature sequences for her roasts . Each single-origin coffee is sourced from a particular area and particular type of coffee plant , as opposed to blends , which are comprised of multiple different strains of coffee bean . Bryant explains that every singleorigin coffee is different in terms of the ideal roast temperature . “ The denser beans – such as one of the Costa Rican coffees I use – always take longer to roast . I ’ ve become increasingly aware of the subtle differences between the beans as I ’ ve progressed in my roasting career .” Bryant says that she can now look at certain types of green coffee beans and know what type of coffee they are from the smell . “ Many Ethiopian coffees I work with have an unmistakable smell of chocolate covered cherries . Each coffee has its own signature aroma and scent .”
Bryant describes her personal coffee taste as bold and complex . “ I tend to prefer the African coffees . They are very lively in terms of flavor . They have a fruit forward quality . I myself go towards Ethiopian or Kenyan coffees . You ’ re not going to get that ‘ one-note ’ chocolatey taste with them .” Bryant ’ s most popular coffee is her proprietary blend , which she named “ Cat ’ s Meow .” The Cat ’ s Meow blend is made using a mix of Colombian , Sumatran , and Ethiopian coffees . “ It ’ s extremely well-balanced ,” says Bryant . “ You get a little fruit from Africa , a little chocolate from South America , and a little bit of that earthy grounding taste from Sumatra . It would be like the base note in a perfume . It ’ s a really well-rounded and structured coffee .”
Although Bryant takes great pride in all of her coffees and the farmers that produce them , she holds a special place in her heart for a female-owned micro-lab coffee collaborative in Honduras . “ As a female business owner , it ’ s great to be able to sell a coffee that was farmed , cupped , and tested by fellow female business owners . I put a lot of work into my coffee and building my business , and I ’ m grateful to provide a platform to sell coffee from farmers who hold the same values .”
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