Coffee

What is ‘Specialty Coffee’?

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) defines ‘specialty coffee’ as Arabica coffee with a cup score of 80+ points on a 100-point grading system. The coffee must be cupped by a certified Q-Grader, or quality grader, who is credentialed to score coffees based on the standards developed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA).

Pilot Coffee only sources coffees that have received a grading of 84-points or higher.

What is ‘Direct Trade’ coffee?

Direct Trade means working directly with the producers who share their high quality specialty coffees with the roastery. It’s a sourcing philosophy that emphasizes genuine relationships, mutual benefit and full transparency between producer, roaster and consumer. Through Direct Trade, we know the premium prices we pay go straight into the hands of our producer partners. And by travelling to origin regularly, we know first-hand that each coffee we purchase has been produced ethically, sustainably and with the highest level of skill and care.

While Direct Trade is not always accessible for a variety of reasons, most of the coffees we source meet our Direct Trade policy standard. Look for the Direct Trade icon on our bags that indicate when this standard has been met.

To learn more about our sourcing philosophy visit our Direct Trade page.

What is your roast style?

As roasters we target the sweetest point in each coffee's development. We believe that point is typically unlocked within the spectrum of a medium roast, which produces a clear expression of each coffee's unique profile. This philosophy–known as omni-roasting–gives you the flexibility to enjoy our entire lineup of coffees by any brew method: from filter to espresso!

Which coffees are best for espresso?

Our coffees are roasted to be enjoyed with all brewing methods.

We follow a philosophy known as omni-roasting which means the coffee has been roasted to be prepared and enjoyed with any brewing method from filter to espresso, it all comes down to personal preference!

If you’re interested in a classic espresso profile that’s available year round, you may want to try Heritage, our signature blend served as espresso at all of our cafe locations.

Where can I find the brewing parameter guides for the coffee?

The brewing parameters as well as our At Home Brewing Guides can be found under the Learn menu on our website. Click here to visit the parameter guides page.

Is your coffee flavoured?

None of our coffees have added flavouring. The tasting notes listed on the packaging are the natural flavour notes of the coffee that our team of coffee experts has identified during the cupping process, similar to they way a sommelier would identify tasting notes in a wine. These naturally occurring tasting notes found in the coffee cherries are then further brought out through roasting. You can read more on tasting notes below!

How much caffeine is in your coffee?

Unfortunately we're not able to provide the caffeine content for our coffee beans. There are a lot of variables that will affect the caffeine content of a beverage, including the exact dry dose of coffee used each time, brewing method and extraction time.

If brewing at home and trying to reduce, but not avoid caffeine altogether, brewing with a blend of your favourite beans and a decaffeinated coffee like Catalyst can be an enjoyable way to reduce caffeine intake.

How is the decaf coffee processed?

Our Catalyst decaf coffee is decaffeinated by Descafecol: the first and only decaffeination plant in Colombia. 

Descafecol uses sugar cane Ethyl Acetate decaffeination which is a natural decaffeination process that maintains the integrity of green coffee flavour. Not only does EA processing provide excellent, even sweeter cup quality, a decaffeination partnership with the coffee producer at origin lowers our carbon footprint and is more environmentally friendly.

If you'd like, you can read for more information on the EA decaffeination process from Descafecol here.  

How to read our coffee bag labels

While we appreciate the nuance of every bean, we also understand that palates and taste preferences vary. To help you find the perfect cup, we share the following details on our bags and labels:

Origin Details:

All single origin coffee labels include country, growing region, growing altitude, farm name, producer name and coffee varietal.

Tasting Notes:

Our roasters will taste and assess each coffee to identify three distinct tasting notes; the first two describe taste and the third describes the texture or ‘mouthfeel.’

Roast Profile Sliding Scale:

Our custom 'Light-to-Dark' scale represents a spectrum within our medium roast profile. Coffees on the 'Light Roast' end of the scale will typically be more 'Adventurous', while coffees on the 'Dark Roast' end will be more 'Classic'.

Roast Date:

We roast, bag and ship our coffee Monday through Friday. Coffee ordered online will typically arrive within seven days of its roast date.

Best Before Date:

While your coffee won't 'go bad', the complexity and intensity of flavour will diminish over time. Your coffee is optimal for brewing one week after the roast date, and we recommend enjoying your coffee within six months of roasting.

'Direct Trade' Icon:

Direct Trade means 'relationship coffee'. These coffees are purchased directly from our producer partners and allow us to share their unique story. Learn more about Direct Trade.

Biotre 2.0 Logo:

Our 300g coffee bags are made from renewable and compostable resources such as wood pulp. BiotrēTM is an environmentally friendly option that uses less fossil fuels during manufacturing and has a significantly lower carbon footprint than most packaging on the market. Additionally, our bags are resealable and feature a degassing value to maintain each coffees quality.

'Limited Edition' Seal:

Limited Edition coffees are particularly rare or unique and available in limited quantities. We only released a handful of these special coffees per year.

Do you sell green coffee beans?

Green coffee beans are not available for purchase, all beans available for purchase are roasted by Pilot Coffee Roasters.

Can you roast my green coffee beans for me?

Unfortunately we're not able to offer custom roasting services for personal green bean supplies.

Why did the retail bag size change?

After lots of testing and research, we feel the 300g best represents our commitment to quality. Every coffee is unique and bean sizes vary. When we roast larger beans – like Pacamara or Maragogipe – we must provide enough space in each bag for proper sealing and degassing. A 300g fill supports a wider range of bean sizes, ensuring that every bag and every bean will stay fresh for as long as possible.