Roast Review: Sabbath Coffee Roasters
Blog by: Sheila Murray
I’m honored to be able to introduce you to this next coffee roaster from Clawson, Michigan. Sabbath Coffee Roasters is built on love and connection. The founders, Trevor and Miranda Graham, met over a cup of coffee in 2012 and, thanks to the love and support of family and friends, the Sabbath vision withstood pandemic times and continues to grow!
Sabbath maintains the idea that coffee provides an important respite in the hustle and bustle of our days, and that each sip is an opportunity to celebrate all that is good. I was eager to try a cup for myself and experience this small batch, big-hearted coffee. If you’re in or traveling to the Detroit area, please pop by and try their oatmilk frozen latte for me!
Ritual House Blend
First impressions
Trying the house blend is arguably the best way to get to know a new coffee roaster. I was curious what the Ritual House Blend would tell us about Sabbath! I employed the help of James and Kristina to taste this coffee.
James opened the bag and inhaled the smell of the freshly-roasted beans. He immediately called out its citrusy and sweet nature.
“I just want to keep smelling it,” said Kristina. She had taken the bag next and was wafting the aroma of the coffee toward her nose. She remarked that it was quite light and she appreciated the beautiful caramel color..
I agreed that it was quite bright and enlivening, even just by smell. Personally I noted strawberry, honey, and milk chocolate. I was eager to give it a taste, for it seemed like a delicious blend already!
Both coffees are versatile enough to use as coffee or espresso. Not a bad day when a difficult decision is, “coffee or espresso?”. We went with the coffee for this one!
I heated the water and James set up the Cuppamoka. We made a cup for each of us to enjoy.
Tasting notes
Once we brewed the coffee I noticed a certain blueberry scent that I hadn’t sensed before. I took a sip and was taken by the floral, light, and fruity flavor.
Kristina sensed notes of tea and fruit and said that it was well-balanced. She appreciated how light the overall taste profile was, as she’s not a fan of super dark and bitter coffee. For her, Ritual House Blend was fresh and pleasing.
James was the last to weigh in.
“Oh, it’s so lemony,” he said. He also noted a certain sweetness and citrus acid that was quite awakening and enjoyable.
The reveal
We were not so far off on our blind taste test for this one - I’m impressed! Sabbath says that this coffee has notes of lemon, praline pecan, and berry jam. This is the perfect coffee that you can bring along on a group trip. You’ll be able to enjoy delicious coffee but it’s also a crowd pleaser if you want to share!
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere
I always appreciate when small batch coffee roasters rotate in new single-origin coffees.We were able to try Sabbath’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere, which has since rotated out. You can see their rotating single-origins and all their blends here!
First impressions
James and I tackled this next roast together, and I was in the mood for espresso. I opened the bag and shouted out my first impressions between inhales of the aroma.
“Milk chocolate! Strawberries! Spice! Nuts!”
James took the bag with a laugh, sharing his curiosity to see if he would smell the same.
“Wow,” he said after smelling the beans, “it’s so different from the last one!”
He noted punchy fruit and more of a sweet versus citrus smell than he noted in the Ritual House Blend. We did not agree on the exact notes we were smelling and became curious what tasting notes would reveal themselves once brewed.
James heated the water and ground the beans (using our Exagrind, always!) while I I took out the Picopresso, Gauge. We’ve been absolutely loving all of the Picopresso accessories, which give us both control and a delicious outcome.
Tasting notes
We clinked our espressos together (gently) and took a sip.
James noted florals and sweet fruit on the backend. He appreciated how light this single-origin sipped as an espresso.
I couldn’t agree more. There was a lovely punch of fruit, a round mouthfeel, and floral finish. The more I sipped, the more similarities I could sense between the care put into roasting the single-origin and the Ritual House Blend. This experience showed us that Sabbath Coffee Roasters does a lovely job keeping their coffees light and enlivening!
The reveal
Sabbath says this coffee has notes of juicy fruit, sweetness, fresh apricot, and fresh florals. This coffee will set you up for success before your next adventure day or productive day of work!
