Roast Review- Treeline Coffee Roasters
Treeline Coffee Roasters, of Bozeman Montana, caught my eye when I saw they “brew for adventure.” What could be better to pair with Wacaco coffee products? When I dug a little deeper I learned that they pride themselves on delivering coffee that is socially responsible and sustainably sourced, and that their coffee bags are compostable. I was hooked… and I hadn’t even tried the coffee yet.
Paradise Valley
First impressions
“Oh!” My husband and coffee assistant, James, exclaimed upon smelling the whole beans. He quickly noted that the beans smelled, “bright, floral, maybe some honey… something sweet!”
I took a turn smelling the beans and agreed with his initial impression but added red fruit to the list. It was easily the most pleasant smelling coffee, not all coffee is so pleasant in the first impression. Remember that in our Roast Reviews we do not read the label of tasting notes until after our own experience!
“I don’t know another way to say this other than it smells almost like fruity pebbles,” James said laughing. He wasn’t wrong!
Okay, we were on the edge of our seats with curiosity about what the coffee would taste like. Last time I did a Roast Review I tried the cold brew method in the Pipamoka, so I went for the pour over method in the Cuppamoka this time. It’s always such a treat to watch freshly roasted coffee bloom - don’t you think? Once there was a full cup neatly in the Cuppamoka, it was time to taste!
Tasting notes
I tried the warm brew first and noted a super smooth mouthfeel. I paused for a moment. It tasted like “regular” coffee then settled and invited me into a more fruity experience
I had a few more sips. “Woah,” I said because the more I drank it the more I became aware of the flavor up front — it was like a fruit punch.
James also noticed that the flavor hit more at the backend. Going back to his earlier impression he doubled down saying “It tastes like fruity pebbles…but I don’t want to say that!”
As we played with other ways to describe the experience of the wild flavor profile, we agreed that it captures many fruity flavors at once.
You may think that with such a unique coffee we would reserve it for special occasions, but it’s become a staple of our mornings! It goes well with a Fall sunrise and pairs nicely with breakfast. I’m planning to try it as a cold brew in the future as well.
The reveal
Treeline describes this coffee as having notes of mango, creamy, and strawberry candy. What a combination! You see why everyone needs to experience this for themselves!
Blackbeard Espresso
First impressions
We opened the bag of coffee beans, taking extra care to point the label away from us so we couldn’t see the tasting notes.
James smelled the beans first noting hints of Cocoa, burnt caramel, cedarwood, vanilla or cinnamon. I agreed with baking chocolate but also noted something sweet and syrupy. There was already a certain complexity to this coffee, with the dark-but-also-bright smell, so I was eager to experience the taste!
We finely ground the beans (releasing even more of the warm and inviting scent), boiled water, and packed the Nanopresso with the coffee grounds and hot water. I pumped the Nanopresso, making a double espresso for us to test.
Tasting notes
There is something magical about the first sip of a well-made espresso, when you can taste both the frothy crema above and the espresso below. I took a sip and I stuck with my initial guess of baking chocolate but added that there was something spicy and perhaps a dark fruit.
James tried it next and said that he was still getting the sense of caramel and chocolate but decided that there was a certain cinnamon taste instead of vanilla.
I imagine savoring this espresso after a Fall trail walk, paired with fresh sourdough bread. It could easily become a staple in anyone’s coffee cabinet!
The reveal
Treeline describes this Costa Rican and Colombian blend espresso as having notes of chocolate, cinnamon, and blackberry. It’s a “roasting room favorite” of theirs and has a fun backstory or - better said - ghost story!
