Here are some tips for choosing a coffee:
1. When in doubt, just start with Lobster Butter Love! As a rule, people just love the Lobster.
2. Do you go for super dark, Italian roasts? Portland in the 90s might be your jam.
3. More of a French roast lover? Try Rich French Neighbor!
4. Prefer light roasts? A-A Cowboy would be your go-to OR geek out with our rotating selection of small batch single origins.
5. Roos Machine is our espresso roast. But all the coffees taste great as espresso.
6. Need a low acid coffee? Generally, the more roasted, the less acid. We recommend Lobster Butter Love for a low acid coffee. But also, try varying your coffee making method: we find that cold brew methods and Aeropress make for a less acidic cup.
Lobster Butter Love
About the beans: A highly addictive, Sumatra-based blend that has a smooth, creamy body with low acidity and nutty after tones. It’s super drinkable and by far, our most popular coffee. If you’re new to RoosRoast, start here.
The Story Behind the Beans: The name, but why? This coffee does not have lobsters in it. Butter? No. So why? Here's one story which may or may not be true: John Roos came up with the name while biking along Huron River Drive. Searching for the most delectable and delicious thing he could think of, he began chanting "Lobster, Lobster, Lobster, Butter, Love" while he pedaled, madly. The name stuck and so did the red LBL logo that he sketched out while on a surf trip in Maine. Or Bermuda. Or somewhere where they have a lot of lobsters, no one’s quite sure.
Bad Ass Women Blend
About the beans: Perfect medium dark loveliness with a hint of dark chocolate cherry. Similar roast profile to Lobster Butter Love, but carries some unique fruity undertones.
The Story Behind the Beans: The name refers to the ladies at the former Bona Sera Supper Club in Ypsilanti – bad ass women who asked John to come up with a special blend for their new restaurant. The logo came from a painting series John did called “Girls With Guns” when he was living in Wyoming where lots of young women out there practiced skeet shooting. The guns have been edited out of the picture so as not to freak people out. Come to RoosRoast HQ to see the original painting.
Rich French Neighbor
About the beans:This is our version of a french roast - chocolatey, rich and full bodied.
The Story Behind the Beans: John has had many lifetimes as a chef. He lived in Miami, Hawaii, Hong Kong, New York, San Diego. For a while, he even owned a creperie in the south of France. One weekend, he and his girlfriend went away to the St. Cézaire mountains, up the road from a small village called Fox De Perole, where she owned a small rustic cabin with dirt floors. It was a crisp, beautiful morning and the coffee was tasting fine. His girlfriend agreed but added, "Probably not as good as... that guy's," nodding to the giant mansion nestled in the hills above. This is THAT rich french neighbor's coffee, the REALLY good stuff.
A-A Cowboy
About the beans: Notes of buttermilk, caramel and a crisp finish, for modern cowboys and people of all sorts. Has a little bit of acidity to it. It’s our lightest blend.
The Story Behind the Beans: People think the AA stands for Ann Arbor but that’s aspirational in regards to Ann Arbor’s cowboy culture. On the other hand there are lots of cowboys living in Wyoming where John lived for awhile while cooking at a high-end dude ranch called A-Bar-A. He developed this coffee for the ranch when he first started roasting.
Portland in the '90s
About the beans: This is our darkest roast, inspired by the coffee renaissance of Portland Oregon in the 1990s, when John prowled the cafes on instinct. If you're looking for more of an Italian roast, this is your game. Not for the faint of heart.
The Story Behind the Beans: John actually lived in Portland in the 90s and this is when his (adult) passion for coffee began. (He started drinking Folgers early, practically at his mother’s teat.) Coffee culture has since evolved but sometimes, heck, you just wanted a friggin’ deep dark cup of coffee that makes you know you’re alive. The dream of the 90s is alive, in Ann Arbor and at RoosRoast.
Roos Machine
About the beans: Complexity. Paradox. A hint of sweet orange. Good for espresso shots and a whole lot more. The blend is designed for a complex and intense espresso shot but is also amazing as regular brew!
The Story Behind the Beans: RoosRoast was built on journals, poetry and creativity. We love a good old typewriter, don’t you?
Mother Pheasant Plucker
About the beans: Buttermilk biscuits and apricot jam. Very caramel and just a little darker than Cowboy. It’s a great offering for medium roast lovers and a staff favorite.
The Story Behind the Beans: Actually this name was invented by former RR roaster, Brian Barch who is a tracker, birder and naturalist. Repeating the name frequently and correctly is a test used by police to test alcohol levels in drivers. (Well, if this isn’t true, it should be!)
Decaf Lobster Butter Love
About the beans: There is no shame in decaf, especially when it tastes this good. Medium dark, just like Lobster Butter Love. FTO and Swiss Water Processed.
The Story Behind the Beans: Not to be confused with the Lobster Butter Love! Listen to your family when they tell you you’ve had enough coffee and switch to decaf.