Coffee FAQ

Do you have any dark roasts?

If you’re into dark roasts, we’d recommend you try our Guatemala or Sumatra origins. However, these coffees are more of a medium-dark roast so probably not as dark as you might usually drink. While we certainly don’t discriminate against dark coffee drinkers, it’s just not our thing, for a few reasons. We want to ensure we’re providing a clean, flavorful, low acidity coffee that showcases all the natural characteristics of the bean. We’ve converted quite a few “dark” drinkers into Bear Canyon customers so we hope you’ll still give us a try!

How often do you roast/ship/deliver coffee?

At a minimum, we roast 3 days a week - typically Sundays, Wednesdays, and Friday - and we ship the next day. Depending on orders, we may roast more or we may roast less. Our goal is to ship you coffee within 72 hours of your order. Please plan accordingly!

Why can’t I get coffee from the same origin/farm that I purchased last time?

Being a small micro-roastery has its advantages - higher quality coffee, more transparent supply chain, more attention to detail, etc. - but it also means we don’t have the purchasing power of larger coffee companies. We buy our coffee on the “spot market”, meaning we buy what’s available. Larger roasters can set up purchasing agreements to ensure they receive the same coffee from the same farm. We strive to offer consistent origins even though the farms may differ from time to time. 

What is air-roasted coffee?

Air roasted coffee is a method of roasting coffee beans using hot air rather than direct contact with a heated surface. The beans are suspended in a fluidized bed, allowing for even heating and roasting. This method can produce a cleaner taste with less bitterness and acidity than traditional drum roasting. It also allows for greater control over the roasting process and a more consistent product.

Do you sell wholesale?

By law we cannot sell “wholesale” but we can sell at a discount to business/corporations who are the “final consumers” of our coffee. We’re unable to sell wholesale to grocery stores, restaurants, or cafes at the moment. Contact us for more info on our business to business program.

Why don’t you sell to grocery stores, restaurants, or cafes?

We currently operate under New Mexico’s “Homemade Food Act,” which only allows us to sell direct to consumers in the state of New Mexico. While we’re grateful we’ve been able to start our business in the comfort of our home, it’s a bummer we cannot sell to everyone who wants to purchase our coffee.

What’s the “Homemade Food Act?”

The Homemade Food Act (Act) is a New Mexico law that became effective July 1, 2021 which allows individuals to make certain low risk foods in their private farm, ranch or residence without a food permit from NMED and then market/sell those products made directly to consumers. Under this act, we can only sell in the state of New Mexico and only directly to consumers (no wholesale to restaurants, cafes, retailers or anyone who will be reselling our product).

Why Bear Canyon?

Bear Canyon is the area of Albuquerque where we live and the gateway into the foothills of our beautiful Sandia mountains. Our family spends a lot of time there biking, hiking, and running. It’s where our son learned to mountain bike when he was just two years old. Sunrises over the Sandia mountains are incredible. We’re proud of our city and so fortunate to have this open space playground in our back yard.

Is your coffee fair trade and/or organic?

All of our coffee is responsibly sourced regardless of its certification status. We partner with coffee importers who share our same values, meaning they pay fair prices to the farmers and, even better, reinvest training and other resources back into the coffee communities.

Also, while many of our coffee producers do have organic certification, many small farms that produce organic coffee simply cannot afford the price it takes to get certified. We do our best to ensure our suppliers have social, environmental, and ethical business practices. We won’t settle for any less.