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Ask the Roastmaster, First Edition – Coffee Preferences

Passionate, knowledgeable, and a little bit reserved, Patrick Dinkins has been Cameron’s Roastmaster for 8 years.

He’s really our go-to guy for any and all coffee-related questions–from how to brew the perfect pour over, to finding a quality, affordable electric grinder, Patrick’s always ready to help us through our most pressing coffee conundrums. Recently, we asked him a few questions about his own coffee preferences, and what it takes to create the Cameron’s blends we all know and love.


Q: You’ve tried hundreds of different coffees. What’s your personal favorite?
A: Ethiopian – washed and natural process.

Q: What about roast level, do you prefer dark or light roast?
A: Definitely light roast.

Q: What’s the difference between dark and light roasts?
A: The obvious answer is the amount of time the coffee is roasted. Dark roasts are roasted for a longer amount of time than light roasts. But this creates a big difference in the way they taste.  Light roasts are more acidic and brighter than dark roasts. You’ll get to taste more of the coffee’s natural flavors in a light roast. Coffee beans taste different depending on where they’re grown. The darker you roast a coffee, the more you mellow out the acidity and take out more of the coffee’s unique flavors. This means you impart more roast-driven flavors and they’ll taste more smoky, burnt, roasty, or bittersweet.

Q: How do you come up with new coffee blends?
A:  I usually have an idea of the end result that I want in the cup. Then, I’ll experiment with coffees that I know have the flavor profiles I want. I blend the beans, roast, and then cup to find the combo I am looking for. Sometimes I get lucky and it’s perfect on the first try. Other times it takes lots of variations before I am happy with the final blend.

Q: Which Cameron’s blends are your favorites?
A: Woods & Water, Roastmaster’s Blend, and Fireside Blend


Do you have a coffee question you’d like to ask Patrick, for the next Ask the Roastmaster? Comment below, tweet us, or email us at [email protected]!

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