Gold Label Espresso - Ricardo Zelaya, Bourbon Variety, Antigua, Guatemala

Family runs deep at Drumroaster Coffee. Founded by Geir Oglend, who installed his first espresso machine back in 1972, the roastery in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island has been operating since 2007 with his children Carsen and Courtney now leading the coffee and training sides of the business. They roast on a 1958 Probat UG22 with original cast iron components, allowing high temperature charging for a quick but clean style that emphasizes sweet, chocolatey flavors with body and balanced acidity. The business started on a small 3 kilo Turkish roaster with minimal investment and grew entirely on cash flow without advertising. Sourcing focuses on ethically traded specialty coffees including fair trade, certified organic, single origin, and Swiss Water decaf, with Carsen working directly with producers to separate varieties for higher cupping scores and extra farmer payment. Located just off the Trans Canada Highway, it remains the only specialty roastery in the Cobble Hill area.