Coffee Collective has long been on my “roasteries to check out” list.
So, this summer, as my family and I traveled to Copenhagen for a few days, I was excited to visit Coffee Collective.
I’d read rave reviews about this famed Danish roastery, established in 2007. The three founding partners, Peter N. Dupont, Klaus Thomsen, and Casper Engel Rasmussen have steadily been building an incredibly strong reputation for themselves in the specialty coffee world.
These four gentlemen are known for uncompromising quality and strong ethical values. In particular, by trading coffee directly from local farmers with whom they’ve created long-lasting, fruitful relationships.
Once in Copenhagen, I hopped on a shared electric scooter (though I have mixed feelings about these new scooter companies) and headed over to their roastery.
It’s set-up in a beautiful old industrial building, located on Godthåbsvej in the Frederiksberg’s neighborhood (an independent municipality, actually), in the northwestern part of Copenhagen.
The interior is sleek, sober, and above all, calm — I loved the zen-like atmosphere.
Coffee Collective’s beautiful roaster — a Kestrel S35 Loring (for those of you who are interested in technical details) — sits behind a large windowpane.
The benefits of a light roast
As I inquired about their roasting process, the barista told me that Coffee Collective favors, quite logically, a light roast.
The emergence of specialty coffee has been instrumental in bringing light roasts to the limelight.
With a dark roast, the roasting process typically overshadows the coffee’s flavors.
On the contrary, a light roast highlights the unique characteristics of a coffee’s origin (the terroir) and unveil the bean’s complex fruity and floral flavors.
Also, a light roast coffee is a little more acidic and has a thinner body than that of a dark roast.
“I’m getting a Kalita Wave.” An unexpected side effect of visiting Coffee Collective.
To bring out the best of the bean’s original aromas, Coffee Collective favors the Kalita Wave over other drippers.
“The Kalita Wave dripper is one of our favorite hand brewing methods. The flat bottom provides a uniform extraction of the coffee and a delicate, aromatic cup.”
They’ve shared their Kalita brew guide on their blog.
I tasted a Desarollo (45 crowns, approximatively 6 euros). The beans come from El Desarollo, a producers’ co-op in Columbia with whom Coffee Collective has been working for many years.
The coffee was delicious. It was exceptionally well balanced with fruity aromas.
My visit to Coffee Collective also convinced me to buy a Kalita Wave. I wonder why I’ve waited so long.
What’s next?
I was only in Copenhagen for a couple of days, so I didn’t get the opportunity to check out others roasters. Next time I’m in København, I’ll be sure to visit Prolog Coffee and Copenhagen Coffee Lab’s micro-roastery.
Do you have any other suggestions?
Bernikow, Kristen Bernikows Gade 2, 1105 København
Godthåbsvej, Godhåbsvej 34B, 2000 Frederiksberg
Jægersborggade, Jægersborggade 57, 2200 København N
Torvehallerne, Vendersgade 6D, 1363 København K