Specialty Coffee, Roasted in Calgary
Our ApproachWe take pride in every step of our coffee’s journey — from transparent sourcing and sustainable roasting, to precision brewing and the service we provide to every partner we work with.
At Humble Coffee Roasters, that standard runs the same whether we’re supplying one of Alberta’s best cafés, an office in downtown Calgary, or the bag on your kitchen counter.
From the Farm — Direct Trade, Not Just Fair Trade
We source exceptional coffees through direct trade relationships with farmers who share our commitment to quality and sustainability. By working directly with farms and co-operatives at origin, we ensure fair compensation at better rates than standard fair trade.
Because building genuine relationships with the people growing our coffee is how we ensure every step, from farm to cup, meets our own high standards of ethics and responsibility.
A quality standard with no exceptions.
Every batch of green coffee undergoes rigorous scrutiny by a member of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) before it earns a place in our lineup. We only source beans that score 84 to 85 points or higher on the Q-grade scale, placing it firmly in the top tier of specialty coffee produced globally.
If a shipment fails to meet our exact requirements, we refuse it. Only the best beans find their way into our roastery.
Our Sourcing Regions
Our beans come from some of the most respected growing regions in the world, each chosen for what makes it distinct.
Huila, Colombia
High-altitude farms, volcanic soil, and an equatorial climate produce a cup that's bright, sweet, and impeccably smooth. Cherries are depulped within 8-24 hours of harvest, fermented overnight, washed, and solar-dried - a process that preserves a clean, vibrant profile. This is the coffee Humble started with.
Huehuetenango, Guatemala
High-altitude farms between 1,500 and 2,000 metres, with a microclimate that lets beans ripen slowly and evenly. Handpicked by local families, depulped and washed within 12 hours, then sun-dried. The result is a coffee with dried fruit notes, roasted nuts, and a crisp, apple-like brightness.
Sul de Minas, Brazil
Grown at 1,175 metres above sea level, where warm days and cool nights let the beans develop a rich, full-bodied character. Naturally processed, drying with the fruit still intact, for added sweetness and a smooth texture. Sourced through the Cooxupé cooperative.
San Ignacio, Peru
Sourced from smallholder farms and the women-led Aproselvanor cooperative, processed through micromills. Adds a gentle sweetness with notes of caramel and citrus.
Bestsellers
Our Roasting Process — Small Batch, Every Time
Sourcing the right beans is half the work. The other half happens in our Calgary roastery, where every decision is focused on one outcome: a cup that’s consistent, well-developed, and worth drinking every single day.
We roast in small batches on Diedrich machines - a deliberate choice. Diedrich uses infrared radiant heat rather than conventional convection, which gives us more precise, even heat transfer across every bean. The result is uniform development, better-extracted sweetness, and a cleaner cup.
Once a roast profile is dialled in, it becomes a standardized recipe replicated exactly with every subsequent batch, so the coffee tastes the same today as it does six months from now.
The Causes We Support
Good coffee starts with good people - the farmers who grow it, the families who depend on it, and the communities built around it. When you choose Humble, your coffee does more than fuel your day. Every bag we sell supports organizations working in the communities behind our coffee.
Food4Farmers
Fighting food insecurity among the farming families who grow the world’s coffee.
Pueblo a Pueblo
Improving access to education and healthcare in coffee-growing communities across Latin America.
Coffeelands
Supporting the long-term economic resilience of coffee-farming communities through sustainable development.
Operation Smile
Providing cleft lip surgery to children in need
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Humble Coffee Roasters only roasts coffee that scores 84 or higher on the Q-grade scale, the industry's 100-point system for evaluating coffee quality — well above the 80-point minimum that technically qualifies as "specialty grade." Each coffee is evaluated by a Specialty Coffee Association member before it's accepted, and every shipment goes through third-party inspection before leaving its country of origin. Coffee that doesn't meet that standard isn't added to the lineup.
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The difference between light and dark roast comes down to how long the beans are roasted and at what temperature — not strength or caffeine content. Light roast spends less time in the roaster, which preserves more of the bean's original character, resulting in a brighter, more complex cup. Dark roast spends longer at higher heat, which builds a heavier, bolder flavor as the bean's original notes fade. Caffeine content is determined mainly by brew method and dose, not roast level - a common misconception. Humble roasts coffee at all three levels: light, medium, and dark.
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Roasted coffee is generally best within two to four weeks of its roast date, with flavor beginning to fade after that window. Coffee also needs a short rest period after roasting, typically a few days, for trapped carbon dioxide to release before brewing, which is why very fresh coffee can taste uneven or gassy.
Humble Coffee Roasters roasts to order rather than from inventory, so coffee ships close to its actual roast date rather than sitting in a warehouse. For storage, keep beans airtight, away from light and heat, and freeze in an airtight container if a bag won't be finished within a few weeks, avoiding repeated thawing and refreezing.
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Yes. "Direct trade" has no official industry certification behind it, like Fair Trade, so it can mean different things depending on the roaster.
For Humble Coffee Roasters, it specifically means three things: sourcing directly from named cooperatives and growing regions rather than anonymous commodity lots, we pay rates to farmers above standard fair trade minimums, and we have every shipment inspected for quality before it leaves its country of origin. Coffee that doesn't meet that standard isn't accepted.
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Yes. Every roast profile is developed on a small lab roaster and refined until it's exactly right, then scaled up to larger production roasters using the same fixed recipe for every subsequent batch - rather than adjusted by feel each time. This process is designed specifically for consistency, which ensures you get the same quality in each cup every order, not just for a single great batch.

