Prices cooled, then Colombia shook

The story of 2026 has been relief. After arabica futures spiked to historic highs near $4.41 a pound in early 2025, a record Brazilian harvest pulled prices back down. Arabica closed around $3.12 on August 14, roughly 4.5% lower over the month and about 8.7% down year on year.

Then the ground moved. A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, hitting Caldas and Risaralda, provinces that grow roughly a quarter of the country's coffee. Landslides choked the roads to Buenaventura, the Pacific port that moves over 60% of Colombia's exports. Prices jumped, then eased as shipping partially resumed. The read for a small roaster: the cheap-supply story is real, but it sits on a fault line.

On the Bench

Four currents shaping the cup

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Cold, year round

Cold brew stopped being seasonal. Medium to dark roasts with chocolate and nut notes carry it best.

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Black is back

Less sugar, more origin. When the coffee has nowhere to hide, roast quality is the whole show.

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Radical transparency

Origin, process, roast date. Naming the lot is the baseline now, not a flourish.

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The home ritual

The counter grinder does the work the corner cafe used to. Good news for whole bean.

The Craft · Interactive

Dial your dose

Pick a method and cups. We do the math. Weigh, do not scoop.

Pour over

Drip

French press

AeroPress

Cups (240 ml each)

g coffee

480

g water

1:16.5

ratio

Water 195–205°F, filtered. Grind fresh, right before you brew.

Read the Cup

Sour or bitter? It is your extraction

20%target yield

The sweet spot sits near 18–22%

Under that and the cup runs sour and thin. Push past it and it turns bitter and dry. Two tastes tell you almost everything. Change one variable, taste again.

Sour, thinUnder-extracted. Grind finer, brew longer, or nudge the water hotter.

Bitter, dryOver-extracted. Grind coarser, shorten the brew, ease the temperature down.

Weak, wateryCheck the ratio first. Confirm 1:16 on a scale before touching anything else.

From the Roast Room

Hey. Thanks for reading the first one.

I started Blue Granite because I wanted to actually understand coffee, not just drink it. The market swings you just read about are the same forces that decide what lands on my bench and in your bag. Green prices, a harvest, a port going dark for a week. It all runs downhill to the cup.

My promise is simple. Roast small, roast to a date, and never hide behind the label. If a lot is good, I will tell you why. If it is not, it will not make the cut. That is the whole business.

See you at issue two.

Sean O'Brien

Founder · Blue Granite Roasting Co.

Roasted to order in Lexington, SC

Whole bean. Small batch. Shipped across South Carolina.

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