Champaign’s Columbia Street Roastery has roasted coffee beans on Columbia Street since 1998. The local family-owned roastery receives coffee beans from around the world and roasts the beans in-house, packaging bags of single-origin beans, blends, and flavored coffee. Though I’ve had Columbia Street coffee before at restaurants and in Blind Pig’s Columbia Street coffee stout, I’d never made the trip to the roastery and coffee store on Columbia Street until last week.
I like coffee and drink it every morning, but I don’t have an espresso machine or any fancy coffee accouterment like a bean grinder. I own a simple coffee maker that brews a pot of coffee. Before going to Columbia Street, I looked up their coffee menu online in true millennial fashion ahead of time and saw coffees ranging from common flavors like French vanilla and Michigan cherry to unique like Highlander Mist, Sunny Days, and Miss B’s Blueberry Muffin. I jotted down a few that sounded good to me and went off.
When I arrived at the store, I was overwhelmed. A strong coffee aroma welcomed me first, then a staff person saying hello. Right at the entry, a table offered fancy coffee stuff, and shelves to the left held bags of coffee pre-orders. Beyond the register, there was this special room where staff were bagging and grinding beans.
Off to the left was a little storeroom that had shelves holding bags and bags of coffee.
Alas, the physical representation of all those flavors I had scrolled online earlier. After hemming and hawing for a while, I picked four flavors and carried the armful to the register.
But then, I saw this board listing even more coffee choices of signature (unflavored) coffee blends and single-origin beans. And I fell into indecision once again.
Finally, I kept one flavored coffee and ditched the rest to buy the roastery’s namesake coffee blend Columbia Street, the Crane Alley blend, and a bourbon-barrel blend — plus a minimalist glass mug while I was there.
The flavored coffee came already ground, but the other three were bags of beans. The staff asked if I wanted to have the beans ground in-house, which I did. They had nine different grind settings. I went with the basic home-brew drip size, and it worked out great.
I started with the Champaign roastery’s namesake blend Columbia Street, which I bought in a 12-ounce bag ($12.95). A complex blend of Indonesian Sulawesi and Sumatra in addition to Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and coffee beans from Costa Rica, this was a fantastic cup of coffee. It tasted like coffee, of course, with roasted espresso flavor and floral earthiness, but this coffee was more mellow, lacking that bittery finish I expect with black coffee. It sipped deliciously smooth and approachable without any bitterness. I can totally see why this is the flagship coffee blend.
The next day, I made a pot of the rainforest crunch ($7.95 for eight ounces). Just opening the bag on this one, I could smell the strong aroma of vanilla and roasted almonds. The rainforest crunch was a funky flavored coffee, but it was good. The coffee had that familiar pairing of nutty vanilla but without sweetness and lots of earthy, musky coffee notes. I liked the toasty nuttiness and hazy vanilla flavor, but those flavors dominated the coffee in a way that I don’t think I could sip everyday. But for sure, I could enjoy it on occasion as a morning cuppa paired with a scone or croissant.
I still miss Crane Alley restaurant (RIP the wings), so the third bag I bought was the Crane Alley blend ($12.95 for a 12-ounce bag). This was my favorite one that I tried. Crane Alley blended three distinct coffees from East Africa and Central Americas in such a delicious way. I loved the coffee’s subtle hints of berry with the roasty, toasty notes of espresso. This one had that unmistakable coffee bitterness and big, bold aroma. It was pretty amazing, and people who love a strong taste of coffee would like it.
At the register, I also saw dark chocolate-covered espresso beans and impulsively bought a bag. When in Rome, you know?
I thought the chocolate-covered espresso beans were pricy at $8.95, but they were quite delicious. The chocolate was a silky coating over super crunchy, little house-roasted coffee beans. That textural contrast was excellent, but I really enjoyed how sweet the dark chocolate tasted in comparison to the bitter espresso bean. For anyone who likes chocolate-covered espresso beans, this artisan version is a must.
Lastly, I splurged and got the luxury bag of Fiala Brothers Buffalo Trace barrel-aged coffee ($25 for 12 ounces). In a sleek black bag instead of beige, this blend was strikingly aromatic as soon as I opened the bag but even moreso when the coffee brewed. Made with Guatemalan coffee that was aged for forty days in a Buffalo Trace barrel, this was a yummy sip of coffee and whiskey intermingled with some cherry. It definitely tasted like bourbon, but that yummy whiskey flavor brought out vanilla in the espresso and added a delicious oaky layer to the coffee. Starting smooth, the barrel-aged coffee crescendoed for a bourbon burst with friuty notes and a nice, roasted coffee finish.
I’m a little sad that I’ve been sleeping on Columbia Street Roastery. They are a haven for all things coffee. The Champaign shop sells coffee but also cups, pitchers, machines, syrups, spoons, any coffee essential. And the staff were great, too. They did offer to help me when I first arrived at the store, but I declined because I like to browse on my own.
It was possible to buy their coffee online, but I think shopping in person was more fun. I liked looking at all the snazzy coffee accessories, getting to hold physical bags, and having the instant gratification of being able to take my purchase right home to enjoy.
Overall, I was pretty impressed with how distinct and unique each coffee was. I could definitely taste nuances — and there’s so many more to try.
Columbia Street Roastery
24 E Columbia St
Champaign
M-F 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sa 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
