Meet The Fam: The Devlin Returns

Who are you?

My name is Devlin Rice

What do you do?

 A variety of tasks around HQ but primarily roasting.

Tell us something interesting/funny about yourself:

I competed for (with?) New Harvest in the 2008 + 2009 NERBC (northeast regional barista competition). I roasted my own espressos' in 2009 I used the Don Telmo Reserva (from Finca El Roble, which we have new crops in now) single origin espresso. Voted best at the comp by the judges!

When did you first get into coffee? 

My passion for coffee was discovered in 2006 when Rik hired me part time for production. I found every facet of the job fascinating and wanted to get more involved from there ultimately leading to roasting.

What is the single most significant moment in your coffee life thus far?

 Working in Baltimore for Jay Caragay at Spro coffee. When I started there I had never been a working Barista, just a quality focused roaster. Every roaster wants their customers to represent their coffee with the highest quality, to showcase the all of the nuance and character that the price calls for. By working with a "by the cup" shop from the start I feel like I experienced a number of challenges that both shops and roasters face. Realizing that there is a healthy balance between welcoming your customers to the specialty coffee process and bulling them with knowledge they might not be ready for, is a take away that all baristas should have. 

Since working at New Harvest, what has changed about your outlook on coffee?

I just liked it before, but New Harvest took it out of the commodity category for me and into a revered craft.

Favorite coffee at the moment?

Washed Nura Korate