Roasters Series - BEAM

BEAM is our pioneer roaster partner in Bean Shipper. We started our collaboration since day one in 2014 until now (we started pretty much the same time!). No doubt, one of our most favourite coffee roaster in Malaysia.

Lead by Skye and Jim, the team of three baristas Jack, Kelly and KC recently got into top 16 of Malaysia Latte Art Championship 2018, and KC won the 1st Runner Up in the competition. Kudos to the team!

Here's a short interview from Skye, the head roaster of Beam.

1. What makes a good cup of coffee?

We realise that besides having good quality beans and passion, there's a lot of hard work and self-rectifications, and a "dare to try attitude" that help us consistently dial in great espresso shots for a good cup of coffee. The balance of flavours and tastes are the keys that we always look for. 

Besides that, what really matter to us when judging a good cup of coffee are perception, a person’s individual preference, and whether or not he/she likes the cup of coffee and considers it good.

We gain continuous feedback from the community and we believe that "rectify-improvise" is a necessary process to creating a good cup of coffee.

2. How did Beam come to fruition? 

Beam has been running for four years now since 2014. Keeping it alive has never been an easy task.

To be able to become something as fruitful as it is today, business objectives are set clearly. The team has never been left out and has always been kept motivated through technique improvement trainings and personal development programmes.

The team members share the same drive: we're not only passionate about serving good coffee but also about delivering the right customer experience to our customers. 

Last but not least, customers' feedback has helped us improve and build ourselves to become who we are today.

3. Is specialty coffee a trend or is it here to stay? 

It’s going to stay. We believe the Malaysian market is awakening to all forms of coffee and specialty coffee will eventually get more attention from the locals.

Over the past four years, we have noticed that the sensory perception of the local coffee crowd has been improving, and specialty coffees have been gaining more interest due to their distinctive flavours and the exciting tasting experience they deliver.

4. What do you look for when creating a blend?

Having a good coffee blend definitely helps ease our daily operation in terms of calibration and keeping every cup's quality consistent. Understanding the market preference while creating uniqueness in taste are crucial factors when building new blends for our customers.

From our observation over the past decades, blends that deliver boldness and long, decent aftertaste generally gain more positive feedback from local coffee drinkers.

5. What is your favourite way of enjoying coffee?  

Sipping a glass of black coffee on the rocks with some soothing music playing in a comfortable dining ambiance is our favourite way of enjoying coffee.

6. Any tips for novice coffee lovers?

Try various coffee beans with different brewing methods. When brewing, dare to experiment with different parameters to uncover the best way of extracting the sweetness and flavours of the coffee and at the same time getting rid of its astringency and bitterness.

We suggest training the nose and the palate; this will be the beginning of a far more exciting coffee journey. One can practise by drinking more coffee, and be more aware of and analytical when consuming any food, fruits or drinks. Try to build a memory database of these different tastes. It helps substantially in coffee-tasting.

Always feel free to ask roasters and baristas how to brew coffee and the characteristics of coffee. That's the best and fastest way to brew yourself a good cup!

For more information of their coffees, check it out here.