Inside Bulletproof: How Our Clean Coffee is Made

When you think of clean coffee, what do you envision? At Bulletproof, we’re committed to producing quality coffee beans that are sourced from local farms. From cherry to cup, we’re there to test, grade and taste to ensure we exceed industry standards.

What’s more, we go above and beyond to ensure our sales benefit the coffee farm communities that work hard for us, and your delicious, robust cup.

Why Bulletproof coffee beans? The real question is: why not?

Bulletproof’s commitment to clean coffee production

Bulletproof places a heavy emphasis on closing the loop to ensure transparency and control over all aspects of our process, from bean to brew.

This starts by establishing close relationships with small farms in Colombia, Guatemala and El Salvador in order to capture the unique terroirs and flavor profiles representative of these regions.

Additionally, our coffee cherries are 100% Arabica, heirloom varieties that are hand-picked by skilled harvesters and further separated to result in only ripe, intact cherries. Plus, our farms incorporate further cleaning steps to reduce microbiological contamination.

Furthermore, to verify the effective mitigation of mycotoxins, our green beans are always tested. Once they pass the test (hooray!), they are blended in the perfect proportion and roasted to our carefully defined parameters.

Then, the roasted coffee is “cupped” by a team of experts who score for a variety of attributes, including fragrance/aroma, flavor, acidity, body, uniformity and clean cup. We enforce stringent cupping scores to guarantee Specialty Grade coffee—every time.

The result is more than just a medley of divine aromas and flavors. It’s an experience!

Bulletproof coffee beans are strategically sourced

We currently source our beans from farms in Colombia, Guatemala and El Salvador. This carefully crafted blend complements each region to deliver an array of aromas and flavors that meld together to create the perfect cup.

Some of the reasons we choose to partner with coffee farms in these regions include:

• Colombia is renowned for providing a consistent coffee that permits a citrus, cherry and overall balanced profile.
• Guatemala lends a cup brimming with notes of chocolate, caramel and sweet undertones by being positioned on volcanic slopes at high elevation.
• El Salvador is where our farms have won numerous coffee competitions, like Cup of Excellence, within the specialty coffee industry. The terroir produces distinct varieties that result in a rich, sweet cup, with notes of chocolate and soft citrus complementary to the mineral-rich volcanic soil.

The magic of roasting

Did you know we use the same expertly sourced blend for each of our packaged coffees? What makes each unique comes down to the roast profile. Dialing in and closely monitoring the roasting parameters is an integral part of bringing out the different expressions of each origin and terroir.

This is where art meets science…

All of the hard work sourcing the perfect beans is fruitless if the roasting is not done properly. Each roast that we offer has a specific curve associated with it that is proprietary and unique to our coffee. We have established rigorous quality parameters to ensure the roast curve is adhered to for each batch. Roasting is followed by a round of cupping to confirm our quality standards are met to consistently deliver Specialty Grade coffee.

From lightest to darkest roast, our four signature blends, include:

• Breakfast Blend: A vibrant and bright light roast
• The Original: A sweet and smooth medium roast
• The Mentalist: A rich and nutty medium-dark roast
• French Kick: A smoky and smooth dark roast

No matter your flavor preference, we’ve got you covered… Not sure which roast is right for you? Try our Ground Coffee Variety Pack!

Our decaf is groundbreaking, too

While caffeine is an inimitable molecule, it is not for everyone, nor is it suitable to consume all hours of the day. When you want the boldness without the buzz, we have a solution.

That solution is our Original Decaf coffee, which leverages the Swiss Water® Process.

Let us break it down for you… Solvents, such as ethyl acetate or methylene chloride, are often used to extract and remove caffeine. While these solvents are considered safe by the FDA for this purpose, some coffee connoisseurs believe these solvents negatively impact flavor and depth.

Moreover, many health-conscious consumers do not want to drink coffee that has been exposed to such chemicals. To avoid introducing these chemicals, the Swiss Water Process uses H2O, instead. Essentially, our green coffee beans are soaked in hot water and then pass through a charcoal filter to remove the caffeine. This effective technique results in coffee with trace amounts of caffeine that is rich in flavor. Plus, our decaf never contains residual chemical solvents.

Related: The 5 Worst Things to Put in Your Coffee

Blending it together: The Bulletproof Coffee recipe

While our coffee is nothing short of amazing on its own (wink, wink), the roast is only part of the equation…

To truly feel the Bulletproof difference, we encourage you to supercharge your morning ritual with sustained energy by incorporating quality fats such as Bulletproof Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil and Bulletproof Grass-Fed Ghee.

The result is this Bulletproof Coffee Recipe that made us, well, famous!

Go one step further by tailoring the taste around the roast profile of your liking and unlock a creamy latte experience that you’ll be hard-pressed (pun intended!) to find anywhere else.

Pro tip: If you’re a Bulletproof Coffee drinker and a creamer fan, try our new Bulletproof Original Coffee Creamer. Easy-to-scoop quality fats from grass-fed butter and MCT oil join forces to create the ultimate fuel to power your day.

What it means to be Rainforest Alliance Certified

At Bulletproof, we take pride in everything we do and strive to surpass the norm. This involves having a keen understanding and awareness of social, environmental and economic sustainability.

When we offer coffee to our consumers, we don’t want it to be at the expense of the farmers or the Earth. While we have a close, transparent relationship with our partners and frequently visit the farms, we wanted to do more! To bridge this gap that is too often overlooked in the coffee industry, we’ve partnered with Rainforest Alliance.

About Rainforest Alliance

Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that is dedicated to creating a better future by redefining responsible business practices. Their mission is to:

• Protect forests.
• Improve the life quality of farmers.
• Advocate for human rights.
• Focus on mitigating climate change.

Subsequently, these are all initiatives that we are devoted to further advancing at Bulletproof.

Not only are we committed to improving the lives of our consumers, but we are committed to improving the lives of our farmers, as well. Gratitude is of utmost importance to us, and the Rainforest Alliance helps us transform this gratitude into something more tangible.

Giving back the Bulletproof way

Aside from establishing close relationships with our farmers, we fulfill our humanitarian obligations by giving back in various ways. Our community focus can be seen throughout our farms. A few standout ways we give back to local communities include, but are not limited to:

• Providing access to free healthcare and education.
• Facilitating infrastructure and development by investing in community housing.
• Creating new jobs with competitive salaries.

What does our commitment look like IRL? Through Bulletproof coffee purchases from devoted consumers like you, our Guatemala farm was able to provide food for children attending school and assist with after-school care.

Additionally, we’ve produced past special reserve varietals to benefit communities in both San Cristobal, Costa Rica and Mlama, Tanzania.

We are fully committed to advocating for our farmers and their families. By drinking Bulletproof coffee, you are supporting them, too!

The bottom line: Why Bulletproof Coffee? From bean to brew, we take pride in the Bulletproof Coffee experience. Not only do we care about where we source our beans, but we also make it a priority to give back to our local coffee farm communities. We go above and beyond to test, taste and produce clean coffee beans that make you feel good—both inside and out!

Want to keep making a difference through your coffee experience? Consider creative ways to reuse your coffee grounds, from composting to your skincare routine!