The “lab” in “Onyx Coffee Lab” is pretty apt. They take a scientific, precise approach to coffee. They can be experimental– they won the 2017 Brewer’s cup with a roast they fermented in an oxygen-sealed tank.
Founded in 2012 by husband-and-wife Jon and Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab is “coffee for coffee people.” From the beginning, they engineered Onyx to be driven by science to source, process, and roast coffee beans of the highest caliber. Their mission is to “seek quality, truth, and accountability in coffee” to be able to offer fine and unique coffees from around the world.
The pricing of each blend varies because Onyx factors in all of the contributing factors of what makes that particular coffee– where the beans are coming from, if the roast is a blend vs single origin– and price them accordingly.
Each coffee is completely unique, and not only does the top of the box give more information about how it tastes, it also details where the beans come from, and sometimes even the name of the farmer. Their level of transparency extends to their website, where they provide information about how they integrate sustainable practices into their production. On top of their roastery going carbon neutral in 2020 and using solar power, they pay their coffee producers a premium to help supplement the costs of sustainable farming. Their well-designed packaging also includes recycled, if not compostable, content.
It’s clear to see just from the box how much meticulous effort goes into each bag of coffee Onyx puts out. And this process starts way before the beans even get to The 1907, the Onyx Coffee Lab Headquarters in Arkansas. Once the beans get Stateside, they’re roasted and sorted through a color sorter to filter out deficiencies. From there, they take a small sample to test it for quality before it’s bagged and shipped out.
To get the perfect brew, check out their YouTube channel where they break down different methods of brewing, coffee varieties, and brew guides for some of their blends (filter and espresso). For coffee of this caliber, it’s worth taking a few minutes to learn its best practices.
After all, Onyx’s motto is “Never settle for good enough”.
