Black and White Roasters: Southern Specialty Coffee Spanning Geishas, Co-Ferments, and Everyday Classics
Black and White Roasters, based in the South, occupies a distinctive position in the American specialty coffee scene: a roastery equally committed to innovative micro-lot processing and accessible, well-crafted everyday offerings. Their catalog is one of the more diverse in the CoffeeByMe collection, ranging from delicate washed Geishas at roast level 1 (Light) to full, syrupy dark roasts, with pricing that spans $21 for entry-level blends up to $96 for a rare Panamanian natural Geisha.
The light-roast single-origin program is the heart of the lineup. The Arturo Paz Itacayo Gesha from Honduras is a standout: a washed Geisha with gardenia florals, tropical notes, tea-like sweetness, and vanilla — a delicate, high-clarity cup. Ethiopia is explored through multiple lenses: the Elto Bare Natural delivers citrus, stone fruit, raspberries, and a milk chocolate finish, while the Mulugeta Muntasha Washed from Arbegona opens with Meyer lemon, stone fruit, and white flowers. Processing experimentation runs throughout — the Wilton Benitez Ultrasonic SL28 from Colombia uses innovative ultrasonic and anaerobic fermentation to produce tropical mango and amaretto-like sweetness, and the Lica Torres Black Cherry Natural from Costa Rica is processed using a cherry co-fermentation method that yields port wine and confectionary sweetness.
For drinkers who prefer a roaster-curated blend, Black and White offers everything from the fruit-forward co-fermented The Future Summer Slush and Julio Madrid Gummy Bears to the more classic and comforting The Classic (caramel, black cherry, milk chocolate). CoffeeByMe's AI recommendation feature can help you navigate this wide-ranging catalog to find your ideal cup.
Single Origins
| Name | Roast | Tasting Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulugeta Muntasha - Washed | Medium Light | apricotvibrantMeyer lemonhoneywhite flowerscleanstone fruit | $28.00 |
| Hambela Natural - EA Decaf | Medium Light | milk chocolatecherriesred stone fruitpeachmolasses | $26.00 |
| Lasso y Vergara - Community Project | Medium | milk chocolatered stone fruitSweet citrus | $26.00 |
| Lica Torres - Black Cherry Natural | Light | cocktail cherrymilk chocolatewhite icingconfectionary sweetnessport wine | $26.00 |
| Nahun Fernandez - Gesha | Light | soft floralswhite peachsweet orangesblack tea finishstone fruit | $28.00 |
| Benjamin Paz - La Salsa SL28 | Light | black currantfloraldelicatepanela sugarfresh grapefruitsticky-sweetwhite flowersvibrant acidity | $40.00 |
| Boutet - Natural Gesha | Light | plumsbergamotpeachescitrusyFloralstone fruitblack tea | $40.00 |
| El Burro - Natural Gesha Lot E | Medium Light | tropicaljammyraspberryred fruitsred winesangriaguavachocolatemango | $96.00 |
| Bombe - Honey | Light | nectarinelemon zestwhite flowersyellow fruitoolong teaFloralmango | $28.00 |
| Arturo Paz - Itacayo Gesha | Light | floraltropicalgardeniatea-likesweetvanilla | $28.00 |
| Elto Bare - Natural | Light | milk chocolatetea-likepeachraspberriesstone fruitcitrus | $28.00 |
| Wilton Benitez - Ultrasonic SL28 | Medium Light | floralboozy sweetness like amarettotropical mangocleanFunkyfruity | $40.00 |
| The Traditional | Dark | CherryDark ChocolateMarzipan | $21.00 |
| Sugarcane Decaf | Medium Dark | BalancedMilk ChocolateCaramel | $21.00 |
| The Original | Medium Dark | CitrusHoneyBalancedChocolateDelicate Florals | $21.00 |
| Diego Bermudez - Red Plum | Light | turbinado sugarwhite grapestrawberry candypeach | $28.00 |
Blends
| Name | Roast | Tasting Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unblended - Young Producers Project | Medium | tropicalstrawberrysweetfruitychocolatemango | $26.00 |
| Ramon Rodriguez - Washed | Medium Light | brown sugardatescandied hazelnutsred applesweet fruits | $26.00 |
| Julio Madrid - Gummy Bears | Medium Light | tropicallycheeraspberrycitricPineapplewatermelonsweet | $28.00 |
| The Future - Summer Slush | Medium Light | cherrylemon Italian icepeachsweetBlue raspberryfruitycitrus | $28.00 |
| The Classic | Medium Dark | Caramelized SugarsMilk ChocolateCaramelStone FruitsBlack Cherry | $21.00 |
| The Natural | Medium Dark | dark berriesred fruitscherriesraspberriesbalanced aciditychocolate | $22.00 |
| The New School - Peach | Medium | milk chocolatecomplex citruspeachblack tea | $22.00 |
Roast Profile & Flavor Range
Black and White Roasters leans heavily toward light roasts — the majority of their single origins fall at roast level 1 (Light), preserving vibrant acidity and expressive origin character. Flavor themes are dominated by florals, stone fruit, citrus, berries, and tea-like clarity, especially across the Geisha and Ethiopian offerings. Body tends toward medium and low, with high-to-moderate acidity throughout the light-roast tier. The blends round out the range, extending into medium-dark with The Natural and The Classic for drinkers who want more weight and roast sweetness. Price runs from $21 for everyday blends and single-origin classics like The Original up to $96 for the El Burro Natural Gesha Lot E from Panama.
Why Buy Black and White Roasters
Geisha specialists: The Arturo Paz Itacayo Gesha, Boutet Natural Gesha, and Nahun Fernandez Gesha represent three distinct expression points of this prized variety across Honduras and Panama — all roasted light to let the variety's signature florals shine.
Origin diversity: Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama are all well-represented, spanning washed, natural, honey, co-fermented, thermal shock, and ultrasonic processing techniques.
Accessible entry points alongside prestige lots: Year-round coffees like The Classic ($21/12oz) and The Traditional ($21/12oz) sit comfortably beside $40–$96 micro-lots, making the catalog inviting at any budget.
Ideal for adventurous palates: If CoffeeByMe's AI recommendation tool flags that you enjoy fruit-forward, floral, or experimentally processed coffees, Black and White Roasters should be your first stop.
