At Brazen Hazen, we believe that coffee is an art form and strive to provide you with an experience with each cup of coffee. This standard is only achieved through precise technique, refined expertise, and commitment to excellence. That's where Brazen Hazen's roaster, Brian Axelrod, comes in. Brian has gone by many titles; "Roaster," "Chief Roast Master," "Master Roaster," and at one time his LinkedIn profile even said, "Head Bean Wrangler."

Brian and his wife, Amy, provide "tree to cup" services for Big Island coffee farms, including Brazen Hazen. From harvesting, to pulping and separating, to soaking and rinsing, to drying, to hulling and grading, to roasting, to packaging and shipping, Brian manages every step of the process.

Brian's is one of only 3 or 4 operators on the Big Island that offer "tree to cup" coffee. Most farmers lack the equipment to do every step of the process themselves. By keeping all the production in-house, Brian has complete control of the quality of the product he provides. He says as soon as the coffee is picked, it starts deteriorating. His job is to preserve the coffee and remove imperfections so that the final product reaching the customer is the best that it can possibly be.

Brian has been honing his craft as a master roaster since 2007. When he and Amy came to the Big Island from Ohio, they fell under the tutelage of Bob Nelson, the then-owner of Lehuula Farms. He shared the fruits of his more than 20 years of experience running a coffee farm, eventually passing the reins and selling the farm to Brian and Amy. Building on that foundation, Brian toured other facilities on the island and conducted extensive research on best practices to perfect their process. The result is the cultivation of a true standard of excellence.

"If I'm putting my name on it, I want it to be the highest quality it can be," he says.

That meticulous level of scrutiny makes it to the final product, meaning Brazen Hazen always offers only the highest-grade beans.

Some brands strive for consistency of flavor. For corporate brands, such as Starbucks, it's important for brand loyalty to produce a more uniform flavor. Dark roasts spend more time in the roasting process, making for bolder flavor and less acidity, but also more uniformity in flavor. This results in less nuance and fewer individual characteristics of the beans. So, a cup of Starbucks coffee you buy in Seattle will taste the same as a cup you buy in New York City, or Paris or Tokyo. Brian has other ambitions for his coffee and the service he offers his customers.

"We're after quality," says Brian, "and quality can be many different things."

He says he prefers to emphasize the natural profile of the coffee, which varies by crop and crops vary from year to year. Every year Brian does annual roasting samples, first very light roasts, to get a sense of the crop's natural characteristics. From there, the trick is to use the roasting process to draw out those characteristics.

There are hundreds of coffee brands in the Kona district, which is approximately 30 miles long and 2 to 3 miles wide. Even farms right next door to each other, with as many variables controlled for as possible, can have vastly different terroir, much like wine.

The roasting process can then bring out the highlights of a particular crop, but the process requires precision. This is where Brian puts the "master" in "master roaster."

The roasting process is a unique balance of terminal temperature and time. Even though Brian roasts for several farms, each has its own unique roasting process to create a signature roast. That includes Brazen Hazen. During the roasting process, he is closely watching, listening, and monitoring temperature. A single degree of temperature or a few extra seconds can produce a distinctly different product.

Brian says roasting is his favorite part of the "tree to cup" process.

"It's where all the hard work pays off," he says.

After roasting, Brazen Hazen's beans are immediately prepared for shipping. Brian says roasted coffee has a much shorter shelf life than most people realize. Roasted coffee contains a significant amount of CO₂ and other volatile compounds which release over time, resulting in a less flavorful cup of coffee. According to the expert, it's better to buy smaller amounts of fresh-roasted coffee more frequently. That's why Brazen Hazen beans are roasted to order, always in small batches and shipped promptly to preserve maximum freshness.

Brian suggests using your beans within 30 days of roasting. This standard prompted the creation of Brazen Hazen's Fresh Brew Club. Our members always get the best-tasting coffee because every month they always get only the freshest beans shipped right to their door.

To preserve freshness, store your beans in a glass or non-porous container away from sunlight.

"Skip the fridge or freezer," he says and "stick to a dark pantry."

Wait to grind your beans until you're ready to use them. Once they're ground, Brian says, they deteriorate in a matter of hours.

Brian practices what he preaches. At home, he drinks only the freshest, highest quality coffee.

"Either my beans or Brazen Hazen's," he says. "The taste testing is good quality control." And for Brain, that commitment to quality has been the path to success.

"If you focus on quality, the customers will always follow," he says.