One of the fun things about being bi-coastal is seeing what changes every time you jump coasts.  In the several months I’d been in New York, a new place had opened up just South of Lofty Coffee in Encinitas.  I hadn’t had the need to be in Encinitas until today, And, as luck would have it, Ironsmith Coffee is now the 3rd small batch roaster near my house.

All the coffee is roasted on premises guaranteeing the freshest possible product.  The coffee is meticulously crafted and it shows.  Now, I’ll admit that the flavor profile in their espresso blend isn’t exactly up my alley, but it was still a damn good shot.  The blend has a pronounced spice note from the Costa Rican component.  It’s extracted on a really beautiful custom painted 3 head Slayer machine.  The owner keeps one of the heads as his test unit so he can play around with things while using the other 2 to keep up with the shop demand.

The shop is small, but good size, and full of natural light.  They also offer a selection of teas and baked goods.  The staff is super friendly. As I was talking with the owner, I mentioned that I had started roasting my own beans, and the owner promptly pulled out his really cool small drum sample roaster and talked me through how he worked his way up to the 10lb batch Diedrich roaster he uses to service the shop.  Then he gave me about 1.5lbs of washed Guatemala green beans because he couldn’t roast that small a quantity.

In a few months the coffee arena will get more crowded in that neighborhood as Better Buzz moves in about 300 yards South of Ironsmith Coffee.  But, consumers win.  Quality will always win, and with so many varied tastes, Ironsmith Coffee will do just fine I think.  If you are walking around 1st Street in Encinitas, stop in and give them a go.