Counter Culture Coffee - Specialty Coffee Roaster | Unpacking Coffee [Skip to content](#main-content) [ ![Unpacking Coffee Logo](/images/cuppin-logo.svg) Unpacking Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee) [ Coffees ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees) [ Roasters ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters) [ Clubs ](https://unpacking.coffee/clubs) [ Cuppings ](https://unpacking.coffee/cuppings) [ Recipes ](https://unpacking.coffee/recipes) [ Origins ](https://unpacking.coffee/origins) [ Log in ](https://unpacking.coffee/login) [ ](https://unpacking.coffee/login "Log in") [ Register ](https://unpacking.coffee/register) [ ](https://unpacking.coffee/register "Register") [ Roasters ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters) Counter Culture Coffee Counter Culture Coffee ====================== Durham, North Carolina-based roaster founded in 1995, pioneering direct trade and transparency. Known for their commitment to education, sustainability, and quality. Tasted by [ ![Raymond Brigleb](https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/225614451dc9aee33be11e0f6876c18b?s=120&d=identicon) ](https://unpacking.coffee/users/rbrigleb) Watch Episode Read Transcript - [ Counter Culture Coffee ](https://counterculturecoffee.com/) - [ Counter Culture Coffee Instagram ](https://instagram.com/counterculturecoffee/) - [ Counter Culture Coffee Twitter ](https://twitter.com/counter_culture) - [ La Marzocco Café Roasters in Residence ](https://unpacking.coffee/tag/la-marzocco-cafe-roaster-in-residence/) ![Counter Culture Coffee](/storage/roaster-profiles/46/featured.jpg) HELLO Ray: I'm Ray. Kandace: I'm Kandace. Ray: Welcome to Season 2 of Unpacking Coffee! This week ... Kandace: Counter Culture. Ray: Counter Culture was founded in 1995 making then probably one of the earliest of the third wave coffee companies. Kandace: They've really been leading the way in coffee for a long time. They started having public cuppings all the way back in 2002. They were focusing on ... Like you said, education or making coffee super accessible or being really transparent. That's been part of their mission from the very beginning. Year after year they're just continuing to build on that and it's pretty amazing. Ray: I wish I had worn my hoodie. This just looks very plain. Kandace: Go put your hoodie on. Ray: No it's okay. Kandace: That was your reaction to that whole thing about sustainability? Ray: We also got to chat with Scott Callender. Scott: Hi, I'm Scott Callender. I work for La Marzocco and I head up the home business for La Marzocco. We are in the La Marzocco café and show room in Seattle Center. We invite roasters from around the world to come in here, reinvent the space, reinvent the menu and they will develop a coffee service that will last for one month here in the café as popup. We have right now a very special guest with us here at the café. It is Counter Culture Coffee and they are from Durham, North Carolina. They're doing some really special stuff right now. Kandace: From the beginning, they've had a commitment to sustainability. Ray: That's right. Kandace: Which they're one of the first bird friendly coffees. Ray: Mm-hmm (affirmative) They have a program they call Counter Intelligence. Kandace: Shut up. Ray: It's true. Kandace: That's awesome. Ray: It's awesome. Kandace: I didn't even see anything about that. Ray: This is their standard packaging with a nice roast date sticker. Kandace: Seriously. They have some really nice ... These nice little 4 ouncers. Ray: Bio-trade bag here. Actually, we went up to Seattle this past week to visit the La Marzocco. Kandace: It's their café in KEXP, the new space. Erin: Kennith spoke to Erin McCarthy about, he was the world brewing champion in 2013, is that right? Kandace: He was the first North American to win that title. Ray: Nice. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: Kind of an expert, and in fact, he brewed ... Kandace: Kind of knows everything about coffee so. Erin: My name is Erin McCarthy. I work for Counter Culture Coffee out of New York City as a tech. I won the 2013 world brewers cup championship so I started out as a barista, and then kind of got into the competition circuit for three years. Kandace: You were the first American to win? Erin: It's true, yeah. Yeah. https://youtu.be/zUjqXkMUpi4 Kandace: What I thought was really interesting about this is that, so Erin is a barista right now during September, during part of September, at the La Marzocco space. Erin has a couple flights and they're really interesting. Erin: I tried to kind of make it a little journey if you will. Erin: The Geisha variety is an heirloom variety from Ethiopia so the seed that Moisés and Marysabel, the producers planted is the same variety that can be found in Ethiopia and have been found for hundreds of years. The SL28, the SL stands for Scot Laboratories and that was created in a lab with the purposes of higher production and resistance to disease for Kenya. So, what’s really neat about that is it’s one of the most popular varieties grown in Kenya so when you taste this coffee, it tastes like you’re drinking a Kenyan coffee which is super neat…to also separate that idea of a taste of place and layer it. Variety can also taste a certain way. Kandace: I’m excited about it. Erin: It was my pleasure. Kandace: Counter Culture Coffee. Ray: Of Durham, North Carolina. Hey, we’re back! Thanks to Rachel Classi and Erin McCarthy from Counter Culture for sending us beautiful coffee, talking to us, and allowing us to tell their story. And to Scott Callender and all the fine folks at KEXP for allowing us into their gorgeous space. Watch the Show https://vimeo.com/183387322 HELLO Ray: I'm Ray. Kandace: I'm Kandace. Ray: Welcome to Season 2 of Unpacking Coffee! This week ... Kandace: Counter Culture. Ray: Counter Culture was founded in 1995 making then probably one of the earliest of the third wave coffee companies. Kandace: They've really been leading the way in coffee for a long time. They started having public cuppings all the way back in 2002. They were focusing on ... Like you said, education or making coffee super accessible or being really transparent. That's been part of their mission from the very beginning. Year after year they're just continuing to build on that and it's pretty amazing. Ray: I wish I had worn my hoodie. This just looks very plain. Kandace: Go put your hoodie on. Ray: No it's okay. Kandace: That was your reaction to that whole thing about sustainability? Ray: We also got to chat with Scott Callender. Scott: Hi, I'm Scott Callender. I work for La Marzocco and I head up the home business for La Marzocco. We are in the La Marzocco café and show room in Seattle Center. We invite roasters from around the world to come in here, reinvent the space, reinvent the menu and they will develop a coffee service that will last for one month here in the café as popup. We have right now a very special guest with us here at the café. It is Counter Culture Coffee and they are from Durham, North Carolina. They're doing some really special stuff right now. Kandace: From the beginning, they've had a commitment to sustainability. Ray: That's right. Kandace: Which they're one of the first bird friendly coffees. Ray: Mm-hmm (affirmative) They have a program they call Counter Intelligence. Kandace: Shut up. Ray: It's true. Kandace: That's awesome. Ray: It's awesome. Kandace: I didn't even see anything about that. Ray: This is their standard packaging with a nice roast date sticker. Kandace: Seriously. They have some really nice ... These nice little 4 ouncers. Ray: Bio-trade bag here. Actually, we went up to Seattle this past week to visit the La Marzocco. Kandace: It's their café in KEXP, the new space. Erin: Kennith spoke to Erin McCarthy about, he was the world brewing champion in 2013, is that right? Kandace: He was the first North American to win that title. Ray: Nice. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: Kind of an expert, and in fact, he brewed ... Kandace: Kind of knows everything about coffee so. Erin: My name is Erin McCarthy. I work for Counter Culture Coffee out of New York City as a tech. I won the 2013 world brewers cup championship so I started out as a barista, and then kind of got into the competition circuit for three years. Kandace: You were the first American to win? Erin: It's true, yeah. Yeah. https://youtu.be/zUjqXkMUpi4 Kandace: What I thought was really interesting about this is that, so Erin is a barista right now during September, during part of September, at the La Marzocco space. Erin has a couple flights and they're really interesting. Erin: I tried to kind of make it a little journey if you will. Erin: The Geisha variety is an heirloom variety from Ethiopia so the seed that Moisés and Marysabel, the producers planted is the same variety that can be found in Ethiopia and have been found for hundreds of years. The SL28, the SL stands for Scot Laboratories and that was created in a lab with the purposes of higher production and resistance to disease for Kenya. So, what’s really neat about that is it’s one of the most popular varieties grown in Kenya so when you taste this coffee, it tastes like you’re drinking a Kenyan coffee which is super neat…to also separate that idea of a taste of place and layer it. Variety can also taste a certain way. Kandace: I’m excited about it. Erin: It was my pleasure. Kandace: Counter Culture Coffee. Ray: Of Durham, North Carolina. Hey, we’re back! Thanks to Rachel Classi and Erin McCarthy from Counter Culture for sending us beautiful coffee, talking to us, and allowing us to tell their story. And to Scott Callender and all the fine folks at KEXP for allowing us into their gorgeous space. Watch the Show https://vimeo.com/183387322 Coffee Offerings ------------------ ### [ Kajere Honey ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/198-kajere-honey) Process Honey Country [Uganda](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/uganda) Region Bulambuli First noted Sep 26, 2026 Last tasted Sep 28, 2026 2 cuppings [ black cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/176 "black cherry") [ raw sugar](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/160 "raw sugar") [ grape](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/11 "grape") [ butterscotch](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/32 "butterscotch") Log In to Cup Log in to your account Enter your email and password to continue Email address Password Remember me Cancel Log in Need an account? [Sign up](https://unpacking.coffee/register?intended=https%3A%2F%2Funpacking.coffee%2Fcupping%2Fnew%3Froaster_id%3D46) 1 Coffee Offerings 2 Total Cuppings Added 1 year ago Roaster Details Website [ counterculturecoffee.com ](https://counterculturecoffee.com) Established 1995 Location City Durham State/Province North Carolina Country United States Use filters or recent searches to refine your results. Press Esc to close. Filters 12 showing Users 0 Coffees 0 Roasters 0 Recipes 0 Explore featured coffees Start typing to search across the entire database. [ ### [ Dark Star ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/200-dark-star) by [Little Amps Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/306-little-amps-coffee-roasters) Process Natural Varieties [74110](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/85-74110) Country [Ethiopia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/ethiopia) Region Jimma Elevation 1950-2150m First noted Sep 29, 2026 0 cuppings ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/200-dark-star) [ ### [ Friend Blend ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/199-friend-blend) by [Little Amps Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/306-little-amps-coffee-roasters) Process Washed Varieties [Caturra](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/12-caturra), [Landrace](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/40-landrace) Country [Ethiopia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/ethiopia) Elevation 1600 (Colombia)m First noted Sep 29, 2026 0 cuppings ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/199-friend-blend) [ ### [ Kajere Honey ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/198-kajere-honey) by [Counter Culture Coffee](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/46-counter-culture-coffee) Process Honey Country [Uganda](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/uganda) Region Bulambuli First noted Sep 26, 2026 Last tasted Sep 28, 2026 2 cuppings [ black cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/176 "black cherry") [ raw sugar](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/160 "raw sugar") [ grape](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/11 "grape") [ butterscotch](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/32 "butterscotch") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/198-kajere-honey) [ ### [ Headliner Seasonal Blend ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/197-headliner-seasonal-blend) by [Broadsheet Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/300-broadsheet-coffee-roasters) First noted Sep 17, 2026 Last tasted Sep 24, 2026 2 cuppings [ cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/5 "cherry") [ fudge](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/128 "fudge") [ plum](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/10 "plum") [ milk chocolate](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/197-headliner-seasonal-blend) [ ### [ Strawberry Shake ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/196-strawberry-shake) by [KOS Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/304-kos-coffee-roasters) Process Co-fermented and experimental (Strawberry) Varieties [Pink Bourbon](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/1-pink-bourbon), [Castillo](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/13-castillo) Country [Colombia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/colombia) Region Quindío Elevation 1400m Source Viviana Martinez First noted Sep 16, 2026 Last tasted Sep 16, 2026 2 cuppings [ strawberries](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/259 "strawberries") [ peach](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/3 "peach") [ creamy](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/260 "creamy") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/196-strawberry-shake) [ ### [ Peru Guardian del Bosque ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/195-peru-guardian-del-bosque) by [Northbound Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/301-northbound-coffee-roasters) Certifications Organic Process Natural Varieties [Geisha](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/16-geisha) Country [Peru](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/peru) Region Amazonas Harvest 2025 Source Ronal Carranza Montenegro First noted Sep 10, 2026 Last tasted Sep 10, 2026 1 cupping [ dried strawberry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/248 "dried strawberry") [ floral tropical fruit](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/257 "floral tropical fruit") [ fruit loops cereal](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/258 "fruit loops cereal") [ raw sugar](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/160 "raw sugar") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/195-peru-guardian-del-bosque) [ ### [ Headliner ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/193-headliner) by [Broadsheet Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/300-broadsheet-coffee-roasters) Process Washed Varieties [Bourbon](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/9-bourbon), [Heirloom](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/84-heirloom) Country [Ethiopia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/ethiopia) Region Yirgacheffe Elevation 1400-1800m First noted Sep 08, 2026 0 cuppings ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/193-headliner) [ ### [ Yembek Anaerobic Natural ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/194-yembek-anaerobic-natural) by [Broadsheet Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/300-broadsheet-coffee-roasters) Process Natural Varieties [SL34](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/31-sl34) Country [Uganda](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/uganda) Region Kapchorwa Elevation 1800-2000m First noted Sep 08, 2026 Last tasted Sep 08, 2026 2 cuppings [ honey](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/22 "honey") [ raspberry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/6 "raspberry") [ nectarine](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/126 "nectarine") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/194-yembek-anaerobic-natural) [ ### [ Victor Florez Chiroso ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/192-victor-florez-chiroso) by [HEX Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/299-hex-coffee-roasters) Process Washed Varieties [Chiroso](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/101-chiroso) Country [Colombia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/colombia) Region Antioquia Elevation 1900m Source La Cartagena First noted Sep 04, 2026 Last tasted Sep 11, 2026 3 cuppings [ honeydew](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/221 "honeydew") [ tangerine blossom](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/254 "tangerine blossom") [ cocktail cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/255 "cocktail cherry") [ cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/5 "cherry") [ tangerine](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/123 "tangerine") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/192-victor-florez-chiroso) [ ### [ Double Feature ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/191-double-feature) by [Messenger Coffee](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/298-messenger-coffee) and [Black & White Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/23-black-white-coffee-roasters) Process Thermal Shock Washed, Thermal Shock Natural Varieties [Pacamara](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/27-pacamara) Country [Colombia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/colombia) Region Huila Elevation 1750m First noted Sep 03, 2026 Last tasted Sep 03, 2026 1 cupping [ cherry blossom](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/253 "cherry blossom") [ peach](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/3 "peach") [ mango](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/15 "mango") [ pineapple](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/14 "pineapple") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/191-double-feature) [ ### [ Gerba Dogo Sodu ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/190-gerba-dogo-sodu) by [Passenger Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/164-passenger-coffee-roasters) Process Washed Country [Ethiopia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/ethiopia) Region Guji First noted Sep 02, 2026 0 cuppings ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/190-gerba-dogo-sodu) [ ### [ Kenya Gachuiro AB ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/189-kenya-gachuiro-ab) by [Heart Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/47-heart-coffee-roasters) Process Washed Varieties [SL28](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/30-sl28), [SL34](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/31-sl34) Country [Kenya](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/kenya) Region Nyeri First noted Aug 29, 2026 Last tasted Aug 29, 2026 1 cupping [ marionberry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/177 "marionberry") [ honey](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/22 "honey") [ hibiscus](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/59 "hibiscus") [ cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/5 "cherry") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/189-kenya-gachuiro-ab)