Wicked Good CoffeeSpeckled Ax, the wood-fired roaster in Portland, Maine
A Portland, Maine roaster that fires its roaster with wood instead of gas.
Most coffee is roasted over gas. Speckled Ax roasts with wood, and that's the reason to know the name. It's one of a handful of wood-fired coffee roasters in the United States, and it's based in Portland, Maine.
The short version
- Where
- Portland, Maine
- Started
- 2007, in Waterville, Maine, as Matt's Wood Roasted Organic Coffee
- Renamed
- Speckled Ax, in 2012
- Roaster
- A refurbished 1970s Italian Petroncini, fired with kiln-dried Maine wood
- Buy it
- Online (blends, single-origin coffees, and monthly subscriptions) or at its Portland cafe
How the coffee is roasted
The wood is kiln-dried Maine red oak, maple, and ash. The owner's favorite is ash, because it burns the fastest. Wood fire needs more hands-on control than gas does. The hard part is managing the heat between first crack and the end of the roast, according to a 2022 visit by Brian's Coffee Spot, which called the coffee excellent.
Where to find it
That 2022 write-up lists three Portland spots: the original on Congress Street (opened 2012), a flagship on Thames Street (opened 2020), and a roastery with a coffee bar on Walton Street (opened 2021). The company's own website currently lists a single address, 567 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101, phone 207-660-3333. It doesn't post hours there, so check before you go.
Where to start
Speckled Ax sorts its coffee on its website into blends, single-origin coffees, and gear. A blend is the easy way into any new roaster, and a monthly subscription is there if you like it. The site also displays Good Food Awards recognition.
This profile is researched from published sources, not from a visit. Locations and hours change, so check before you go. Sources: Speckled Ax and Brian's Coffee Spot.
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