West Hartford Coffee Roaster Among Nation's Best

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A budding coffee roasting superstar at an upscale West Hartford coffee shop earned a major milestone en route to, possibly, being the best coffee roaster in the U.S.

Dana Borque, a roasting apprentice at West Hartford-based J. Rene Coffee Roasters, took first place in the preliminary round of the U.S. Roasters Championships last weekend in Kansas City, Mo.

J. Rene Coffee Roasters has two locations in West Hartford, one at 320 Park Road and the other at 58 LaSalle Road.

Borque's first-place standing in the preliminary rounds sent him to the "qualifying" round in 2024, where he could earn a spot in the finals en route to a national title.

As part of the competition, roasters are given "green" (unroasted) coffee and competitors must submit 2 pounds of roasted beans to judges.

Given the fickle subtleties of beans and the roasting process, the act of roasting coffee is more than just cooking beans. It's practically a culinary art form.

The tedious and rewarding pastime of brewing beverages isn't new to Borque, who made a name for himself in a 13-year career as the owner of Firefly Brewing in Bristol, where craft beer was his canvass.

Now, Borque has switched from suds to mud and the skill set required to excel in both culinary crafts is within his grasp, said his mentor.

“It has been a great joy to mentor Dana. His natural talent for roasting coffee is evident, but what is equally important is his commitment to the craft,” said Jose Rene Martínez, owner and founder of J. Rene Coffee Roaster.

“Dana is constantly experimenting with new roasting techniques, challenging industry standards, and working to ensure our coffee remains remarkable."

Borque said changing his brewing profession was a difficult choice, but one he doesn't regret.

"Changing careers is never an easy thing, so I couldn't be more grateful to the team at J.René for such a warm welcome. I think it says a lot about their dedication to quality and teamwork that we were able to guide this process to ultimately produce a competition-winning coffee,” said Borque.

“Though I've only been roasting for a few months, J.René Coffee is founded on the concept of excellence, and has the years of experience and talent to back it up."

For more information on J. Rene Coffee Roasters in West Hartford, click on this link.

For more information on the U.S. Roasters Championship, click on this link.