I thought I knew Joe.

Two minutes into my conversation with mild-mannered coffee craftsman Velton Ross, I realize I don’t know beans—literally.

Since 2007, Velton has roasted out of a space in the back of a vintage brick building in the Lowell District. It’s a cool place to work; set on a hill on 2nd Street, the roastery overlooks idling trains and the Lowell Riverfront Trail.

The floor of his shop is covered with pallets of burlap coffee sacks. There’s an espresso machine, a cupping table, stacks of merch. One corner of the space is dominated by the big blue roaster.

Velton works with eight single origin varietals at a time. In addition to these he creates his own proprietary blends, some of which have won prestigious awards.

“Velton has almost singlehandedly made [certain coffees] famous,” says barista Maxwell Mooney of Narrative Coffee. “Especially the Nayarita from Mexico. Ask a coffee person if they're familiar with [Nayarita] and it will be synonymous with Velton's Coffee.”

Like wine, coffee crops change from year to year depending on weather patterns and harvest size. Velton is always adjusting, tweaking, and experimenting with flavor profiles.

Velton’s coffee career began in 1989 when he manned an espresso cart during college. He worked as a barista for Seattle’s Best Coffee, picking up skills. He managed cafes.

But things really came together when he learned to roast. For five years he worked as head roaster for Seattle caffeine powerhouses Top Pot and Bauhaus before opening his own business in Everett. That’s to say his java cred is strong.

Velton makes us pour overs (Ethiopian single origin) and we talk shop. He speaks openly about his many friends in the coffee world—who’s working on what and what’s trending (Kenyan SL-28, anyone?). To hear him tell it specialty coffee is a chill industry where collaboration and respect is prized over competition.

He’s an easygoing conversationalist, comfortably talking about roasts, New Wave music, and film cameras. But I find myself lost when he starts elaborating on the finer points of coffee flavor.

For my sake we consult a coffee “family tree” taped to his wall. He points out different varietals that I’ve never heard of— tipica, pink bourbon, Pacamara, and geisha from Panama.

“Geisha," Velton remarked, "The darling of today’s coffee industry. Eighteen bucks a cup in certain New York cafes.”

As a small business owner Velton’s life is the hustle (albeit a caffeine-fueled hustle). When he’s not roasting he’s shipping orders, balancing books, answering emails, and pinch hitting for other local roasters. He has one part-time employee, but mostly the business rides on his long work hours.

At the end of the day he’s a craftsman fueled by his passion for the bean.

“[Roasting] is something that you can never 100% figure out,” said Velton. “I’m still exploring and learning.”

Psst. Support local artisans. You can buy Velton’s Coffee in Everett at the Co-op and at Bookend Coffee. Or you can also order online here.

Richard Porter is a social worker and musician. He lives in North Everett and enjoys running on Marine View Drive, bicycling down tree-lined streets, and trying to coax vegetables out of his yard.