First Impressions
Picture yourself on the outskirts of a small rural town. It’s early fall, the leaves just starting to tint with yellow edges. You stand along a set of rusty train tracks. There’s a sign up ahead. You walk over to read the wood panel. The marker script says: “Follow the tracks to our location uptown”. You gaze down the abandoned steel rails as they bend into the trees. Do you follow? Do you take the path towards that fresh coffee scent?
If you do, you may be as lucky as we were to discover Trax Coffee Roasters in Beacon, New York. Make sure that you do your Google searching for “Trax Coffee Roasters” and not “Trax Espresso” (which we’re sure is a great spot too, but it ain’t the location we graded!)
While not a huge location, Trax is certainly big enough to fulfill the role of a comfortable, welcoming, and expert local specialty coffee roaster. With a friendly staff, chill seating, and local vibes; pretty much everyone can find a comfortable space. But how does the coffee stack up to the competition?
But What About the Coffee?
Specialty coffee comes in many varieties and flavors. Some drinkers prefer straight brews a la espresso shots and regular fresh drip. Others search for milk mixtures like cappuccinos or lattes.
While all of these versions feature all sorts of profiles, the ultimate difference always comes back to the quality of the beans. At Trax, you’ll not only have some of the best roasted beans around, but you’ll be treated to brews that are (honestly) at the pinnacle of what a coffee roaster should seek to feature for their customers.
Jackie’s Drink
The fall season is certainly conducive to a warm cup a Joe. But what’s better than a freshly balance latte?
At Trax, I would highly recommend that you try their “maple syrup latte” — whether you’re a latte drinker or not. While plenty of coffee roasters can make a specialty mix drink, few can blend flavors as well-balanced as at Trax.
We’ve enjoyed a ton of lattes in our travels, but this one featuring local maple syrup is among the best we’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy. If you’re anywhere near this area, add this roaster to your must visit locations!
Gotta luva latte! 
Fresh brew anyone?
Joe’s Drink
I’ve enjoyed a lot of pour over coffee brews over the years. From Rhode Island to Washington, most specialty coffee roasters worth their weight in beans will offer some version of this style of fancy brewing.
Sadly, however, not all pour overs are made the same. While some are most definitely “A” grade stuff, others don’t rise to much better than a regular café drip option. As such, we’re always in search for the best brew out there.
Luckily for us, Trax more than rose to the occasion. I actually tried two pour over options: a darker roast and the lighter Ethiopian option. All I can say is “wow”. While the darker roast was amazing, the Ethiopian brew really blew me away. These types of pour overs are often described as “fruity” and even sometimes with notes of “blueberry”. My cup featured exactly this complex profile.
Honestly, I can only think of maybe two or three other roasters that have come close to a pour over this good. If you’re in search a fresh regular coffee as good as they get, Trax should be top on your destination list!
Listen to our Full Thoughts (and Grade)!
What else did we think about our experience at Trax Coffee Roasters? What is our final “A” through “F” letter grade? Did Joe freak out about the restroom condition? Listen via the player below — or search for “A Grade” wherever you listen to podcasts to find out!
Joe & Jackie
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