Balzac’s Coffee Roasters Market Street location is a bright and welcoming spot with cute pastel colours and beautiful design work. This was my first coffee tasting ever, and my colleague’s as well, and we didn’t know what to expect.

We are greeted by Will Thorburn. His title is literally Director of Coffee (coolest title of all-time? Quite possibly). He has most certainly earned his title, as he has an infinite amount of knowledge about coffee.

He gives us a background on Balzac’s. The company has been operating since 1996 and is well-known around Ontario, with 14 locations across the province. Their namesake comes from the French author who drank litres of coffee at a time. They love to provide their customers with seasonally sourced coffee that has a backstory. They also pride themselves on specialty grade coffee, and showcase flavours from the regions where the coffee is sourced. Will says that their customers connect with the darker roast. In addition, they have a unique marble blend with light, medium and dark. Not only is the marble blend flavourful, but it has a lovely visual component as well. Click here to continue reading.