I attended Boot Coffee for Intro to Coffee, Intro to Sensory, Roasting Foundation and Intermediate course, and follow-on business seminar. I attended Boot Coffee for the Introduction to Coffee, Introduction to Sensory, Roasting Foundation and Intermediate course (including certifications) and the business prep seminar. I truly enjoyed all the courses and found our instructor, Valerian Hrala to be extremely personable and knowledgeable; He made sure we were well prepared to take the SCA certifications and provided significant information based on his wealth of experience in the Specialty Coffee Industry including his time as an instructor. Whether we were working on roast profiles, company branding, brew methods, or discussing technological advances in the Specialty Coffee Industry, Valerian presented current, relevant information. He used fun and creative teaching methods to make the classes interesting, and prepared amazing specialty coffees from all over the world throughout each day, including Finca La Mula Panama Geisha, a delicious and highly rated coffee. Each specialty coffee he prepared included a brief history of the coffee, its farming location, its origins and/or a brief anecdote from his experiences in the Specialty Coffee Industry. The courses opened my eyes to the Specialty Coffee Community and the intricacies involved in evaluation and tasting of what I previously considered a "simple cup of coffee." I look forward to future classes with Valerian and highly recommend his classes to beginner roasters whether they are entrepreneurs or hobbyists. A side note for beginner roasters, take the accompanying sensory course (if offered). The cupping experience is well worth it and can only benefit your journey as a roaster.

Up to my elbows in chocolate! I signed up for a week long hands-on course in making bean to bar craft chocolate. We learned about sensory analysis and chocolate tasting, about roasting, cracking, winnowing, roasting, grinding/melanging, conching, tempering and molding. A lot of effort goes into making a chocolate bar and that's not including all the work that the farmer does at origin. Valerian made the work fun but also made sure we learned. We made six different kinds of bars and had plenty to take home with us. We also tasted an infinity of craft chocolate bars from around the world and had an in depth visit to the Dandelion Chocolate Factory in San Francisco. All in all well worth it and I came away with the knowledge I needed to get into trouble making chocolate at home. Recommended.

Excellent experience upping my coffee skills! The courses have just the right mix of core information/theory, practice, and fun. And also time for networking, which is important in this type of setting. I Look forward to exploring more advanced courses very soon.

Comfortable space with skillful instructors I visited Boot Coffee after reading the 'Monk of Mokha' and was instantly convinced that I need to take a few courses here. I have taken Sensory, Roasting Biz, and Q grader courses with them. Valerian, the course director, has a wealth of knowledge from his roasting businesses and happily shares it through his teachings. He cares for the progress of all students and is completely invested in our success. For the Q, Willem has been teaching the course since years and he does a great job at calming the nerves. The Q course is a stressful 6 days but both Valerian and Willem are there for you throughout the process. Overall, I would definitely recommend taking courses with Boot and if you are giving the Q exam, would urge you to take the sensory courses as they help immensely for the Q course.

Very thorough and focused classes Very thorough and focused classes, with clear objectives and easy to follow lectures. I highly recommend taking classes here. Coffee curious and coffee professionals will benefit from any class they are interested in taking at Boot Coffee. I left the campus with more confidence in my coffee sensory work.