I'm not sure about Stumptown, but from what I've heard Blue Bottle still gets a portion, however small or large, from importers. Here's a somewhat dated articl

I'm not sure about Stumptown, but from what I've heard Blue Bottle still gets a portion, however small or large, from importers. Here's a somewhat dated article on the issue where Blue Bottle talks freely about sourcing from Royal Coffee: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-truth-about-your-coffee/Content?oid=3024942 http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-truth-about-your-c... In this sense, yes, it's true that they have direct trade. I don't believe it's true that it's completely direct trade. Royal Coffee, like MGP, does one thing and they do it very well. They do it better than most anyone with modest resources could hope to do. Is that dishonesty? Is that straight up dishonesty? Maybe, but maybe not. If you are looking for the highest quality coffee for your company, it'd be foolish not to take advantage of a place like Royal Coffee. As for other whiskies, I do think dishonesty is bad, although I'm not sure how many companies are "straight up dishonest" about their operations. Like Blue Bottle has Direct Trade coffees, High West does have a distilling operation. Angel's Envy seems to almost tout their finishing. Similarly, Hooker's House says their bourbon is "born in Kentucky".