Argyll Blend

About the Coffee

Argyll Blend is Transcend's first signature blend. It is named for Argyll Road in Edmonton, where Transcend's original cafe operated from 2006 until it closed in February 2017. The blend is a 75/25 split of two coffees. Transcend does not name the origins or producers on the product page, so this description sticks to what the roaster has published.

Transcend built the blend for espresso and says it works with other brewing methods too. Its suggested espresso starting recipe is 20 grams in, 30 seconds, 40 grams out. Those parameters were set using an 18g VST basket on a machine running at 8.5 bars of pressure. The blend is a medium roast, and the bag label carries both filter and espresso symbols.

About Transcend

Poul Mark left a career in law and opened Transcend in Edmonton in July 2006, as a coffee bar and roastery in an industrial area. In 2017 Transcend opened a café and roastery in Ritchie Market, a building Mark helped develop with Greg Zeschuk. In 2025 Mark took over as lead roaster again.

After his first trip to origin, to Panama in 2008, Mark committed Transcend to buying all its coffee through direct trade. Much of that buying happens in Costa Rica, through long-time partner Francisco Mena of Exclusive Coffees, who works with independent farmers processing their own coffee at micro-mills. Mark said in 2025 that Transcend has bought from Costa Rican producer Ricardo Pérez for 15 years.

"Transcend is finally part of our lineup! If you're from Edmonton, you might recognize Transcend as one of the pioneers of the third wave coffee scene there. Headed by Poul Mark (Canada's 2nd ever Q grader), Transcend is one of few roasters that has relationships that span decades; we expect Poul & team's dedication to the craft shines through in these coffees."

- Dean, Director of Coffee