How to compare Australian coffee brands (and what most people miss)

WALK INTO ANY SUPERMARKET OR BOUTIQUE CAFÉ IN AUSTRALIA TODAY, AND YOU ARE CONFRONTED BY A DIZZYING ARRAY OF CHOICE. DOZENS OF AUSTRALIAN COFFEE BRANDS LINE THE SHELVES, EACH ADORNED WITH MINIMALIST PACKAGING — AND TO BE CLEAR, WE ENJOY THIS AS MUCH AS ANYONE — AND BOLD CLAIMS OF BEING "PREMIUM," "SPECIALTY," OR "ARTISAN."

 

FOR THE DISCERNING DRINKER, THIS OVERLOAD CREATES A PROBLEM: PACKAGING AND BUZZWORDS ARE OFTEN USED TO MASK MEDIOCRE QUALITY.

 

GREAT COFFEE IS NOT A PERFORMANCE. IT IS THE RESULT OF DISCIPLINED AGRICULTURE, TECHNICAL PRECISION, AND HONEST SOURCING. TO TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE DRINKING, YOU MUST LEARN TO LOOK PAST THE BRANDING AND INTO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE BEAN.

 

THIS GUIDE WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO COMPARE BRANDS PROPERLY, HIGHLIGHTING THE CRITICAL DETAILS MOST CONSUMERS OVERLOOK.

 

START WITH THE BEANS, NOT THE BRANDING

 

LOGOS, TYPOGRAPHY, AND MATTE FINISH BAGS DO NOT EQUAL QUALITY. IN SPECIALTY COFFEE, BRANDING CAN OFTEN DISTRACT FROM THE REALITY OF THE PRODUCT.

 

HIGH-END AUSTRALIAN COFFEE BRANDS SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION IS RARELY ON THE FRONT OF THE BAG.

 

FLIP IT OVER.

 

IF A BRAND SPENDS MORE SPACE ON LIFESTYLE MARKETING THAN ON ORIGIN DATA, ROAST DATES, AND VARIETAL INFORMATION, IT IS OFTEN A SIGNAL THE COFFEE IS BEING POSITIONED RATHER THAN EXPLAINED.

 

QUALITY SITS IN THE DETAILS, NOT THE DESIGN.

 

CHECK THE COFFEE ORIGIN: THE ESTATE ADVANTAGE

 

WHEN COMPARING AUSTRALIAN COFFEE BRANDS, SOURCING IS THE FIRST REAL POINT OF DIFFERENCE.

 

MOST “AUSTRALIAN” BRANDS ARE ROASTERS OF IMPORTED BEANS. THERE IS NOTHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THIS. BUT IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT TO ESTATE-GROWN COFFEE.

 

A PRODUCER-LED BRAND LIKE JACK MURAT OFFERS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY: COFFEE GROWN, PROCESSED, AND ROASTED WITHIN THE SAME SYSTEM.

 

SINGLE ORIGIN VS BLENDS

SINGLE ORIGIN COFFEES COME FROM ONE FARM OR REGION. THEY REFLECT TERROIR, AND IMPORTANTLY, THEY OFFER TRACEABILITY. YOU CAN FOLLOW THE COFFEE BACK TO ITS SOURCE.

 

BLENDS ARE BUILT FOR CONSISTENCY. THEY COMBINE MULTIPLE COFFEES TO ACHIEVE A STABLE, REPEATABLE PROFILE. THEY ARE NOT INHERENTLY BETTER OR WORSE, BUT THEY ARE DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY.

 

AUSTRALIAN GROWN VS IMPORTED

COFFEE GROWN IN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND DEVELOPS UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS TO ETHIOPIA OR BRAZIL. COOLER NIGHTS AND DEFINED SEASONS SLOW CHERRY MATURATION, OFTEN RESULTING IN A CLEANER, MORE REFINED SWEETNESS.

 

TRANSPARENCY

A SERIOUS BRAND WILL TELL YOU WHERE THE COFFEE COMES FROM, THE ALTITUDE, THE VARIETY, AND HOW IT WAS PROCESSED. IF THAT INFORMATION IS MISSING, IT IS WORTH ASKING WHY.

 

LOOK FOR REAL FRESHNESS (NOT JUST ROAST DATE)

 

FRESHNESS IS ONE OF THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD CONCEPTS IN COFFEE.

 

ROAST DATE MATTERS. BUT IT IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY.

 

REAL FRESHNESS BEGINS AT HARVEST — WHEN THE CHERRY IS PICKED. FROM THAT POINT, STORAGE CONDITIONS, PROCESSING, AND HANDLING ALL INFLUENCE THE FINAL CUP LONG BEFORE ROASTING EVER OCCURS.

 

VERY FEW BRANDS SPEAK TO HOW COFFEE IS STORED BETWEEN HARVEST AND ROAST. YET THIS PERIOD CAN DEFINE QUALITY.

 

THAT SAID, THE ROAST DATE REMAINS YOUR MOST PRACTICAL REFERENCE POINT AS A CONSUMER.

 

ALWAYS LOOK FOR A ROAST DATE, NOT JUST A “BEST BEFORE.”
“BEST BEFORE” WINDOWS ARE OFTEN ARBITRARY AND TELL YOU VERY LITTLE ABOUT CURRENT QUALITY.

 

AS A GUIDE, COFFEE IS TYPICALLY AT ITS BEST BETWEEN 2 AND 6 WEEKS POST ROAST.

 

IF A BRAND HIDES THE ROAST DATE, IT USUALLY REFLECTS A LONGER, LESS CONTROLLED SUPPLY CHAIN.

 

UNDERSTAND ROAST LEVELS

 

ROAST LEVEL IS A TOOL. IT SHOULD REVEAL THE CHARACTER OF THE BEAN, NOT COVER IT.

 

LIGHT ROAST

HIGHER ACIDITY, MORE EXPRESSIVE, OFTEN FLORAL OR FRUIT-DRIVEN. BEST SUITED TO FILTER BREWING.

 

MEDIUM ROAST

BALANCED. STRUCTURE, SWEETNESS, AND CLARITY. OFTEN THE SWEET SPOT.

 

MEDIUM-DARK ROAST

COMMON IN ESPRESSO. LOWER PERCEIVED ACIDITY, FULLER BODY, WITH CHOCOLATE AND NUT-DRIVEN PROFILES, WITHOUT BECOMING HARSH.

 

DARK ROAST

HEAVIER, SMOKY, MORE DEVELOPED. IN SOME CASES, DARKER ROASTING CAN MASK DEFECTS IN LOWER QUALITY COFFEE.

 

A DARKER ROAST DOES NOT MEAN MORE CAFFEINE. IT REFLECTS FURTHER CARAMELISATION OF SUGARS AND PARTIAL REDUCTION OF ORGANIC ACIDS, WHICH IS WHY DARKER COFFEES TASTE LESS ACIDIC.

 

EVALUATE FLAVOUR NOTES AND PROFILES

 

TASTING NOTES ARE MEANT TO GUIDE, NOT IMPRESS.

 

THEY DESCRIBE NATURALLY OCCURRING COMPOUNDS IN THE COFFEE — NOT ADDED FLAVOURS.

 

BE CAUTIOUS OF OVERLY ELABORATE OR POETIC DESCRIPTORS. IN MANY CASES, THEY DO NOT REFLECT WHAT IS ACTUALLY IN THE CUP.

 

INSTEAD, LOOK FOR GROUNDED, RECOGNISABLE REFERENCES — STONE FRUIT, COCOA, TOASTED NUTS.

 

ULTIMATELY, YOUR OWN PALATE MATTERS MORE THAN ANY LABEL. THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND FLAVOUR IS TO TASTE BROADLY AND FORM YOUR OWN REFERENCE POINTS.

 

PAY ATTENTION TO PROCESSING METHODS

 

PROCESSING IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT — AND OVERLOOKED — DRIVERS OF FLAVOUR.

 

WASHED

CLEAN, STRUCTURED, MORE CLARITY IN ACIDITY.

 

NATURAL

FRUIT-DRIVEN, HEAVIER BODY, MORE INTENSITY.

 

HONEY

A MIDDLE GROUND. RETAINS SOME FRUIT CHARACTER WITH ADDED SWEETNESS AND TEXTURE.

 

UNDERSTANDING PROCESSING HELPS YOU ANTICIPATE HOW A COFFEE WILL FEEL BEFORE YOU BREW IT.

 

ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABILITY FACTORS

 

QUALITY AND ETHICS ARE OFTEN LINKED, BUT NOT ALWAYS IN THE WAY PEOPLE ASSUME.

 

IN AUSTRALIA, VERY FEW BRANDS CAN GENUINELY CLAIM DIRECT TRADE IN THE STRICTEST SENSE. MOST INDEPENDENT ROASTERS PURCHASE THROUGH IMPORTERS AND TRADERS.

 

ESTATE-GROWN AUSTRALIAN COFFEE OFFERS A RARE LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY BY DEFAULT. YOU KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM BECAUSE IT IS PRODUCED DOMESTICALLY.

 

SUPPORTING PRODUCERS — WHETHER LOCAL OR INTERNATIONAL — WHO INVEST IN GOOD FARMING, FAIR LABOUR, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CARE GENERALLY RESULTS IN BETTER COFFEE OVER TIME.

 

NOT BECAUSE IT IS MARKETED THAT WAY, BUT BECAUSE THE SYSTEM SUPPORTS QUALITY.

 

PRICE VS VALUE: THE TRUE COST OF A CUP

 

CHEAPER COFFEE OFTEN COMPROMISES ON GREEN BEAN QUALITY AND ROASTING PRECISION.

 

WHEN YOU PAY MORE, YOU ARE TYPICALLY PAYING FOR:

BETTER RAW MATERIAL
MORE CONTROLLED PROCESSING AND ROASTING
GREATER TRANSPARENCY
SHORTER, FRESHER SUPPLY CHAINS

 

MEASURED PER CUP, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVERAGE AND EXCEPTIONAL COFFEE IS MARGINAL.

 

MEASURED IN EXPERIENCE, IT IS SIGNIFICANT.CHEAPER COFFEE OFTEN COMPROMISES ON GREEN BEAN QUALITY AND ROASTING PRECISION.

 

WHEN YOU PAY MORE, YOU ARE TYPICALLY PAYING FOR:

BETTER RAW MATERIAL
MORE CONTROLLED PROCESSING AND ROASTING
GREATER TRANSPARENCY
SHORTER, FRESHER SUPPLY CHAINS

 

MEASURED PER CUP, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVERAGE AND EXCEPTIONAL COFFEE IS MARGINAL.

 

MEASURED IN EXPERIENCE, IT IS SIGNIFICANT.

 

THE “HIDDEN” FACTORS MOST PEOPLE MISS

 

BEYOND THE LABEL, A FEW DETAILS SEPARATE GOOD FROM GREAT:

 

BATCH SIZE

SMALLER BATCHES ALLOW TIGHTER CONTROL DURING ROASTING.

 

PACKAGING

ONE-WAY VALVES AND AIRTIGHT SEALS PROTECT THE COFFEE FROM OXYGEN.

 

STORAGE

RARELY DISCUSSED, BUT CRITICAL. POOR STORAGE BETWEEN HARVEST AND ROAST CAN UNDO EVERYTHING.

 

ROAST TRANSPARENCY

IF A BRAND EXPLAINS WHY A COFFEE IS ROASTED A CERTAIN WAY, IT REFLECTS UNDERSTANDING — NOT JUST EXECUTION.

 

HOW TO DO A SIMPLE AT-HOME COMPARISON

 

THE ONLY REAL WAY TO UNDERSTAND COFFEE IS TO TASTE IT.

 

CHOOSE TWO COFFEES — IDEALLY SOMETHING MASS-MARKET AND SOMETHING PRODUCER-LED.

CONTROL YOUR VARIABLES:

 

SAME WATER TEMPERATURE
SAME RATIO (E.G. 15G COFFEE TO 250G WATER)
SAME BREW METHOD

TASTE DELIBERATELY.

LOOK FOR:

AROMA
BODY
ACIDITY (COMMERCIAL-GRADE COFFEES OFTEN LACK THIS CLARITY)
AFTERTASTE (CLEAN VS LINGERING BITTERNESS)

 

TAKE NOTES. OVER TIME, YOU WILL TRUST YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT MORE THAN ANY LABEL.

 

CONCLUSION

 

COMPARING AUSTRALIAN COFFEE BRANDS REQUIRES A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE.

LOOK PAST THE FRONT OF THE BAG. FOCUS ON ORIGIN, TRANSPARENCY, PROCESSING, AND HOW THE COFFEE HAS BEEN HANDLED FROM HARVEST THROUGH TO ROAST.

GOOD COFFEE IS NOT DEFINED BY HOW IT IS PRESENTED. IT IS DEFINED BY HOW IT IS PRODUCED.

WHEN YOU CHOOSE BASED ON SUBSTANCE RATHER THAN MARKETING, YOU ARE NOT JUST BUYING BETTER COFFEE — YOU ARE SUPPORTING A BETTER SYSTEM.

 

FAQ QUESTIONS

 

HOW CAN I TELL IF AN AUSTRALIAN COFFEE BRAND IS HIGH QUALITY?

LOOK BEYOND PACKAGING. FOCUS ON ORIGIN, PROCESSING, ROAST DATE, AND TRANSPARENCY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, TASTE WIDELY AND TRUST YOUR OWN PALATE.

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINGLE-ORIGIN AND BLENDED COFFEE?
SINGLE ORIGIN COMES FROM ONE PLACE AND OFFERS TRACEABILITY AND DISTINCTION. BLENDS COMBINE COFFEES FOR CONSISTENCY. NEITHER IS INHERENTLY SMOOTHER — THEY SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES.

 

WHY DOES THE ROAST DATE MATTER MORE THAN THE “BEST BEFORE” DATE?
ROAST DATE TELLS YOU WHEN THE COFFEE WAS PREPARED FOR BREWING. “BEST BEFORE” DATES ARE BROAD ESTIMATES AND DO NOT REFLECT PEAK QUALITY.

 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ROAST LEVELS?
LIGHT FOR CLARITY, MEDIUM FOR BALANCE, MEDIUM-DARK FOR ESPRESSO PROFILES, DARK FOR HEAVIER, MORE DEVELOPED FLAVOURS.

 

HOW DO PROCESSING METHODS AFFECT FLAVOUR?
WASHED IS CLEAN, NATURAL IS FRUIT-FORWARD, HONEY SITS BETWEEN. PROCESSING SHAPES TEXTURE AND SWEETNESS.

 

IS ETHICAL COFFEE ALWAYS BETTER QUALITY?
NOT ALWAYS, BUT SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT FARMERS AND PROPER PROCESSING TEND TO PRODUCE BETTER OUTCOMES OVER TIME.

 

HOW CAN I COMPARE COFFEE AT HOME?
BREW CONSISTENTLY, TASTE SIDE-BY-SIDE, AND TAKE NOTES ON AROMA, BODY, ACIDITY, AND FINISH.

 

WHY ARE SMALLER BATCH SIZES IMPORTANT?
THEY ALLOW BETTER CONTROL DURING ROASTING, WHICH IMPROVES CONSISTENCY.

 

DOES PRICE INDICATE QUALITY?
NOT ALWAYS, BUT HIGHER PRICES OFTEN REFLECT BETTER INPUTS AND PROCESSES.

 

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE MISS?
STORAGE, PROCESSING, AND TRANSPARENCY. THESE MATTER MORE THAN BRANDING.