Coffee Buying Guide

At Dukes we source, roast and brew a wide range of coffees that we classify across the following criteria.

Category

Multi Producer Blends

Consistent, balanced and reliable signature blends from multiple origins and producers. Our blenders deliver a consistent, dependable flavour year-round.

Single Producer Coffee

Seasonal releases that reflect the character of a specific producer and harvest. Traceable, expressive and ever-evolving.

Season's Best

Rare and exceptional lots with standout character. Often experimental, always limited.

Decaffeinated

Single producer coffees, sourced directly from the world's best organic producers. Decaffeinated without chemicals using the Swiss Water Process to preserve clarity, sweetness and character.

Roast Style

Espresso

Roasted for depth, balance and structure. Designed to perform beautifully brewed on an espresso machine.

Filter

Roasted lighter to highlight clarity, acidity and aromatics. A more delicate, expressive cup for filter brewing.

Profile

Clean & Easy

Clarity, balance and effortlessly drinkable. Gentle sweetness with a clean finish.

Floral & Refined

Elegant and expressive, with delicate florals and lifted aromatics. A more nuanced cup that rewards attention.

Fruity & Funky

Vibrant, juicy and a little wild. Expect bold fruit character and playful fermentation notes.

Rich & Syrupy

Full-bodied and indulgent, with deep sweetness and a syrupy texture. Built for espresso with lasting intensity.

Certification

ACO Certified Organic

ACO Organic Certification ensures products meet the rigorous standards of the Australian Certified Organic Standard. This verifies that ingredients are grown and processed without synthetic chemicals, GMOs, or artificial inputs, supporting regenerative practices, biodiversity, soil health, and full traceability from farm to finished product.

Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC)

Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC), is a standard overseen by Regenerative Organic Alliance. It builds on organic certification by requiring rigorous benchmarks across soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness, ensuring farming systems actively restore ecosystems, protect workers, and improve land over time.

Process

Washed

In this process the fruit pulp is removed from the coffee cherry and then it is placed in tanks with water to soften and remove the sticky mucilage. The clean parchment is then dried on patios, raised beds or mechanical dryers. Washed Process coffees are typically clean, bright and mild, with pronounced acidity and a notably smooth mouthfeel.

Honey

In this process, the fruit pulp is removed from the coffee bean, and the sticky parchment is immediately dried without removing the mucilage. There are different types of honey (white, yellow, red, black) depending on the amount of mucilage that is left on the bean during the drying process. Honey Process coffees are typically more syrupy, intense and textural than Washed coffees, without the level of intense fruitiness of a Natural.

Semi-Washed

Semi-Washed is similar to a light Honey Process, where fruit pulp is removed and a small quantity of mucilage is left on the bean for drying. Typically Semi-Washed coffees exhibit similar qualities to a Washed, with some additional body and mouthfeel.

Natural

In this type of process the whole cherry is picked and left to dry as whole fruit (often for 2-3 weeks). Throughout this process, fermentation and complex chemical reactions occurs as the coffee dries, developing intesne sweetness, fruit-forward flavours and aromas. After drying, the dry fruit husk is removed and the coffee is milled for export. Natural coffees are known for their rich syrupy character and intense fruit flavours.

Experimental

Experimental processes describe a whole family of processing methods that introduce fermentation or other practices not traditionally found in the above processing methods. These are normally done with the goal of introducing new or unusual flavour profiles that would not otherwise be found in a traditionally processed coffee.

Anaerobic Fermentation

Anaerobically Fermentation refers to a deliberate fermentation stage in the coffee's processing where the cherries are held to ferment in an oxygen-free environment. This is normally completed when the coffee is still in its whole-fruit, prior to pulping, in an enclosed drum or other hermetic environment.

Thermal Shock

Thermal Shock processes introduce an additional step in the process, whereby the coffee is subjected to high and low temperatures to control or alter the fermentation that is underway. The goal of a Thermal Shock process is to encourage fermentation activity that is not normally present during processing, altering the resulting flavour profile.

Carbonic Maceration

Carbonic Maceration uses the injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) during fermentation with the goal of encouraging a unique form of fermentation without breaking the skin of the coffee cherries. This is a process borrowed from winemaking, resulting in a unique, intense flavour profile without high levels of acidity in the cup.

Swiss Water Process

A unique chemical-free Decaffeination method performed by Swiss Water exclusively in Vancouver, Canada. Dried green coffee beans are soaked in water to extract 99.9% of the naturally occurring caffeine compounds, and are then cleaned and re-dried to make the newly decaffeinated beans stable and ready for roasting. This is our method of choice for Decaffeinated coffees, and is one of the only methods that can be Certified Organic.