Australian coffee for friends overseas

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  pikapika on 04/07/2014 - 15:11

  I would always go with fresh beans over pre-packaged beans from the supermarket any day. I guess you need to know what your friend enjoys when it comes to coffee in flavour as well.

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  ESEMCE on 04/07/2014 - 15:33

  Pretty sure the coffee plantation in FNQ went bankrupt and that was the only place in Oz that was growing coffee to my knowledge.
  Otherwise we import beans from the tropics of South America, Africa or Asia just like every other country, so you're unlikely to find anything "Australian" apart from the fact that we probably get some of the higher quality product cause we're willing to pay for it.
  The fresher the better.. beans far preferable to ground. Any of the regular coffee roasters here do fantastic product.

  Make sure the country you're going to allows importation of that sort of stuff and make sure that Customs and the airline are OK with you packing that sort of item (also be prepared to have a bag search/strip search or worse, cause coffee is a good masking agent for sniffer dogs)

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    PurpleHippo on 04/07/2014 - 16:19

    Really? Didn't think about the customs thing… I suppose going to Singapore (where importing drugs is really bad) combined with my middle-eastern appearance isn't gonna help much.
    Thanks, will look into it.

    Any particular roasters I should be looking out for? Thanks again.

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      zambuck on 05/07/2014 - 08:39

      The place I went to up at Mareeba was Skybury Plantation. They sell coffee online so you could consider having it shipped directly to your friend rather than carrying it yourself. http://www.skybury.com.au/shop/index.php?route=product/categ…

      Find out from your friend what their preference is regarding grind and roast.

      As for the customs thing, I've never worried too much about it. Just research online whether there are any import restrictions at your destination or transit countries, and pack the coffee in your checked luggage. Declare it when you arrive, and the worst that's likely to happen is they'll xray it and give it a good sniff to enjoy the aroma. :)

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  samwyze on 04/07/2014 - 15:53

  Atherton Tablelands - google for suppliers. Its good coffee, kind of comparable to Ethiopian.

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  ohsnap on 04/07/2014 - 16:17

  I see that you're in Melbourne. I always buy coffee beans to present as a gift to my friends when I travel. There are many good cafes around that sell their beans. Some I typically buy from are Proud Mary in Collingwood, Auction Rooms in North Melbourne, Brother Baba Budan in CBD, and Market Lane in Vic Mart or South Yarra. These places sell you beans that they have roasted max a week or two ago.

  They are very helpful and will guide you through the purchase if you need that. You will need to find out from your friend if they will be using an espresso machine, stovetop or a press to make the coffee. They can recommend based on that, and grind it for that specific method if need be. If your friend has a grinder, then definitely leave the beans whole as they last longer that way.

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  nrg2010 on 04/07/2014 - 18:32

  There are quite a few growers in NSW, I have tried a few and found the single estates aren't as nice as the blends. But thats just my taste.
  A couple of online retailers include;

  http://www.byronaromas.com.au/ (got some of the dark at the mo, very strong, would go for the smooth next time I am up there….which is next week….yeh)

  http://www.mackellarcoffee.com.au/nsw_coffee.php

  https://shop.zentvelds.com.au/

  www.ashtonscoffee.com.au

  Like other well loved Australian grown stimulants, coffee grows well in the red basalts behind Byron/Nimbin. I have tried to pick my own but its pretty time consuming getting from the plant to the pot……have a great week3nd

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  windale on 05/07/2014 - 07:47

  I take capricorn coast coffee to the USA each year as a local gift for my customers. As long as you declare you have it there are no hassles with customs. Just pack it in your checked luggage. I have never even had to show the coffee to customs. The big decision is beans or pre-ground. Beans are of course best but not a lot of folks have grinders.

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  Ayanami on 05/07/2014 - 09:45

  I quite like Yahava Coffee from here in WA. They also have the best fresh decaf I've ever tasted (if you're into that). But they don't grow the beans here, they're imported but roasted and blended themselves.

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  peteru on 05/07/2014 - 21:32

  +1

  I'm a bit of a coffee snob and roast my own. To be perfectly honest, Australian grown beans are nothing special. First of all, find out if your friend has a coffee grinder. If not, then it does not matter what you bring them, they are not serious about the quality of their coffee. If they do have a grinder, then buy freshly roasted beans as you leave. The optimum time to use freshly roasted whole beans is within 3-10 days of roast date. Once the coffee has been through the grinder, it's got about 3 minutes before it loses enough aroma to not be good.

  You might find that perhaps the best option is to bring them some chocolate coated coffee beans.

  BTW: Another Nimbin grower here: http://www.mountaintopcoffee.com.au had some of their beans last weekend - very unusual. I would not be buying it, but I am glad I had the opportunity to sample the beans.

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    nrg2010 on 05/07/2014 - 22:55

    Mountain top was one of the few available when I lived up there around 10 years ago. I was trying to support the local guys and buy local, but used to find the coffee really bitter and leave an unwelcome after taste. Local hippies would complain that it was because of the all the chemicals they used on the crops, but my guess was the blending process.

    Anyhow it's great to see local growers, hopefully we'll have a world class coffee one day.

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  PurpleHippo on 10/07/2014 - 01:25

  Thanks for your help guys. I took ohsnap's advice and visited a few cafes. Decided to purchase some beans from Seven Seeds. Thanks again all.