u/Firm_Objective_381

I moved to Australia a couple of years ago from the US but visit the states fairly often. As a heavy coffee drinker, I can’t help but notice the difference in flavor profiles between US and Australian coffee.

For background, I primarily stick to unsweetened milk-based drinks with full cream milk (flat white, latte, etc…). And before anyone starts shitting on Starbucks, when I travel to the states I primarily frequent high-end local roasters (operating cafes) who have the same caliber of equipment and training to the top Australian roasters.

Both in Australia and the US, high end coffee shops:

1. Pull a standard double shot
2. Use full cream/whole milk as their default
3. Have a medium to medium-dark house blend

Of course individual roasters have their own unique qualities, but there seems to be a pretty noticeable difference in the way my drinks taste between the two countries. It’s hard to describe, but I’ve found the flavor in the US to lean more towards chocolatey, where in Australia it is almost bolder and brighter.

Wondering if anyone else has noticed this, and what this could be attributed to (different water sources, different roasting techniques, espresso dosages, etc…)

EDIT1: last time I went back to the US, I brought a freshly roasted bag of ONA beans and dialed in a decent enough shot on my dad’s espresso machine. Tasted similar enough to ONA beans you’d find at a mid-tier cafe in Australia.

EDIT2: I pulled a shot on my home setup in Sydney with some fresh beans I brought back from America. Even though the milk and water was local, the coffee tasted virtually the same as it did in America. So I think I’ve narrowed it down to one of the following:

1. Roasting technique - perhaps the beans are roasted differently, even for a medium roast for instance
2. Much more likely the beans themselves are different. As many of the commenters have mentioned, Aussies prefer a bolder brighter flavor compared to Americans. Roasters have sourced their beans due to local consumer tastes.