Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters has launched the Underdog Series, which aims to shine a spotlight on the world’s emerging specialty coffee producing regions.
According to the Coffee Quality Institute, the demand for specialty coffee is at an all-time high with global and Australian coffee consumption growing faster than coffee production.
The Underdog Series is in response to a global need to diversify where coffee is sourced from to ensure long-term sustainability. It challenges perceptions of where quality coffee is sourced, highlighting regions not known for specialty coffee, outside central, South America and African producers.
“Coffee drinkers are familiar with Brazilian or Colombian beans, but if we continue only sourcing from these regions, the world will run out of coffee,” says Toby’s Estate green bean buyer, Charlotte Malaval.
“What many don’t realise is that relatively unknown coffee-producing regions like Myanmar and Malawi are creating some of the best-tasting coffee in the world. They’ve just never had the opportunity to share it. To be considered ‘specialty’ coffee, it must score 80+ and all of our Underdog Series coffees score 84 or above, with some even at 89!”
The first Underdog Series coffee release is from Myanmar. This single origin is from Myaing village in the state of Shan where the climate lends itself well to coffee cultivation. While coffee has grown in Myanmar for years, the cherries weren’t tended to and harvested in a way that allowed them to make great coffee. The country only began making commercially available coffee in 2016. Toby’s Estate’s Underdog Series Myanmar coffee scores 84+ and has notes of cherry cotton candy, anise, tangerine, lemon and vanilla.
“We’re working with the coffee producers in Myanmar, Malawai, Uganda and Mexico to develop long-term coffee production processes that deliver quality coffee,” says Malaval. “The Underdog Series is an opportunity to provide a platform for these farmers’ coffee and to help create a sustainable livelihood for them and their families.”
Toby’s Estate unveils bespoke packaging for its Underdog Series, a first for the roaster whose packaging has always been matte black or kraft brown. The new artwork features a pair of red boxing gloves hanging amongst the clouds, beneath the quote ‘it’s time for a new hero’.
The Underdog Series highlights a new region each quarter, with Myanmar’s Myaing Village single origin the first release, available from 23 October. The coffee is available in Toby’s Estate cafes nationwide and online at tobysestate.com.au.