Danes Specialty Coffee has won 20 medals across eight brewing categories at the 2020 Australian International Coffee Awards (AICA).
The Sydney roaster says the result reflects its commitment to quality and versatility for both cafés and home use.
“Being recognised with 20 awards is testimony to the integrity that underpins everything we do at Danes,” Danes Founder Paul Jackson says.
“We are guided everyday by our principles to maintain exceptional quality standards and focus on flavour.”
This year’s medals continue Danes’ historic success at the AICA. The roaster was named Champion Australian Roaster in 2018 and 2019, and has won a total of 81 AICA awards across its run.
Among the medal winners was the Danes Affinity Blend, created especially for AICA. Using the Costa Rican Las Lajas and an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, the blend features cherry ripe chocolate flavours in milk-based coffees and lemon lime characteristics as black coffee. Affinity took out a bronze medal in espresso blend and a silver medal in cappuccino, the milk coffee category.
Paul says the 2020 AICAs celebrated the diversity of flavours that abound in the specialty coffee market.
“The awards really showcased the contemporary flavours of specialty coffee this year, with an emphasis on fruit and berry flavour profiles,” he says.
“Chocolate and caramel flavours are still popular in cafés, but the tide has certainly turned with consumers demanding greater breadth of flavours from their coffee.”
While Danes won the most awards in the 2020 competition, Campos Coffee was named Champion Australian Roaster and won the filter category and Champion Direct Trade or Microlot Coffee award.
“I’d like to congratulate Campos for this year taking out the title of Australian Champion Roaster. The commitment to quality across our industry makes us all strive to create a better coffee drinking experience for the public,” Paul says.
Danes’ Costa Rica Las Lajas won Silver in Espresso Single Origin and Bronze in Pour Over Single Origin.
Its Kenya Gakui PB won Bronze in Espresso Single Origin, Bronze in Pour Over Single Origin, and Silver in Cold Brew.
Kenya Kigwandi won Bronze in Espresso Single Origin, Bronze in Pour Over Single Origin, and Silver in Immersion Single Origin.
Panama Black Winey won Silver, Sumatra Wahana Estate won Bronze, and Kenya Mungaria won Bronze in Espresso Single Origin
The Danes Ascension Blend, Four Elements Blend, and Black Velvet Blends won Bronze in Immersion Blend. Black Velvet also claimed Silver in the Cappuccino Soy Milk category.
Colombia Jairo Ivan Lopez Geisha Honey won Bronze in Pour Over Single Origin. Rwanda Rugali Natural and Kenya Ndiaini won Bronze in Cold Brew Coffee.
For more information, visit www.danes.com.au