Why is our coffee so tasty?

Why does our coffee win over coffee lovers from around the world?

“After three weeks of searching, I found the best espresso in Kyoto. Probably the best coffee, period.” — Man, 40s (Australia)
“Without question, the best coffee of my entire trip to Japan.” — Man, 40s (Spain)
“The best coffee I’ve had in Japan.” — Woman, 20s (Italy)
“The iced drip coffee was incredible. Worth the trip.” — Woman, 20s (Korea)
“I wanted it so badly I ran here just before closing.” — Woman, 40s (Japan)
“Absurdly, shockingly good.” — Man, 30s (Japan)
“Lives up to every good review.” — Man, 50s (Japan)

Reviews like these come not only from our neighbors here in Kyoto, but from coffee lovers the world over, drawn to a city that welcomes travelers from every corner of the globe.

Behind this reputation lies the quality of beans we carefully select from the world’s finest coffee, roasting technique refined to bring out sweetness while balancing body and aroma, and an extraction method built on our own theory to draw out the full character of the bean.

Specialty coffee makes up only around 5% of the world’s coffee supply. From within that small fraction, we select only the beans that meet DUNSTAN’s own standard for what makes coffee delicious. Three elements determine the taste of coffee: bean quality, roasting technique, and extraction technique. Of these, bean quality has by far the greatest influence — accounting for 60% of the final result. That should tell you just how much genuinely high-quality beans matter.

Bean quality makes up 60% of the final taste. We’ve chosen eight beans, each selected for its individual character and flavor against DUNSTAN’s own standard, and crafted them — as single origins or blends — into nine menu offerings. The clean, refined taste that still lets each bean’s character shine through has won praise even from people around the world who don’t usually drink drip coffee. Add to that the enjoyment of choosing not by country of origin or bean name, but by an original title matched to a taste chart, and it’s easy to see why people keep coming back for more.

Naturally, we take no shortcuts in roasting either. Roasting accounts for 30% of the final taste — less than bean quality, but without the technique to draw out the character of the bean, even the finest beans go to waste. We don’t roast by the old standards of “light” or “dark.” Instead, we identify the precise point where aroma and body reach their peak together.

We call this roast — the one that draws out sweetness, aroma, and body to their fullest — our “sweet roast,” a play on sweet spot and sweet itself. Roast too little, and aroma comes through but body stays thin. Roast too far, and body deepens while aroma fades. Finding that exact point where the two meet in perfect balance is what makes DUNSTAN’s flavor the calculated, deliberate result that it is.

Finally, extraction. Our own extraction method produces a cup with no trace of unwanted bitterness, letting the sweetness, aroma, and body drawn out by our sweet roast come through in full. Extraction accounts for just 10% of the final taste — and yet the precision behind it is enough to make you wonder if it’s the extraction that defines our coffee after all. Balanced, true to the bean’s character, and carried by a long, lingering finish, it’s a cup built to fill your day with a quiet sense of happiness.

As for espresso, we honor the tradition of “espresso Italiano,” drawing inspiration from the refined style of northern Italy — a fitting reference point for a city like Kyoto, where travelers from around the world converge. Our original blend of five beans has earned praise as “the best in Japan” from coffee lovers across the globe: from Scandinavia, among the world’s biggest coffee consumers, to Italy itself, the birthplace of espresso, to North America and Australia with their Seattle-style tastes, to Latin America, where bold flavor is prized.

In everything we do to create truly delicious coffee, we refuse to compromise — because what we’re after is a coffee that colors your everyday life while quietly staying by your side. Whether at home or in our shop, we hope you’ll bring a little of DUNSTAN’s style into your own life.