35 Market St South Melbourne VIC 3205
Coffee Brand 7 Seeds
Reflecting on the past three visits at Dead Man, the overall feeling is ‘mixed’.
On one hand this place bolsters the coffee industry by setting a high standard, holding strong knowledge of their craft and standing behind their principles.
On the other hand Dead Man’s steadfast adherence to serving single origins as filtered coffee and having their two blends (7 Seeds and Dead Man’s Blend) as espresso sends a message that they know best…which they probably do, but it removes the choice for patrons, and can appear elitist. Some of the best discoveries are made through mistakes; if a punter would like to drink a single origin as espresso and not be able to attain the full breadth of flavour experience, then so be it…let the hoon pimp his commodore.
All digressions aside, Dead Man have demonstrated consistency within a certain degree. There is some variance between baristas and blends, but there is also a high level of intension. We happily highly recommend this place with caveats in place:
1. Know what you want to order (do not sway).
2. Remember what you have ordered (sometimes the staff forget or aren’t sure of blends).
3. Rest assured that your coffee drinking experience will only go as far as Dead Man allows it to. By that we mean, choice is limited to what Dead Man dictates.
Score Summary.
Macchiato: 16, 16, 17
Espresso: 18, 18, 19
Ristretto: 17, 16, 17
Overall Mean Score: 16.63. Highly Recommended
With respect, there are a couple of points that I’d like to bring up here:
1. Choice. All cafes, restaurants, bar, clothing shops etc. etc. restrict choice. This can be done, for example, in a boutique clothing store only stocking what they see as “the best” – and prolly the most expensive! – clothes, and not offering Taget or Bonds. In cafes it is more commonly done by restricting the house espresso to one coffee, Vittoria or what-have-you, limiting menus for speed, convenience and cost. In all of these cases it is done for logical reasons, that I’m sure you would agree with. Following this argument through, you come to a horrifying (not really) realisation that the customer is not always right. Customers are necessary – but certainly not always right! Calling a cafe elitist demonstrates that you have little idea of the motivation behind the choices they’ve made.
2. In terms of espresso and coffee in general… Espresso is the most aggressive and inconsistent brewing method ever. It’s such a violent process that only a small selection of coffees actually taste good when brewed as espresso. Usually roasters are required to roast coffee for espresso in a different way, and in the case of most espresso coffees, this roasting method destroys any regional and varietal character the coffee had. So, and only recently, cafes have been using different brewing methods (such as syphon, pour over, or Clover) to showcase coffees that they haven’t been able to previously. This is important. Melbourne would never have seen a Cup of Excellence coffee had it not been for brewing methods other than espresso.
I think it’s unfair that an excellent cafe such as Dead Man should be punished (as in your review) for offering spectacular coffees that aren’t espresso.
Thanks for your comments Jason. We appreciate all feedback and like hearing others’ opinions.
With respect we would like to point out some things as well
We do agree with the importance of limiting menus for speed, convenience and cost. However, at Dead Man they have had up to 6 single origins on any single day and they use a pour over method. By our account (as well as the baristas at Dead Man) this is not a speedy process. Nor is it cheap and in a busy environment the convenience is less than a standard espresso extraction when there are only two baristas.
Further, in this day espresso has been refined to a point that the extraction is calculated to the second with a machine. Restrictors can be modified on all machines to extend the precision. Filtered coffee such as pour overs, syphons and clever coffee drippers all have a human element of timing and process, which increase the chance of error (over/under extraction, pouring too quickly or too slow, or stirring the grind too much). The only exception seems to be the clover. It is true that filter coffee can truly show regional qualities of coffee, but there is still a lot of ground to be covered before these methods become mainstream.
Secondly, at no point did we state that the customer is always right. Both of us have had extensive experience in hospitality, we know too well that sometimes customers do not possess the right knowledge to make an informed choice. However, we wrote that if a customer would like to make a mistake by ordering an aggressive form of extraction (espresso), that inhibits the ability to grasp the full palate, let them do so. To not allow choice can appear (our exact words) elitist, and exclusive. You are also correct in stating that we do not understand the motivation behind such a decision, especially when many other cafes in Melbourne offer their single origins as espresso and filtered methods to showcase the difference. So by deduction, if many other places offer single origins as espresso but one cafe does not, by definition this is elitist. Allow us to state that this is not necessarily a bad thing. It works with challenging a customer to try new methods, and paving the way for new coffee extractions (also written in our summary) but it may come across as superior and all knowing.
Thirdly and most importantly, Dead Man were by no means punished for only providing two blends as espresso. We, at Backseat Baristas, review each and every coffee as it sits in front of us and as it is served. We like to see it from the customer point of view. We solely rate each coffee. We do not rate cafes. We do not rate food. We simply rate the coffee as it is served to us and the experience that this offers. The scores were not impacted what-so-ever. We simply commented on the single origin issue in our introduction and summary. In fact Dead Man has received our second highest overall score and received the highest rating for an espresso. This would not have occurred if the standard was low or if we had deducted points to punish Dead Man.
This is an interesting discussion considering that just yesterday I spotted the barista at Dead Man pouring the last of a jar of the usually reserved for pour-over Panama Geisha (I really wish I could remember the estate) beans into the espresso grinder. Straight away I ordered an espresso and the results were mind-blowing.
Now, it didn’t taste like an espresso at all and I can imagine that it wouldn’t be for everyone. But the resultant coffee was one of the richest, tastiest coffee’s I’ve ever had. It had an amazing, overpowering blackberry flavour more akin to some sort of syrup or cooking style reduction. It had an amazingly rich almost jam like mouth-feel and the oiliness of the crema coated my mouth leaving a taste in there for a long time after.
I suppose the point is, that sometimes if you step outside the norms (most people think these single origins are too delicate for espresso) and take a punt, sometimes it’s a nice surprise. There are a number of other factors why Dead Man might not serve the singles through espresso more often and cost is probably the biggest factor. It’s also to remember you need individual grinders for each bean otherwise pulling a coffee is too much of a hassle.
After that coffee, I just hope to see more singles through the espresso machine at Dead Man in the future.
@backseatbarista – Thanks for the response, great to hear that they’re score wasn’t taken down for the brewed singles! I appreciate the time you’ve taken to respond – thank you.
However I feel you’ve misinterpreted my response, in just a couple of areas. I’m glad we agree that customers are not always right – this phrase has been the bane of the service industry since the 80s! I must have just picked up on that sentiment when you described their cafe potentially appearing elitist. I’m glad we agree!
I used the “speed, convenience and cost” example as potential reasons to limit a food menu. Nothing to do with coffee or pour over. I understand (from first hand experience) that pour over and other brew methods can be more expensive, slower and inconvenient. This was not a reason I offered to restrict the coffee offering of a cafe.
One reason a cafe would only offer certain coffees through espresso is that they taste best that way. Or, one reason a cafe would only offer certain coffees as brewed coffee could be that they taste best that way. In my own experience (as a roaster of a few years, barista and cafe worker) there are lots of coffees that taste marvellous, complex and sweet as brewed coffee, but sour and thin as espresso. There is nothing wrong with choosing to only present coffees in their best light – and absolutely nothing elitist about it! In fact the definition of elitist, as far as I have looked up, has very little to do with a situation such as this. I think the fact that there are some coffees that will not taste good in espresso is fundamental in our disagreement.
“So by deduction, if many other places offer single origins as espresso but one cafe does not, by definition this is elitist.”
This sentence is illogical. This sentence begins with the premise that all single origin coffees are the same, e.g. “if one can, all can” – which they are not. In addition, this deduction assumes that all cafes are equal in their ability to offer multiple espresso blends – which they are clearly not. On a basic level, some cafes have more initial capital than others, and on more subtle levels, some cafes have got a broader knowledge base, more experience. And finally, even if they have just made a choice out of the blue to only serve X as pour over, for no reason whatsoever, I still can’t understand how you could interpret this as elitism. I will be waiting with interest for your response on this.
@micheal – the geisha sounds amazing, fantastic that you got to try that. There are probably a number of factors why Dead Man don’t serve each one of their singles as espresso. I can only speculate as to why Dead Man won’t, but I would certainly be happy to discuss the practical aspects of, for instance, setting up an espresso bar that can offer two blends and five single origin coffees. In fact Nolan’s Proud Mary’s is an example of how difficult it is. Thank you for your response.
@ Jason – thank you also for your considered response. It does appear that we misinterpreted your example of speed, convenience and cost (apologies).
Your points are well constructed and you have hit the nail on the head regarding our fundamental disagreement. We respect your passion and knowledge of coffee industry, and we also really enjoy discussing these matters. Sometimes text can be difficult to interpret in context, so allow us to reiterate that we appreciate your responses and opinion. Such a discussion is very stimulating for us.
I must admit I don’t have enough industry knowledge (nor do I have complicated palate) to contribute to this interesting discussions, but from reading all your comments, I think maybe it was just a matter of wrong word choice with the word “elitist”. And whilst I haven’t tried all cafes in Melbourne, I’m actually surprised that you fine it weird for cafes to restrict bean selection. I would have thought that would be the norm in highly knowledgeable cafe (unless maybe when the customer is persistent enough).
I will (some day) try this filtered coffee from a single origin blend, I really would like to know how it tastes. As I’ve never had one before, can I ask if filtered coffee should be enjoyed as is, or is the addition of milk is acceptable? I’m not an espresso type drinker, always had my coffee white, but of course willing to give it a shot. I had a ristretto before, and whilst I enjoy the taste, I much prefer a latte!
When I go out, be it to a cafe or restaurant, I prefer to have a varied choice of what im ordering and how id like it prepared (whether its coffee, food or drink) and find it quite annoying when an establishment will attempt to restrict a customer’s choice because they think a certain food, coffee, serving method, etc, might be lacking.
Within reason, I feel it should be left up to the customer to decide what method or procedure is used and I think that the fact that Dead Man dictate your choice like that is rather poor.
In the end, whats good in ones eyes may not be in another’s. I know what I want, and I know how I like it
fundamentally, doesn’t it come down to the fact that blends aren’t usually a mix of super-premium beans, while pourover can be (air)roasted in small quantities and keeps for longer, changing characteristics less?
this allows small roasters to show off their skills and cater to S.O. clients without ripping through a huge amount of beans at a time.
@J-Slyde
I’d prefer to compliment Dead Man for providing a wider variety of drinking options than slam them for failing to deliver for me. Their blends are excellent (though I’ve only had them through my own machines/grinders) and if they cannot justify for whatever reason my preferred drinks on the menu (a selection of single estate super-premiums) then at least they offer something other than the standard ‘normal or decaf’ options. While pourover isn’t totally my thing (does nasty things to my guts!) I accept that it brings unique terroir characteristics and expressions of origin to the fore in a way that doesn’t always happen in espresso, and is better suited to a range of beans. While 7 seeds sometimes roast (using Beloya #16 as an example) somewhere between my preferred pourover & espresso roasts and this /can/ work well for some beans, I’d always prefer the profile to be matched perfectly to the brewing method.
What’re your thoughts?
While this dicussion is valid and important, it is worth noting that in the Dead Man summary that we have not accused them of being elitist, but rather quite carefully and deliberately we said that this {can appear elitist}.
The interpretation appears to have been muddied somewhat.
I am a recent convert to third wave coffee drinking.
Over the last four months or so I have started exploring the world of single origin coffees.
I am also a confirmed short black drinker.
I have been to Dead Man Espresso once and they offered me their Dead Man Espresso as a short black.
Now I have had their Dead Man Espresso as a short black at Seven Seeds and I am not convinced the blend works well.
The flavour profile just doesn’t work on my palate.
However I believe it works really well as a latte. It seems to cut through the milk and have presence.
I gave it a try and even there it didn’t work for me on the palate.
I have a very ecumenical approach to single origins.
I prefer the range of Ethiopian coffees that are available in Melbourne but have grown to appreciate the range of flavour characteristics that I have experienced in a range of Kenyan Puetro Rican, Colombian, Panamanian single origin coffees I have experienced in recent times.
I have even gotten to appreciate the trend to acidity in the single origin coffees after years of having my palate being battered by drinking Italian style blends in a short black.
But I think we need to careful that third wave coffee does not become like progressive rock in the 70s – where it is all about style and technique and not about drink-ability and flavour on the palate.
actually, re-reading:
“3. Rest assured that your coffee drinking experience will only go as far as Dead Man allows it to. By that we mean, choice is limited to what Dead Man dictates.”,
that really gets my goat. you’re saying that you as a consumer know better than the people who’ve chosen how to extract a certain origin for the best cup, and there’s something wrong with that approach.
do you also buy a Square Mile subscription but put each bean through the espresso machine instead?
J
Hi J,
thanks for your comment and observation
We didn’t mean to offend with that line (#3). The point we were trying to push is that of ‘choice for the customer’. We are not saying that a consumer knows better…only that choice is restricted for said consumer.
We understand that Dead Man have made intentional decisions regarding what they offer in each method, however it is a reduced choice when compared to other venues. That caveat was written to inform the average punter (a class to which we ascribe to), that choices are limited to the extraction method of coffee.
With your knowledge of coffee and experience, I could imagine that it would grate nerves to see a delicate single origin put through an espresso extraction…which, to some, may well ruin the whole coffee. On the other hand some punters are not yet at the point of taking up filtered coffees and thus prefer to drink within their comfort zone..a la espresso.
I would also imagine that some chefs would become irritable to see a punter add tomato sauce to a $50 steak…but the choice is generally theirs to do so…
(SamW)
I think that there is a certain arrogance in saying that barista/cafe owner should be shown more respect for their taste than the consumer.
I think we need to get rid of this ‘elitist’ emphasis on the all-knowing barista or coffee aficionado.
What ultimately counts is whether the coffee is drinkable and whether high end coffees are able to sustain a long period of consumer purchase.
Methinks that certain section of Melbourne have taken on a mystical search for a perfect coffee.
Methinks there is also a certain ‘superior’ attitude taken in relation to coffee.
Lets take our coffee seriously but all of the new technology depends on old methods – can someone tell me how a syphon is different from the old drip coffees with the paper filters or the drip coffee percolators?
I personally think syphon coffee is a wank. I have tried it several times at some of our leading third wave coffee establishments and I can’t say it has tasted like anything other than a weak coffee.
I have never experienced the light and delicate flavours people talk about with syphon coffee.
To me it has tasted like watered down percolated coffee.
When I brew up an Ethiopian Beloya in my stovetop I taste a coffee which is rich, complex and has a range of low, middle and high notes.
My last batch even had a distinct vanilla scent in its bouquet.
But ultimately it was a coffee with the level of taste and complexity that I require on the palate.
We can talk all we want about different terroir and how it finds expression in single origin coffees but methinks coffee is going through the same sort of smug stuff that wine went through in the 80′s when we saw the emergence of the Australian wine wanker.
Lets make sure that we don’t get caught up in our own hyperbole.
This is very much what we have to be careful of…
“We can talk all we want about different terroir and how it finds expression in single origin coffees but methinks coffee is going through the same sort of smug stuff that wine went through in the 80′s when we saw the emergence of the Australian wine wanker.“
Great review. Not a word out of place. You’re reviewing for consumers, not for the industry … if folks who work in the industry don’t like everything that you say, then there’s a high chance that doing a good job.
It is possible to champion quality and difference and all sorts of things, without being a wanker about it. I’m sure it is.
Thanks CM. We really appreciate your kind words & your comments.
We also believe in the possibility of quality & variance.
The statement is often made that some coffees require certain extraction methods to attain the full breadth of flavours. I agree to that wholly. Espresso can be brutal & sometimes doesn’t represent a blend or S/O well. Similarly milk can shadow or weaken a coffee’s profile. But I do think that it’s important for customers to be able to choose their extraction method (if available), because some ppl are always going to want espresso while others are willing to try new means. For me it’s all about choice & the ability to make a mistake…if I want to (SamW).