"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

My initial expectations of what it would take to successfully complete the Q Grader course were entirely incorrect. As I embarked on my journey to become certified to grade coffee for quality, I was a bit nervous that I would be out of my element. I thought the Q Course would inevitably turn out to be like a summer camp for coffee kids, where everyone else exceeds athletically and with members of the opposite sex, while I was more likely to get picked last for dodge ball and other team sports. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong.

Well, kind of wrong. In some ways it was very much like summer camp for coffee kids; lots of joking around coupled with an endless array of structured activities. The only difference was that the activities were mandatory for participant progression and development throughout the week, and the jokes were necessary to take the edge off the pressure surrounding those mandatory activities. And there weren’t just a couple of cool kids — everyone was a cool kid! The group of 21 was, for the most part, cool and fun. It didn’t matter who you knew or how long you’d been in the industry, people were friendly, intelligent and genuinely interested in one another.

My cupping table, for example, surely contained the most internationally diverse group: an Aussie, an Irishmen, a Colombian and an American, all living in Australia and working in coffee. By the end of the week, there was so much camaraderie between us that we all but burned our bras (I was the only girl after all), vowing to be friends for life — and truly meaning it.

Rosslyn (ABA Melbourne), where the course was held, was an amazing spot. With the exception of a slight air conditioning mishap, and the number of people who locked themselves in the bathroom, you couldn’t ask for a better place. The charm and elegance of the facility only added to the experience. The catering was out of this world and our trainer, Craig, was second to none. Everything was clean, comfortable and organised — certainly everything you would expect from a course of such calibre.

Don’t be misled however; it was also an excruciatingly challenging week. Not only physically and mentally tiring, but also exhausting for the senses. And the worst part by far was that not everyone passed. It’s hard not to take on someone else’s disappointment when you can see firsthand how hard they’ve worked and how badly they wanted the experience to turn out differently.

I would have to say that my success was due to a unique, well-rounded exposure to the industry. I was surrounded by people who have been working in coffee much longer than me, and who could easily discuss the minute details surrounding roast profiles or the challenges faced at origin, yet my role as a trainer pleasingly prepared me to excel in various realms. So while you could say that my lack of focus on one subject in particular was crucial to my success, the week of Q also required more concentration than I initially thought I was capable of. It was critical. If you have ADHD tendencies, this is not the place for you.

On the other hand, if you think coffee is pretty interesting stuff, you’re willing to work hard and go with little sleep, singe your nose hairs, burn your taste buds, discuss organic acids in detail, pass 22 exams and nostalgically embrace every sentimental good-bye, then you just might have what it takes to beat the Q.