When a coffee is described as sweet, the claim usually concerns its overall sensory impression. Fruit, caramel or chocolate associations can suggest sweetness even when the drink contains no added sweetener. This is different from expecting the intensity of a spoonful of sugar.
Roasting and processing help shape that impression, alongside the coffee itself and its preparation. A lighter roast may emphasize fruit-associated flavors, while another roast presents more caramel-like associations. These are possibilities, not a reliable country-by-country promise or a rule that additional roasting always increases sweetness.
To compare coffees, keep dose, water quantity and brewing method reasonably consistent. Taste without sugar first, allow the cups to cool, and record specific observations such as ripe fruit, cocoa or a rounded finish. Then decide whether the bitterness and acidity support or obscure those impressions. A useful tasting note describes what you perceive in that cup; it should not turn a broad processing label into a guarantee about every bag.
The conversation
A good question can make a better brew.