The roast date is the important differentiator. Coffee from major brands (such as the aforementioned Paulig) do not include it. Rather, they have a best before

The roast date is the important differentiator. Coffee from major brands (such as the aforementioned Paulig) do not include it. Rather, they have a best before date, which can be literally years after the roasting. But I guess the coffee can't get much worse after, as you said, being pre-ground and vacuum packed into a brick.