THAILAND - MAE SUAI

Filter Roast

___________________________

A BIT ABOUT THIS COFFEE

At 34 years old, Nawin Yaesorkoo has garnered national acclaim for his exceptional micro-lots. A third-generation coffee farmer, he inherited his grandfather's farm in Mae Suai, Chiang Rai, a decade ago.

His coffee, crafted in the traditional dry natural style without extra fermentation, reflects meticulous attention to processing fundamentals, resulting in a delicious expression of what we love about traditional processing methods.

___________________________

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

This coffee is reminiscent of some of the original, mind-blowing traditional-style dry naturals that made us fall in love with specialty coffee. If you can relate to having one of these moments, then this one's for you. One sip of this coffee and you’ll understand why Nawin has such a solid reputation in Thailand.

The coffee has an incredible depth of flavour. Syrupy, sweet flavours of blackberry, boysenberry, and peach are paired with hints of fine milk chocolate. This coffee has an exceptional texture and sweetness with an abundance of delicious fruit-like impressions.  

In an era of elaborate, profile-driven fermentations and funky cups, this one is an absolute gem. It’s a reminder of how good naturals can be when beautiful ripe cherries are simply sorted and laid out to dry with the utmost care.

___________________________

HOW TO BREW

We love it as: Pour Over (Black) or Aeropress (Black).
Also good as: Plunger or Batch Brew (61g/Litre). Enjoy!

Using V60? Try: 20g Dose, 30 second bloom, 300g Yield 2.30-2.45 Time

___________________________

THE STORY

Thailand is emerging as one of the most exciting ‘up and coming’ specialty coffee origins, that most people haven’t heard of. Although the industry is still relatively young here, specialty coffee production is now booming. 

There are many unique factors at work in Thailand that have pushed the industry forward faster than most places. Despite the industry's youth, Nawin Yaesorkoo is a 3rd generation coffee farmer in one of the oldest and largest Arabica growing regions in Northern Thailand, Mae Suai. 

Coffee planting initiatives were initially ramped up by the late king in the 1970s to replace opium crops and slashburn practices. Fast forward a few decades, and there is a huge increase in local demand for world-class micro-lots. This has fostered a unique climate for growers and producers to do their absolute best. On top of this, Thailand has import tariffs on coffees from abroad making local roasters look to producers within Thailand to collaborate with and buy from.

On his farm, Nawin places priority on the wellbeing of his coffee trees, by focusing on the health of the rich, black volcanic soil found here. He implements a variety-specific approach to organic fertilizer application giving higher-yielding varieties a food profile that enhances the quality of their larger output. Lower-yielding and more disease-prone plants receive a different regimen. The farms here have plenty of shade trees, creating a beautiful and natural forest-like landscape. The preferred Arabica varieties planted by the local farmers are Catuai, Typica, and SJ133 (a Catimor variant).

Because Thailand is extremely humid during harvest season, making a good natural is difficult. After harvesting ripe cherries, they are floated in clean water to remove potential defects. They are then laid out in a thin layer on raised beds for several days, while underripe and over-fermented cherries are continuously picked out by hand. During this stage, the focus is on avoiding any risk of over-fermentation and ensuring the coffee is dried as evenly as possible. It requires admirable attention to detail to get exceptional results.

Only about 5% of Thailand’s total coffee production is exported annually, and in 2023 (being a low yield year, due to climatic challenges) the volume exported was considerably less than that. Each year we’re among a select few international buyers that are lucky enough to share these great Thai coffees with you.