This exceptional coffee is produced by a handful of villages around Ywangan, Shan state, a mountainous area in the central east of Myanmar, predominately by growers from the Danu community, but also with farmers from the Pa’O, Shan and Burmese communities.

The farms in this region range between 1300-1600m in altitude and utilise organic fertilisation practices that play into the local soil profile favourably. This region of Myanmar is considerably further from the equator than most other coffee-growing regions in the world, and the micro-climate here lends itself to a slower ripening phase. This climate is optimal for the dry natural processing of coffee, with dry sunny weather during the harvest months providing the perfect conditions for drying outside, with minimal risk of mould or drying defects.

The predominant variety grown here is Red Catuai, and the coffee trees are intercropped with avocados, jackfruit, papaya, and macadamia. Fully ripe cherries are collected and brought to central collection points in each village before going through an initial hand-sort. After sorting, floating, and selecting the best fruit, the coffee is then thinly laid onto raised beds to slowly dry under the Myanmar sun for 17-25 days (or until they reach their desired moisture content). The coffee is then taken to the dry mill to be hulled, graded and hand-sorted. Quality is checked at every stage of the process to ensure its excellence.

Read more about Our Favourite Myanmar Coffee: The Danu.