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Beans: Sun Jaroen, Caturra Yellow, Caturra Red, Washed, Nan, Thailand.
Shop: Thai Specialty Coffee, webshop, The Netherlands.
Thai specialty Coffee: background information.
The story of Thai Specialty Coffee started back in 2004, when owner Martin went to Thailand for the first time. Falling in love with the people, the culture and their way of living, Martin decided to try to move to Thailand and start a coffeeshop in 2008. Unfortunately this seemed a bridge too far and Martin realised that he needed to learn the language and all about the culture before opening a business there.
Meanwhile, Martin started a franchise coffeeshop in The Netherlands but soon noticed how the quality of the coffee wasn’t up to his standards.
In 2018 Martin decided he wanted to go back to Thailand again, this time to seek out quality coffee to use for his own business: Thai Specialty Coffee.
Sun Jaroen is a village that is located in the Nan province in Thailand. Around 120 families grow coffee but only the Lertwarayuth family helps growing this particular coffee. This farm is situated at the highest part of the mountain and is run by the whole family. one part of the family is responsible for growing and fertilising the coffee while the other part maintains the farm, selects the cherries. The son of the head of the family is responsible for innovating on the processing techniques. This particular coffee consists out of red and yellow Caturra and is grown at an altitude of 1540 meters above sea level.
Opening the package.
Thai Specialty Coffee uses carton coloured packaging with a ziplock and degassing valve. The front has a label on it, depicting the logo and more information. You will find the origin, varietal, name process, altitude and three sensory notes on the label. It will also tell you if its a dark, medium or light roast. The beans look evenly roasted and I havent spotted any defects.
Opening the Sun Jaroen package gives a sweet yet nutty aroma. It reminds me of caramel/toffee and the sweeter Macadamia aroma. The beans are crispy and give off a cedar wood, nutty and wholegrain cookie flavor. When grinding the coffee the aroma’s are the same, although a little more pungent. Let’s brew this coffee!
The tasting.
I have reviewed this coffee on the Clever Dripper, the V60, the Aeropress and…the Siphon is back!
I liked all the brewers but the Aeropress gave of a little more sweetness and the coffee was a tad more juicy as well.
When you brew this coffee, the first thing you will notice is how the woody aroma mingles with toffee and a hint of vanilla. The woody note reminds me most of cedar wood and it gives of a pleasant foundation.
When you pour the coffee into a carafe or cup, you will notice how the coffee opens up. Hints of vanilla blossom, toffee, caramel, sugared tea, almond and chocolate all mingle into a sweet nutty scent.
If you take a sip when the coffee is still hot, you will get a strong note of walnut peel, cedar wood, a hint of salmiak and sweet chocolate. The vanilla blossom and vanilla itself will only make their appearance later on when the coffee cools down. When it does, the cedar wood fades away completely and it replaced by almond and pecan notes. Together with a sweetness of the chocolate (72%), the caramel and the juicy character, makes it a pleasant coffee to drink.
After swallowing there is a small explosion of sweetness that initiates the juicy character of the coffee. There is a drop-off after that but the aftertaste is is full with milk chocolate, cookie spices and even a hint of thyme when you breathe back through a closed mouth. The mouthfeel is silky and oily and the acidity is sparkly when the coffee is hot.
The verdict.
Thai Specialty Coffee is on it’s way to give Thai coffee a place in the spotlights, and I think it certainly has a place there. The coffee is tasteful with nice nutty notes, chocolate, cedar wood, vanilla, caramel and toffee and also the acidity and mouthfeel are very nice. The coffee works well as a light roast and I would even recommend it as a batch brew at the office or when having more than one friend coming over.
I have placed the link to the website right here. This is a non-paid link and will only benefit Thai specialty Coffee.