Introduction
The first container of specialty coffee left Yunnan, China for Australia in late 2015. Over the last nine years, Yunnan’s specialty coffee production has increased in leaps and bounds in both quantity and quality. We’re typically not familiar with specialty grade Asian coffees, but the truth is that these coffees can pass quality tests with flying colors and display an enormous amount of sweetness, consistency, and complexity.
💡 Did you know
The highest quality coffees in the world are typically found at the highest elevations. All sorts of places that we wouldn't expect, like China, have geographical areas that proffer ideal growing conditions for delicious, specialty grade coffee.
What Chinese Coffee is Right for you?
Two Coffees, Two Profiles:
- Kaku - Washed: Meyer Lemon, Mandarin, Almond, Nutmeg. Do you like coffee that is syrupy, citrus forward, and finishes like a black tea? Then this coffee is for you! Fully washed and roasted with filter brewing in mind, this coffee is complex, but approachable.
- Guiben - Natural: Pink Lemonade, Strawberry Candy, Chocolate Malt. Do you like coffee that is fruity with underlying chocolate and malt characteristics? The coffee cherries that this lot came from were allowed to dry completely in the sun with seed and fruit intact to create a fruit forward, candy-like profile that will leave you wanting more while reminding you of cool refreshments during the warm summers of your youth.
Making a Choice
Both of these coffees are roasted to be easy to brew and enjoy but we know that different people have different preferences. Do you like fruity and sweet coffees or do you lean towards citrusy and complex? The choice is yours, and we encourage you to try both!
The overall flavor of your brewed coffee can also be modulated by how you choose to brew it. Brewing a single coffee in multiple ways will help you explore all of the nuances of a coffee. You can change the equipment you're brewing on, the way you're grinding your coffee, or even the ratio of coffee to water to modulate the taste in your cup!
Brewing Coffees from Yunnan
Changing Dose to Manipulate Flavor
When brewing coffee, changing the amount of coffee we use in a recipe, we can change the flavor profile of the brewed coffee. Guiben, the naturally sun-dried coffee from Yunnan, has a distinctly fruity character reminiscent of strawberry candy and a bold mouthfeel. By reducing the amount of coffee used by only a few grams, the profile of the brewed coffee changes from heavy and juicy to a smooth, light, and tea-like cup.
Manipulating brew variables like the coffee-to-water ratio and grind size is a great way to experiment and find the profile that you like best!
Suggested Brewing Recipe:
19g Coffee: 350g Water
Start Timer:
0:00 - pour to 50g
0:30 - pour to 140g
0:55 - pour to 210g
1:20 - pour to 280g
1:50 - pour to 350g
As you brew and explore these coffees, experiment with increasing the amount of coffee you're using and notice how that influences the texture and flavor of your brewed coffee.
Both of these beautiful coffees from Yunnan are available on our website now! Give them a try, modulate those brewing recipes, and let us know what you think
