Thailand: Asor Merlaeku

Bursting out of the cup with sweet lemon, yuzu and mango, this coffee settles into raisin and fig on the finish, with a delicate treacle edge to the aftertaste.

When Fuadi Pitsuwan first began exploring the potential of Thai specialty coffee he travelled around the country in search of producing partners that could be key allies in his project. Alongside the vital factor of finding farms with great terroir and potential for growth, he also needed to find ambitious farmers who would be willing to experiment and develop alongside his vision for Beanspire. Early on, this search led him to the Merlaeku brothers. This coffee is an Anaerobic Natural mix of Chiang Mai, Typica, and Catuai grown by Asor Merlarku.

Recognising Asor’s Work

The 5 brothers are part of the Akha hill tribe community and work together on their farms and mill located in Hua Mae Liam village. Asor, who is only 28, became immediately engaged with Fuadi and his working dynamic. He is, according to Fuadi, one of the most sophisticated and innovative farmers he works with, and the specialty coffee he produces reflects outstanding complexities in flavour. In previous years, Thai coffee grown in Hua Mae Liam got shipped on to bigger villages nearby like Doi Chang and Doi Pangkhon to be marketed under their names. In part to consolidate the smaller crops from smallholder farms, in part to benefit from the famous village’s names to appeal to buyers who are more likely to buy coffee from Doi Chang and Doi Pangkhon. We’re now lucky enough to have the opportunity to buy Asor’s coffee independently and give full recognition to the results he has achieved on his farm.

Beanspire & Merlaeku Collaboration

Beanspire have been a pivotal partner for the Merlaeku brother’s operations in Hua Mae Liam, it’s safe to say that the highly sophisticated processing we see here is thanks in part to their combined efforts over recent years. In the 2017-2018 season, Beanspire invested in the Merlaeku’s wet mill, granting greater control over processing and allowing the mill to also source cherries from outside the family. The following year, the mill was upgraded with a roof, new pulpers, and improved workflows to streamline the milling process. By the next harvest, Beanspire went even further by investing in an electricity generator, building a cupping lab for farmers, and installing new concrete flooring.

In 2020-2021, the company leased additional space in the lowlands to improve drying efficiency - the expanded capacity proved to be crucial during the following harvest, when production at the mill increased by 20% despite heavy rains damaging crop yields across Thailand. The climate crisis and an influx of smuggled coffee from Myanmar and Laos continues to present a significant challenge to local producers. Beanspire remains committed to supporting farmers, continuously refining processes, and adapting to an ever-evolving coffee industry. For Asor and his brothers, with Beanspire’s support, the journey toward improving coffee production has been marked by continuous growth, innovation, and a commitment to quality.

How was this coffee processed?

This lot is a mix of Catuai, Typica, and Chiang Mai processed as an Anaerobic Natural. Once harvested, the picked cherries are transported to the Merlaeku mill for sorting by floatation. When placed into tanks of water, any cherries that float to the top are either hollow or have unhealthy/defective beans and so can be disposed of. The approved cherries are then transferred into sealed GrainPro bags to be anaerobically rested for 5 days. GrainPro is a hermetic bag that prevents oxygen from coming in, but also allows gases to permeate out, closely mimicking a vacuum environment. This creates an anaerobic fermentation process that adds complexity and sweetness to the coffee. After fermentation, the intact cherries are dried on bamboo raised beds for 3 weeks, before being cured further in GrainPro for 1 month.

The Unique Benefits of Thai Specialty Coffee

Thailand is not traditionally known as a specialty coffee producing country, currently producing about ten times as much Robusta as Arabica, making it the third largest coffee producer in Asia. However, Thailand is a middle-income country with a thriving local coffee market. While much of this domestic consumption is focussed on commodity crops, a strong local specialty coffee segment is emerging. At least on the consumer side, Third Wave coffee is well established, with specialty roasters and cafes in abundance in the cities. The town of Chiang Rai, nearest to Asor’s farm, is flush with its own vibrant coffee scene. This proximity between the coffee-growing areas and local end consumers is unique to Thailand, facilitating a hugely beneficial opportunity for buyers, roasters, and baristas to directly collaborate with farmers. Some farmers even own their own coffee shops in the city and many roast and drink their own coffee.

A genuine example of farm-to-cup coffee is on display here, with most coffee shops having direct interactions with their suppliers and vice versa. Cafe owners and roasters regularly drive up to the farms to monitor quality and inspect production and processing. Farmers and mill operators are, potentially as a result of their overall young age and progressive nature, exceedingly receptive to suggestions, collaboration, and experimentation. This back and forth between the desires of the cafe market and the responsiveness and innovation of producers has led to the strong uptake of modern processing methods we see in the coffees coming out of Thailand. This interplay of normally disparate links of the supply chain is pushing the boundaries of Thai coffee, driving innovation and, equally importantly, generating a lucrative industry for the next generation 

• Country: Thailand 
• Region: Doi Pangkhon, Chiang Rai 
• Village: Hua Mae Liam
• Producers: Asor Merleaku
• Elevation: 1,350 m.a.s.l 
• Varietals: Catuai, Typica, Chiang Mai 
• Processing method: Anaerobic Natural

Medium
Through first and pushed well through the gap, but don’t let second get going or you’ll lose the funky processing notes.

Cupping Notes: Yuzu, mango, raisin.

Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores

• Clean Cup: 6/8
• Sweetness: 6.5/8
• Acidity: 7/8
• Mouthfeel: 6/8
• Flavour: 7/8
• Aftertaste: 6/8
• Balance: 6/8
• Overall: 7/8
• Correction: +36
• Total: 87.5/100

If you’d like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post “What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?”