Thailand: Doi Pangkhon, Natural

Doi Pangkhon is a remote village in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, home to around 300 coffee-producing households. At elevations between 1,250 and 1,450 metres above sea level, the region’s cool climate and rich biodiversity create ideal conditions for growing high-quality coffee. The producers we work with are part of the Merlaeku family, five brothers from the Akha Hilltribe minority, who have been instrumental in developing specialty coffee in the area.

We’ve been working with our sourcing partners, Beanspire Coffee, since 2017. Over the past nine years, Beanspire has made significant investments in infrastructure, including a wet mill, cupping lab, and expanded drying facilities. Their hands-on approach and commitment to quality have helped elevate Thai coffee to new heights, even in the face of climate challenges and market pressures. The varietals grown here include Typica, Chiang Mai (a hybrid of SL28 × Caturra × Híbrido de Timor), and SJ133 (genetically identical to Costa Rica 95).

This naturally processed microlot was handled with great care. Ripe cherries were floated to remove any defects, then spread out in a thin, one-inch layer on bamboo raised beds. Throughout the drying process, under-ripe and over-fermented cherries were carefully sorted out. The cherries were raked several times a day to ensure even drying. Once dried, they were bagged and left to cure for two months before being milled at Beanspire’s dry mill.

Doi Pangkhon’s elevation, at 19 degrees north of the equator and up to 1,450 metres above sea level, is significant for coffee cultivation, comparable to high-altitude regions like Colombia’s Nariño and Costa Rica’s Tarrazú. These conditions, combined with careful processing, result in a coffee that is vibrant, fruit-forward, and expressive of its origin.

This big, funky coffee is sweet and fruity like a crust of banana bread. There's molasses alongside that and a handful of sultanas too for a full bodied and bold cup.

• Country: Thailand
• Region: Doi Pangkhon, Chiang Rai
• Producers: Merlaeku Family x Beanspire
• Altitude: 1,250–1,450 m.a.s.l.
• Processing method: Natural
• Varietals: Chiang Mai, Typica & SJ133

Tasting notes: Banana bread, molasses, sultana.

• Clean cup (1–8): 6
• Sweetness (1–8): 7
• Acidity (1–8): 6.5
• Mouthfeel (1–8): 6.5
• Flavour (1–8): 6.5
• Aftertaste (1–8): 6
• Balance (1–8): 6.5
• Overall (1–8): 6.5
• Correction (+36): +36
• Total: (max. 100): 87.5

Roasting Information
Medium to medium-dark: pushing this further will give you more body and less funk, but we like finishing around the end of the gap to first pops of second to keep the funk and fruit notes.