This washed Typica from Laos is a superbly balanced, remarkably clean cup. With notes of rich black tea, aromatic vanilla bean and a soft honeycrisp apple acidity, we found this coffee to be approachable and endlessly drinkable.

When we first received samples of coffee from Laos early this summer, none of our team members had ever tried a Laotian coffee before. After sourcing a number of excellent coffees from Southeast Asia through Indochina Coffee earlier this year, we were interested to see if there was anything we had missed. Since we had no preconceived notions about Laos as a coffee-producing nation, when we cupped this coffee, we were blown away by the clarity and depth presented in all of the samples we received. After a long while of deliberation, we narrowed our focus on this lot of Typica from a community of smallholder producers in the Champasak region on the Bolaven Plateau. This region of Laos is where over ninety-five percent of Laos’ coffee is grown, as it has the perfect conditions for coffee production, with a higher elevation, rich volcanic soil, and access to key waterways, such as the Mekong and the Nonglouang rivers. Though Laos’ coffee production is hardly a fraction of the nearby coffee-producing powerhouse of Vietnam, the quality is evident in this particular lot of Typica, and we’ll be on the lookout for more offerings from Laos in the coming years. If you’ve yet to try a Laotian coffee, this offering will serve as an excellent opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and try something new!

Region: Champasak, Laos

Producer: Smallholder producers

Cultivar: Typica

Process: Washed

Altitude: 800-1350 Masl

Roast Degree: Light

Importer: Covoya Coffee Importers

Flavor Notes: Black Tea, Vanilla Bean, Honeycrisp Apple