Country: Myanmar
Region: Ywangan, Shan State
Farm: Smallholders from 7 villages in Ywangan Township
Elevation: 1350 MASL
Variety: Red Catuai
Process: Red honey - carbonic maceration
Tasting notes: Pomegranate, pomelo, juicy and honey
We are thrilled to introduce a new Myanmar Coffee.
This vibrant brew is a true delight and packs a zesty punch that will elevate your coffee game.
Expect zesty pomegranate and pomelo, with a juicy mouthfeel and a sweet honey finish - we think this coffee sings as a filter or pour-over, so get your V60s out!
The secret behind this flavour extravaganza? It's all about the carbonic maceration process. This fancy-pants technique has long been used in the wine industry but in recent years has been harnessed by coffee producers to bring out the best of beans, coaxing out unique and complex flavour profiles.
Give it a try, your taste buds will thank you!
The producers:
Founded in 2017 by Su Nandar Linn and Thi Ha Gyawalie, The Lady Specialty Coffee champions the talents of women coffee farmers in Ywangan, Shan State. All of their coffees are exclusively grown by women in Myanmar and are now expertly roasted at our all female roastery here in the UK, making this a coffee crafted by women.
The Lady speciality coffee co-operative initially consisted of beans from 51 female farmers in 1 village, 7 years on and this lot now encompasses beans from over 400 female producers spanning over 7 villages.
Their goal is to empower women, primarily from the Pa-O and Danu ethnic minority groups, through sustainable farming and fair compensation.
Their commitments:
- 20% sharing of final profits with farmers after sales
- 3 x market rates for premium coffee cherries
- Providing seeds for new farmers
- Training for new/ unexperienced farmers to allow them to access premium rates
Processing:
The coffee cherries are harvested once they have reached optimum ripeness.
Whole cherries are then sealed in stainless steel tanks and are purged with carbon dioxide using a technique called carbonic maceration. This process expels oxygen from the tank, creating an anaerobic environment, encouraging anaerobic fermentation to occur within the beans.
The cherries are then processed via the red honey method, where some of the mucilage is left remaining on the coffee cherry. The exposure to sugars in the mucilage increases the resulting sweetness of the beans. The beans are then left to dry over a period of 20-25 days under shade trees, to slow drying and increase flavour complexity.
