Laos Paksong Typica

Hibiscus Tea, Salted Caramel, Brown Sugar

Laotian coffee production dates back to the French colonial period of the early 20th century. The country has loads of advantages, from high elevations to pitch-perfect climate, but the crop never really took flight—a geographic irony considering its proximity to the second-largest coffee-producing country in the world, Vietnam. The best-known Laotian growing area is the Bolaven Plateau, a mountainous region along the Vietnamese border. Bolaven farmers face loads of challenges, from pests to a stunning number of unexploded bombs left over from the Vietnam War, but their coffees can land in a space of spectacular quality.

This lot comes from an area within the Bolaven Plateau called Paksong Village. It's the product of local farmers. Each tended their harvest individually before shuttling cherries to a nearby mill for processing. Once there, the mill workers separated out Typica, then put the coffee through traditional washed paces. They did a bang-up job—the cup brims with everything you want out of a washed Typica.

Hibiscus tea headlines the cup. It's a delicate opener—light, flavorful, a touch tannic. And it turns out to be an unusual platform for the sweet/savory notes to come. Salted caramel forms the cup's core, and it expresses the flavor in virtuoso fashion. The tone manages to be comforting, smooth, even the faintest bit chewy—all while being haloed by the tea tones. Finally, there's brown sugar sweetness. Paired with the salted caramel, it sets the cup in an infinitely enjoyable space.

• Region - Paksong, Champasak
• Variety - Typica
• Process - Washed

Best for:

• Pour Over
• Aeropress
• French Press
• Drip Machine
• Single Origin Espresso