It happens, you know
Sometimes we choose coffees from countries we’ve been to, from farmers we know – sometimes we don’t. And sure, the experience of meeting the beans and the people on the ground gives away like nothing, but that doesn’t mean that by a circuitous route you can’t run into trusted compatriots and coffee gems.
Christian – the head of a company that imports Indochina green beans – approached me at a coffee festival in Amsterdam a few years ago and we started talking. Chris has a mega-fun and knowledge of coffees from Asia: it’s from him that we most often buy coffees from China or, as in this case, Burma. The geopolitics of the region are complicated, and I encourage you to fire up the Foreign Department podcast and listen a bit about Burma/Myanmar. As you listen, you can brew this surprising coffee – why surprising? After recent coffees from Chris, I expected a very classic coffee brew: chocolatey and heavy. Here it is very different – white tea, grapefruit, raspberry, lots of lightness and floral notes. I’m getting into this coffee, just as (for I don’t know which time now) I’m getting into an episode of Foreign Department [it’s not any collaboration, but open-mindedness and sincere enthusiasm, eh!]. Enjoy your coffee, have a good listen!
