One of the biggest issues in coffee today is ethical sourcing. Coffee is a commodity and therefore it’s in the realms of big business, and big global brands exercise a lot of buying power. They buy through agents, distributors and importers, who  notoriously take advantage of the small family farms and villagers. It’s a story we know, all too well.

When you buy Monlan Coffee you are buying directly from the villagers of AYAE and they are  receiving a premium price for their produce. You are directly supporting the villagers and the region.

Single origin is another questionable issue. What you are buying is guaranteed single origin coffee beans that come from the same mountain region, directly to your cup.

The villagers sort and grade your coffee beans by hand, which means you get the highest quality coffee beans they can produce.

Honey processed coffee is semi-washed, where the outer skin (cherry) is removed and the pulp remains to be hand dried in the sun. As the coffee is drying, the sticky coating on the outside of the bean oxidises and darkens in colour. Beginning with a golden yellow colour, and beans which are stopped at this point are referred to as yellow honey processed coffee.

Allowing the beans to continue fermenting, the mucilage further oxidises to a red and finally a black colour. The more fruit left on the bean, the darker the colour. In terms of washed versus unwashed, the  washed method produces a more acidic coffee with enhanced clarity, while the unwashed method produces a bolder coffee with more body and increased complexity. Beans processed using the semi-washed process combine the best of both methods, giving a bolder coffee with increased acidity.

Monlan coffee is a medium roast, as our flavour goal is to try and hit the sweet spot. The right balance of time and heat to bring out body and sweetness and the best flavour in your cup. Medium roast has a more balanced acidity, sweet, fruity, full-bodied flavour. Lighter roasts will offer a more acidic taste and darker roasts will offer a more bitter taste.