China Fuyan Farm Natural

Region:  Menglian, Yunnan
Altitude: 1,600-1,700 m.a.s.l
Variety: Catimor
Process: natural
Tasting notes: Syrupy, sweet blackberry and cherry upfront with a palate-coating caramel finish. Overall very balanced, sweet cup.

This coffee landed in the UK at the end of October and then landed in our roaster about a week later. We were eager to launch it as quickly as we could because transport and logistics takes such a long time for Chinese coffee, in this case about seven months. Seasonality is an important factor for us when choosing which coffees to buy. We aim to roast and brew coffee while it’s fresh and the flavours are at their most vibrant.

This is the fourth Chinese coffee we’ve roasted in the last few years and as we become more familiar with the flavours this origin has to offer it’s quickly becoming a favourite. We love the unexpected combinations like the chocolate paired with delicate florals we tasted from Kaku washing station or, as in this coffee, sweet liqueur-style fruitiness alongside creamy caramel that’s partway between a flavour note and a mouthfeel description.

Fuyan farm and washing station is managed by Mrs Na and Mr Li. Mr Li is a native of Yunnan who moved to the Menglian region with his parents when he was a teenager. During his youth Mr Li worked on rubber plantations but later moved across to the tea industry.

Coffees from Fuyan have regularly attracted some of the highest Q scores in Yunnan which is testimony to the hard work, consistent quality control and strong relationships that Mr Li and Mrs Na have with the pickers (who are predominantly Lahu, an indigenous ethnic group from China and the surrounding region).

The farm itself spans across 80 acres of mountain range at 1,600 to 1,700 metres above sea level. Amongst the coffee plants there are intermittent shade trees including macadamia nut trees, fruit trees and leguminous shade trees.  Alongside coffee Fuyan also produces about seven tonnes of specialty-grade tea.

A defining feature of the farm is the prevalence of other agricultural and husbandry activities–chickens, fish, pigs, ducks, wild orchids, chilies, Chinese herbs–all set against the stunning backdrop of the Yunnan mountains.

A note about packaging

Our coffee comes packaged in beautiful and hard wearing tins of 250g. It is important to keep those beans away from air and light (see our blog post about coffee storage) and we think tins are the very best way of keeping those guys fresh. If you order the 1kg refill size, the coffee is packaged in a fully recyclable plastic bag, see the link below for full information on the material and recycling.

Tins can of course be easily recycled (with other metals) but the very best and most environmentally conscious thing to do with them is to refill them. Find out how to refill or dispose of your Steampunk packaging HERE.