Quiet Endless Searching, Natural - Thailand

We’ve said before that we’re in endless pursuit of moments that inspire awe and wonder, and that interconnectedness between humans and experiences is at the root of the work we do. This Thailand Natural Coffee is a beautiful example of our mission in action. 

Around April, 2021, Areli began inquiring about sourcing coffees from Laos in search of a coffee for our wholesale partners, Heirloom Brew Shop. Though the Laotian coffee we found was contracted out for the year, our search led us to cup this beautiful coffee from Thailand, which will also be served at Heirloom. We named it “Quiet Endless Searching” as a nod to the journey that brought us to it.

Q.E.S. - Doi Pangkhon Natural comes to us from coffee producers in the Doi Pangkhon
community in the Chiang Rai province of Thailand. The community includes around 300
households, each typically producing 1–2 tons of parchment coffee each year. Producers here grow Catuai and Typica varieties alongside the local Chiang Mai variety and SJ133 variety coffees that are common across the country's coffee-growing regions. Beanspire has worked in Doi Pangkhon, Chiang Rai for nine years, developing processing techniques, upgrading equipment, improving workflow, and working with producers individually to establish coffee cupping practices. All of the villagers in this producing area belong to Akha Hill Tribe and are notably young coffee farmers, ranging from 25-35 years of age.

 

Beanspire’s co-founders, Fuadi Pitsuwan and Jane Kittiratanapaiboon, are part of the
young generation moving the Thai coffee industry forward. Thailand is unique as a coffee-producing country; the country’s specialty cafe and roaster scene is thriving, and domestic consumption demands regularly outpace the country’s production volume. Only around 5% of Thailand’s specialty coffee is exported each year, while the rest is enjoyed by Thai coffee drinkers. This means that the coffees selected for export by the team at Beanspire are each chosen to share the work of Thai coffee producers with a global audience, providing a glimpse into the growing specialty coffee revolution happening in the country.


This lot underwent a Natural process where cherries were laid on bamboo-raised beds in a one-inch layer. Cherries continued to be sorted, removing under-ripe and fermented cherries throughout the drying process while they were raked multiple times each day.

After the cherries were dried, they were bagged to cure for two months before milling at the dry mill.