Roast Level: Medium
Origin: Vietnam
Region: Lam Dong Province, Central Highlands
Town: Dung K'No Commune
Mill: Duc Trong Wet Mill
Process: Semi washed and dried on patios
Varietal: Catimor
Altitude: 1500 masl
Taste Notes: Mirabella plum, tangor, red fruit, Full bodied and mild citric acidity, with cocoa and savory coffee cherry flavors.

Another origin striked off my list, thanks to CoffeeHEADS. My previous experience with the Vietnamese coffee was not counted simply because I had no idea if those beans were Arabica or Robusta let alone the origin. Read more about that experience here.

When CoffeeHEADS first started posting on Instagram earlier this year, I wasn’t sure of what to make of it. Two things stuck to me that very moment, one was the #BringCoffeeBack hashtag. Second one, the idea and the photography behind their posts was well thought out.

Is this a new cafe or a roaster or someone very passionate about coffee behind the brand? Their take on coffee is simple, and their brew guides, not complicated. I didn’t interact with their posts until recently. The most recent one was on the flower pouring technique.

Methods like this fascinate me. I love to know the science and purpose behind it and they happily and promptly answered my questions. I also asked what coffee they were using. The reply got me a bit curious and excited, it was a blend of Brazil and Vietnam.

The latter origin got my attention for sure. Vietnam is the world’s second largest coffee producer behind Brazil and one of the top producers of robusta. Robusta is often used in instant coffee and blends. However, they also produce Arabica and the varietal - Catimor is one of the most grown and consumed.

Catimor is a hybrid of the Timor (hybrid of Arabica and Robusta) and the Caturra, the two arabica plants was cross bred to produce specific characteristics of high yield and resistance to coffee rust. This is why farmers prefer growing the Catimor because of its resilience.

I like brightness in my cup, a personal preference that I love in my morning coffee. This Vietnamese lacks in brightness, but makes up in sweetness. You will find primary notes of red fruits and plum transparent on the tongue, with some chocolate and nuts in the background to give that balanced finish.

It’s enjoyable for sure and the CoffeeHeads prefer blending the beans with a basic origin like Brazil. Their brew preferance is a stronger coffee to water ratio of 1:12.5 with 30g of bloom if using 20g of coffee. This is how I brew the Vietnamese thanks to their guidance and experimentation countless number of times.

When it comes to blending and finding the perfect set of origins complimenting each other, they recommend brewing two different coffees separately and then mixing the final brew. A good rule of thumb would be to start with 50:50 and then working up or down the ratios. You can read more about blending on their blog.

Wasting coffee is a big no-no and the blending process starts when you brew two different origins during the empty bag phase. A few blend options are already available on their online store in addition to eight single origins. Cool Beans is something I would order when I finally decide to order a cold brew maker.