Ever since we first discovered that not only was coffee now being cultivated in Taiwan, but that some of this coffee was of excellent quality—scoring 88+ at the newly-established COE competitions—we knew we had to make it a mission of ours to track down something bright and beautiful from there. And here it is, a honey-processed SL34 produced by Hsu Tingyeh on his farm, Zhou Wu Mountain. Even more exciting, though, than being one of the first and only roasteries in the US to release coffee from Taiwan, is that we’re doing it in collaboration with the (literal) face of specialty, Brian Quan!
After sampling through over 30 different lots from various producers in Taiwan, it was an easy decision to purchase this lot from Zhou Wu, as it is by far one of the two best coffees we’ve ever tasted from Asia—the other being our Taiwan COE geisha. Since it’s so outstanding and unique, we thought it would be an excellent opportunity to collaborate with Brian, and we’re so glad he agreed! So, when sipping on this one, we find an abundance of red and pink fruits, most reminiscent of fresh lychee and sweet, syrupy stewed cherries. We also find a super gentle, calming note of honeysuckle florality throughout the experience. Its overall cleanness, sweetness, and complexity are astounding, with none of the earthiness, savoriness, or woodiness often associated with coffee from Asia.
Zhou Wu Mountain farm, located at 1.300 masl in the Chashan Village of Chiayi County, was founded in 2001 by Tingyeh when he adapted the high-mountain oolong fields of Zhou Wu to specialty coffee cultivation. At present, the farm is sized at roughly 7 hectares. In addition to growing SL34, Tingyeh also cultivates geisha, typica, and purpurascens. On the farm, absolutely everything is done in-house, from seed germination to drying and milling, placing complete control over the coffee’s final cup profile in the hands of Mr. Hsu.
SL34 is an African coffee cultivar of the typica genetic group, prized both for its quality and strong resistance to coffee berry disease. In terms of flavor profile, SL34 is typically light-bodied with an abundance of fresh florals, stone fruit, with potential for tropical fruit and berries. It was first selected from a single tree on the Loresho Estate in Kabete, Kenya by Scott Agricultural Laboratories, and released for cultivation in the late 1930s. Today, most SL34 trees remain confined to Kenya, however it is one of the most commonly-grown varietals in Taiwan.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile organic compounds.
Ever since we first discovered that not only was coffee now being cultivated in Taiwan, but that some of this coffee was of excellent quality—scoring 88+ at the newly-established COE competitions—we knew we had to make it a mission of ours to track down something bright and beautiful from there. And here it is, a honey-processed SL34 produced by Hsu Tingyeh on his farm, Zhou Wu Mountain. Even more exciting, though, than being one of the first and only roasteries in the US to release coffee from Taiwan, is that we’re doing it in collaboration with the (literal) face of specialty, Brian Quan!
After sampling through over 30 different lots from various producers in Taiwan, it was an easy decision to purchase this lot from Zhou Wu, as it is by far one of the two best coffees we’ve ever tasted from Asia—the other being our Taiwan COE geisha. Since it’s so outstanding and unique, we thought it would be an excellent opportunity to collaborate with Brian, and we’re so glad he agreed! So, when sipping on this one, we find an abundance of red and pink fruits, most reminiscent of fresh lychee and sweet, syrupy stewed cherries. We also find a super gentle, calming note of honeysuckle florality throughout the experience. Its overall cleanness, sweetness, and complexity are astounding, with none of the earthiness, savoriness, or woodiness often associated with coffee from Asia.
Zhou Wu Mountain farm, located at 1.300 masl in the Chashan Village of Chiayi County, was founded in 2001 by Tingyeh when he adapted the high-mountain oolong fields of Zhou Wu to specialty coffee cultivation. At present, the farm is sized at roughly 7 hectares. In addition to growing SL34, Tingyeh also cultivates geisha, typica, and purpurascens. On the farm, absolutely everything is done in-house, from seed germination to drying and milling, placing complete control over the coffee’s final cup profile in the hands of Mr. Hsu.
SL34 is an African coffee cultivar of the typica genetic group, prized both for its quality and strong resistance to coffee berry disease. In terms of flavor profile, SL34 is typically light-bodied with an abundance of fresh florals, stone fruit, with potential for tropical fruit and berries. It was first selected from a single tree on the Loresho Estate in Kabete, Kenya by Scott Agricultural Laboratories, and released for cultivation in the late 1930s. Today, most SL34 trees remain confined to Kenya, however it is one of the most commonly-grown varietals in Taiwan.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile organic compounds.
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
