Region: DaLat
Varietal: Catimor
Process: Washed
Altitude:1,000 MASL
Cupping Notes:Bakers Chocolate, Brazil Nut, Peanut, Oat
Recommended Roast: Full City to Full City+
Good For:Auto-Drip, Espresso, Blends

Description: This is our first ever Robusta Coffee. Robusta is uncommon within specialty coffee circles as the cup score is not as high as its more popular cousin, Arabica. There’s a couple of reasons we decided to bring in Robusta on this container from Vietnam. In no order of importance: First, we wanted to have a more budget friendly option for roasters who don’t need the higher cup scores of arabica. Second, we honestly love that robusta is disease-resistant and much more productive than its higher scoring relative. As production and processing techniques continue to improve we have seen robusta cupping scores rise, and this lot is a benefactor of that. So, while not the highest scoring coffee you can get from Bodhi, it might be up your alley. If it is, then it’s a win/win for you and the producer who gets to benefit from producing and selling a more hardy coffee species with a highly productive crop.

Coffee was first planted in Vietnam at the end of the 19th Century. The hectares dedicated to its cultivation remained limited until the 1970’s, when coffee started to be traded on a barter basis against industrial goods with the former Soviet bloc. It is only since the 1990’s that production rapidly increased and propelled Vietnam to the 2nd position in the coffee producing countries, just after Brazil.

The majority of the production is grown in the highlands. This Wet polished lot, Blue Dragon, comes from the vicinity of DaLat in the Lam Dong Province, where it is grown at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level, by small holder famers. These farmers received training to improve farming practices in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment and within the community the coffee is grown. Our export partner ensures quality and maintains relationships with farmers through regular farm visits, and reinforcing that only fully ripe cherries are harvested and then dried and stored properly.

Upon delivery to the warehouse, the coffee is carefully selected so that only the best quality will be used into Blue Dragon. The coffee will go through, state of the art machinery to ensure a perfect post-harvest process that will enhance the excellent care given by the farmers. After the process of cleaning and removing all impurities, the coffee is then water polished, so the typical harshness of the Robusta disappears totally from the cup. Coffee is then sun dried before being stored in jute bags. Coffee will rest for at least one month before being exported, so the lot rests and quality becomes homogeneous.