Crimson Dragon - China

China - Lao Xu Zhai Natural This coffee comes from the Pu'er region in Yunnan Province. Lao Xu Zhai surprised us with it's character when we first cupped it. Full of fruitiness, clean, that can be rivaled to top microlots from more established origins. A sign that China's specialty coffee sector is no longer emerging. It has arrived. 

Lao Xu Zhai Village in Yunnan, China, is home to this naturally processed Catimor, benefiting from rich volcanic soil and climate. The Climate of  Yunnan's mountainous landscape, is of a subtropical in nature, which is ideal for the cultivation of dense, rich and complex specialty coffee crops, grown at altitudes starting 1200 meters above sea level (MASL). The Lao Xu Zhai coffee has garnered attention for its high quality and unique taste, establishing a positive reputation for Chinese coffee in the global market. It offers a complex and satisfying cup, appreciated by coffee enthusiasts for its distinct characteristics. This experimental lot underwent an extended 30-day anaerobic fermentation in three stages: initial drying to 35% moisture, 20 days in sealed tanks for controlled fermentation, and final drying to 10-12% moisture.

This particular Catimor crop has an anaerobically processed natural, with its extended fermentation significantly increasing its flavor and aroma complexity. Along with that comes the natural drying of the cherries that added to the fruitiness of its profile to a very high level, making it one of the really well balanced, clean and complex crops we've introduced in our lineup. It's a true expression of what China has to offer in this vast world of specialty coffee.

Our roasting approach for this crop had to be straight forward. Reach a roast level that fully reaches its potential without decreasing any of the crop's original character, to perfectly highlight its terroir. So we've opted to roast it as a filter roast as any increase in the roast level would have destroyed all the farmers efforts and origin characteristics that is very apparent in it.

Enjoy a cup full of fragrant berries, mixed along with a plethora of stone fruits such as plum and apricot, along with some apple notes. Finishing up with some very sweet notes of sugar and caramel, some dark chocolate notes, hints of vanilla, adding to that complexity to very impressive heights!   

Crop Information:

• Origin: China, Pu'er, Yunnan region, Lao Xu Zhai farm
• Variety: Catimor
• Processing Method: Anaerobic Natural
• Cupping Profile: Berries, Stone Fruit, Plum Sugar Cane, Dark Chocolate, Floral
• Acidity: Medium
• Roast Level: Filter Roast
• Cupping Score: 87 points 

Recommended Brew Recipes:

• Filter (V60):
  • • Ratio: 1:15 (Coffee:Water)
    • Dose: 20g
    • Water: 300ml (g) 
    • Total Brew Time: 2:30 - 3 Minutes
    • Grind Size: Medium Corse
    • Water Temp: 89-91 degrees (Adjust to Taste)
    • Method: 4 Pours total (including bloom)
      • Bloom: Add 40g of water and wait for 30 seconds before second pour.
      • Second pour: At 30 Sec, add up to 120g (Slow Spiral Pour).
      • Third Pour: At 1:10 min, add water up to 220g (Slow Spiral). 
      • Fourth Pour: Before bed dries, add up to 300g (Center Slow Pour).
      • After you finish Pouring, swirl the dripper gently once to settle the bed.
      • When the extraction is done, pour & enjoy!
  • Iced (V60):
    • Ratio: 1:14.5 (Coffee:Water)
    • Dose: 22g
    • Water: 160ml + 160g ice (300ml total) 
    • Time: 1:20" - 1:45" 
    • Water Temp 91 Degrees Celsius 
    • Method: 3 Pours total (including bloom):
      • 40g Bloom.
      • @  30sec : Add Up To 100g Spiral Pour, Medium Flow Rate.
      • As soon as bed dries: Add up to 160g Center Pour, Slow (Non aggressive) Flow rate.
      • Add 160g Ice into decanter and swirl.
      • Pour into a cup and enjoy.