Farm info

This coffee was produced by Jaroon Jaipin, a local producer based in Khun Lao, in northern Thailand. Farms in this area often cultivate Chiang Mai, a locally developed hybrid that combines SL28, Caturra, and Híbrido de Timor. This Catimor-derived variety was backcrossed with SL28 to improve cup quality while maintaining strong resistance to coffee leaf rust. The cultivar was developed as part of the Thai King’s agricultural initiatives aimed at replacing opium cultivation with sustainable crops in the northern highlands. 

Coffee farming is a relatively recent industry in Thailand. Its modern history began in the 1970s, when a government-led opium eradication program introduced Arabica coffee to mountainous regions such as Doi Saket and surrounding areas. Alongside reforestation efforts, coffee proved to be a successful alternative crop, allowing farmers to establish stable agricultural livelihoods while restoring forested landscapes. Today, many farms continue to cultivate varieties introduced during that period—including Catuai, Typica, and Chiang Mai—which grow under shaded forest conditions in these highland environments. 

This lot was sourced through our exporting partners Beanspire Coffee. Founded by Fuadi Pitsuwan and Jane Kittiratanapaiboon, Beanspire works closely with producers across northern Thailand to develop quality-focused coffee and connect local farmers with international markets. 

Thailand’s coffee sector is unique among producing countries. A vibrant network of specialty cafés and roasters drives strong domestic demand, which often exceeds national production. As a result, only a small portion of Thailand’s specialty coffee is exported each year. The coffees selected by Beanspire for export offer a window into the work of Thai producers and the rapidly evolving specialty coffee culture within the country. 

Beanspire operates one of the most advanced coffee mills in Thailand, equipped with destoners, hullers, and gravity tables for density sorting. Coffees are carefully processed and prepared through multiple stages of density and hand-sorting to ensure consistency and quality.

This lot was processed as an anaerobic fully washed coffee. Freshly harvested cherries were first placed in airtight bags and fermented for 24 hours under anaerobic conditions.

After this stage, the cherries were pulped, and the wet parchment underwent 48 hours of dry fermentation without water. Water was then added for an additional 24-hour wet fermentation, followed by a soaking stage before washing. 

The parchment coffee was dried on bamboo raised beds for at least 14 days, allowing for slow and even drying, before the process was completed in the lowlands.