Origin: Laos
Region: Bolovens Plateau
Estate: Phetlamaka
Altitude: 1350 masl
Varietal: Typica
Grade: G1
Screen: Scr15up
Processing: Natural
Tasting Notes: Black tea, cola, pomegranate molasses
This single-varietal (Typica), carbonic maceration natural lot is from Phetlamka farm on the Bolavens plateau in southern Laos. Once known as the ‘Kingdom of a Million Elephants’, the average altitude in Laos is over 700masl but rises to a consistent 1,350masl on the plateau. The potential for expanding production of specialty coffee in Laos is so great that Olam is growing coffee on 1,300 hectares of land over 4 estates in the rich volcanic soils at the heart of the Bolaven Plateau with plans to expand to 2,000 hectares. Numerous rivers and creeks of every size cross the plateau heading west and eventually to the Mekong river.
Our Laos estates are part of the International Multi-location Variety Trial led by World Coffee Research (WCR). In this project, 35 Varieties of coffee are collected from around the world and then planted in over 60 test plots in 23 countries. This will result in widespread production and quality increases in as little as 5 years, and contribute to more sustainable farmer livelihoods and a stronger coffee sector.
History of Coffee in Laos
Inside Laos’ 92,000 square miles there are 160 ethnic sub-groups and 82 distinct living languages (counts do vary). Administratively, politically, geographically, there is a Laos. But functionally, at the level of people living on and off the land, Laos is a collection of distinct communities. For example, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Yahern people (also: Nyaheun) came down from the Annamite mountains, which define the eastern edge of Bolaven Plateau and the border with Vietnam, to discover they were citizens of something called the Kingdom of Champasak, in what is now the Paksong District and the “coffee capital” of Laos. They were granted land by the royal family and for 120 years they farmed this land, including coffee, which was introduced to northern Laos by the French in 1915. Coffee production moved to the Plateau, where the altitude and climate are ideal, in the 1920’s.
Until the 1970’s, the Yahern, Talieng, Alak, Lawae, La Ngae, Katoo, Laven, and other peoples practiced shifting cultivation, allowing land to recover and cultivating new areas. Unfortunately, this often meant “slash and burn,” destroying forest to create fresh agricultural land. In 1977, the government began to encourage settled farming, through a combination of subsistence and cash crops, including coffee. It took a generation, but farmers on the Plateau adapted to permanent agriculture. Traditional farming practices did not vanish completely, but much of the “slash and burn” was replaced by planting commercial growths like teak and rosewood, and forests were gleaned for commercial products, like bark for incense and pampas grass for making brooms. Over the last two decades, the government has promoted the transition from Robusta, which was planted in the 1950’s in response to diseases like rust, to Arabica. Over the last 10 years, quality coffee on the Bolaven Plateau has come to mean more than a change from Robusta to Arabica. With each passing season, more and more farmers learn about the agronomic and milling practices that produce superior quality worthy of the specialty market.
Roast For You
Terms & Conditions
When you choose to have your coffee roasted for you, we will roast the exact amount ordered and roast this for you to the selected roast prole you have chosen.
Please be advised that the minimum green weight for roasting is 6kg, any orders placed with less than 6kg will be placed on hold and may cause delays in being dispatched.
Please be mindful of the weight loss through moisture loss during roasting, this is typically between 12-20 peent depending on level of roast. The darker the roast the higher the moisture loss.
Your coffee will be bulk packed into a 6kg bulk bag with an identifying label on only.
Pleased be advised that we will roast to your desired roast profile, but are unable to take any liability for any taste discrepancies that may arise from this. We are unable to take back any coffees once they have been roasted to your desired roast profile.
Typically a medium roast coffee at 6kg green will yield 5.1kg of freshly roasted coffee.
