About This Coffee
This coffee showcases the remarkable potential of Robusta. When cultivated and processed with care, it can achieve a level of complexity and clarity comparable to Arabica. While Vietnam has long been associated with commercial-grade Robusta, a growing number of producers are embracing a new approach. By adopting advanced farming and processing techniques, they are reshaping perceptions of Robusta. That transformation is beautifully embodied in this Anaerobic natural lot.
Produced by more than 200 smallholder farmers in Dliê Ya Commune, Dak Lak Province, where coffee is central to the local economy and community livelihoods. Ideal growing conditions, combined with meticulous post-harvest processing, produce a clean, expressive cup with vibrant fruit notes, warm cinnamon spice and remarkable clarity.
A defining feature of this lot is the use of DL2, a native yeast strain isolated from Robusta coffee cherries in Krong Nang, Dak Lak. Selected from 156 native strains collected across Vietnam's Central Highlands between 2023 and 2024, DL2 ranked among the top five strains for specialty coffee processing. It has been shown to enhance green bean quality by increasing total polyphenol content (48.32 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant levels, while offering promising potential for blood sugar regulation.
Cultivation
Fertile basaltic soils, ample rainfall and consistently moderate temperatures throughout the year have made Vietnam's Central Highlands the country's leading coffee-producing region. Smallholder farmers in the region cultivate coffee at elevations of 700–850 meters above sea level, typically on small farms of 2-3 hectares. The harvest season typically runs from November to December.
This lot consists of Robusta varieties developed and popularized by the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI), one of Vietnam's leading agricultural research institutes. Renowned for its works on Robusta, WASI has played a pivotal role in improving productivity, cup quality and resilience through breeding programs and agronomic recommendations.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Ripe cherries are selectively handpicked by smallholder farmers and delivered to Ea Tan cooperative on the same day. At the wet mill, freshly picked cherries are sorted by flotation to ensure optimal quality. Selected cherries are then washed and fermented in sealed tanks for 8 days with DL2 yeast inoculation at a pH of 3.9. After fermentation, the cherries are slow sun-dried on raised beds for 25–30 days, with three to four resting periods of 5–10 days until they reach a moisture content of 12%. During drying, the cherries are turned every 2–4 hours to ensure even moisture loss and covered with tarps at night to protect them from humidity. Once fully dried, the cherries are rested in warehouses before being prepared for export.
Coffee in Vietnam
Coffee played in a major role in Vietnam’s stunning economic transformation from the extreme poverty in the late-1980s to the relative prosperity in the 2010s. Our Vietnam offerings highlight some of the best that the country has to offer, including more recent forays into specialty coffees.
The main variety planted in Vietnam is Catimor, a hybrid of Caturra and Timor (itself an Arabica-Robusta hybrid). While Catimor boasts high yields and high disease-resistance, it’s not typically prized for its cup quality. This encourages producers to refine their selection and processing techniques.
Producers are also focusing on improving their selection and processing techniques. This focus on improvement begins at harvest time. Farmers and their workers have begun to employ more selective harvesting techniques, and better post-harvest quality controls are increasingly being implemented.
Other producers are venturing into experimental processing to increase harvest quality and, ultimately, sale price. Some producers are focusing on yeast or enzyme fermentations, others are using anaerobic fermentation. At this point, most of this experimentation is used on microlots. In the future, more farmers may turn to processing most or all of their harvest using advanced or experimental processes to help increase sale prices.