Laos Coffee Brand Recommendations - Which Laos Coffee Brands Are Good - How to Brew Laos Coffee for Great Taste

Laos: From Communist Stronghold to Coffee Paradise

In recent years, the once strongly communist Laos has opened up to coffee cultivation as a replacement for opium poppies. Today, Laos's most important agricultural resources are timber and coffee.

Laos is a landlocked country on the Indochinese Peninsula, with mostly mountainous and hilly terrain. Its highest terrain is known as the "Roof of Southeast Asia." The Mekong River flows from north to south through the country, with several small plains along its banks. There is rainfall throughout the year, with annual precipitation of 2,200-3,500 mm and a tropical to subtropical climate. This is the home of "Laos Delta Coffee Estate AA Premium Champion Beans."

Laos Coffee Bean Brewing Method: Siphon

On the palate it is smooth, and drunk at the right temperature there is no harsh sensation — a truly grounded feeling. The acidity is not biting, and the price is quite affordable. After the coffee is completely swallowed, there is a sweet aftertaste.

The earthy flavor is somewhat noticeable, but not so much that it becomes undrinkable; the editor rather abstractly files it under that grounded feeling. The first sip may take some getting used to because of the earthy note. The tip of the tongue does not respond much to this bean, but the root of the tongue feels it strongly.

Perhaps because Vietnamese coffee's fame is so widespread, people have forgotten that Laotian coffee exists. Yet on the sun-drenched, temperate Bolaven Plateau, some of Southeast Asia's truly finest Arabica is produced. Laos's special volcanic geology and climate have created an exceptionally flavorful coffee.

The Arabica here carries Mandheling's signature "heavy flavor," rich yet also vibrant and lively.

Since 1669, when the Turkish ambassador presented the first cup of coffee to French King Louis XIV, Arabica coffee had, for over 300 years, monopolised the cultural and artistic salons of the French nobility.

In 1930, French nobles planted the first Arabica coffee tree on the Bolaven volcanic plateau in Laos, planting the noble quality of French aristocratic coffee along with it.

The Bolaven Plateau, in Champasak Province in south-western Laos, is Laos's coffee kingdom, producing 95% of the country's coffee. On main streets, in small shops and even in vegetable markets, you can see coffee everywhere.

The mild climate, humid air and nutrient-rich volcanic soil make this land a paradise for coffee growers — considered the most suitable treasure for coffee cultivation in Southeast Asia. The best volcanic-ash soil, nourished by the best water source in a forest nation, combined with purely natural organic cultivation, forms the genetic foundation of premium Arabica beans.

Coffee Cultivation and Harvesting

In Laos, both Arabica and Robusta are cultivated. Initially all coffee grown in Laos was Arabica, but after disease struck, about 80% was replanted with Robusta. Today, like Vietnam, Laos has begun to expand Arabica cultivation again.

The plants are cultivated in pristine, unpolluted natural forest and picked by hand. During harvest, only ripe fruit is selected, and it is processed using complex wet methods.

When picking Arabica cherries, each one must be gently twisted by hand. Only bright red, ripe fruit is chosen; green (unripe) and dark brown (rotten) ones are rejected.

Generally speaking, coffee trees begin to bear fruit after two or three years of growth and can be harvested after four years. Thereafter they produce fruit annually for 15 to 20 years before they need to be replaced with new trees.

Flavor Profile and Drinking Culture

The delicate, complex aroma and rich mouthfeel leave citrus fruit and floral notes in the aftertaste, with a subtle chocolate sweetness. The flavor is fresh, gentle and lingering.

Laotians also like to pour coffee into glasses mixed with condensed milk, and afterwards enjoy another cup of green tea. Walk into any roadside café in Pakse and let the coffee's fragrance slowly release and surround you.

It presents itself in the cup with a gentle and bright posture, extremely soft — as soft as the refreshing breeze by the Mekong River. First comes a slight acidity, then more of a balanced harmony of sour, bitter and sweet, perfectly blended in the mouth. After drinking, there is a subtle lingering sweetness like syrup. Take a sip: delicate as silk. Fatigue gradually dissipates in the mellow aroma of coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet PWN Indonesia Golden Mandheling — Lao Arabica is often described as carrying Mandheling's heavy, rich flavor, so Mandheling is the natural place to look for a comparable cup. FrontStreet's PWN Golden Mandheling is produced with a dark roast that keeps acidity very low while giving a thick, lingering body, full of herbal and dark chocolate aroma with a faint earthy thread running through it and plenty of layered depth. It is the pick for anyone who likes a bold coffee and doesn't care for acidity.

FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate Coffee — A balanced, medium-dark counterpart for the grounded style of Lao coffee. Grown in the Mogiana region of São Paulo on fertile red volcanic soil, this Yellow Bourbon lot shows very low acidity, a balanced body and intense nut and cocoa aromas with an obvious caramel sweetness. It is smooth rather than astringent, warm and long on the finish, and it suits pour-over, espresso and the moka pot equally well.

FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gedingding Coffee — If the bright, floral character of good Arabica is what you enjoy, this is the one to try. As many coffee lovers' first stop in specialty coffee, Yirgacheffe delivers vivid citrus, berry and floral notes with a green-tea-like sweetness in the finish. Far from the sharp "acid coffee" people imagine, a fine Yirgacheffe's acidity is soft and bright, closer to the sweet-sour of fruit itself than to anything biting, which makes it very easy to accept even if you are new to pour-over.