The adventure began with the vision that Myanmar coffee should have a place in the heart of every Swiss person. This led me to bring home coffee samples from different regions last December.
Right after my return, I was excited to know the taste of the unveiled beans. Having seen the endless beauty of the coffee plantations in Myanmar, I could imagine very well that they would taste delightfully with sublime floral notes. However, we still had to prove it.
I sent the samples to coffee roasters in Switzerland, the UK and Eastern Europe – most of whom I had established a long relationship with. The roasters were excited about the “cupping results” of the coffee, which had been fuelling my enthusiasm. As with all first great endeavours, there are also elements of improvement. Although competing in the league of the world’s best coffee (Colombian and Ethiopian coffee), the aroma and taste was not always balanced enough, and we will continue to work hard on it.
Estate coffee and coffee from small-scale farmers
Some coffee has been provided by estate farmers, which I collected at the Mandalay Coffee Group – a group of stakeholders who run the largest wet mill in Myanmar. However, my special attention was drawn towards direct sourced coffee. The green coffee, handed over by farmers, reflected the relation we had with the region, with the environment.
Since my last trip to Myanmar, almost five months have passed, and my passion for this eccentric project has grown even larger. Thinking of my next coffee mission to Myanmar makes my adrenalin pump: To find the best specialty coffee bean from this year’s harvest, I will not leave out any trip to any remote or undiscovered place. To make my vision a reality, I will take coffee to Switzerland and to the heart of the Swiss during the National Coffee Brewers Cup Championship.
More information about the Swiss Brewers Cup Championship: http://www.swissscae.ch/events/scae-swiss-coffee-championships-2016/scae-swiss-brewers-cup-championships-2015/