Thailand Huai Chompu, Anaerobic Natural

This coffee comes from Huai Chomphu, Chiang Rai, where smallholder Akha hill-tribe producers, cultivate the distinctive Chiang Mai varietal, a rust-resistant hybrid. This particular lot is from Stidkhun Wuiyaku (34), who has worked closely with Beanspire to maximise the quality of both his harvest and processing techniques. A juicy, wine-like cup with bright fruit character, led by crisp red apple acidity and rounded out by sweet, jammy strawberry notes.

Huai Chomphu, located in Chiang Rai, is a coffee-growing region with approximately 500 households, each typically producing 1-2 tons of coffee. We've accessed this coffee through the amazing work of our old friend of our founder, Fuadi Pitsuwan, a polymath with a PhD from Oxford! Who through his exporting business Beanspire Coffee, based in Chiang Rai, works with producers in Doi Pangkhon and Doi Saket to improve coffee quality and export to international specialty markets with a focus on sustainability, producer protection, and elevating Thai coffee.

The name 'Huai Chomphu' translates to 'Pink Valley,' named for the cherry blossoms that bloom during the harvest season. All of the villagers belong to the Akha Hilltribe. The region is comprised of about 500 coffee-growing households—this coffee is sourced from these smallholder farms.

The Chiang Mai coffee varietal is a distinctive hybrid celebrated for its smooth body and chocolate-like flavour profile. Developed specifically for the northern highlands of Thailand, it is a rust-resistant cultivar that combines the compact growth of Caturra with the bright, refined cup characteristics of SL28 genetics. Today, it stands as Thailand’s flagship specialty coffee and is widely cultivated throughout the region.

Although it is sometimes broadly referred to as a “Catimor variant,” this varietal represents a more refined development with a strong emphasis on both flavour quality and long-term sustainability. It was introduced under the initiative of Thailand’s late king as part of a national effort to replace opium cultivation and support sustainable livelihoods among northern hill tribe communities.

The coffee cherries are floated to remove defects, then lay on the raised beds to dry off the water. Then the coffee cherries are anaerobically fermented in double-layered plastic bags for 3 days and the bags are flipped and turned side to side. Then, left to ferment for 3 additional days then removed and dried on raised beds for 25 days.