Today we will be doing a review on Lanna Coffee Co.’s Artisan Roast!
If you haven’t come across Lanna Coffee Co., do yourself a favor and check them out. This company goes beyond the ordinary consumer focus of simply selling coffee. One could even say they are changing lives.
Instead of just roasting fantastic and well balanced coffee, they also give back to coffee community. Through direct trade and working with the Integrated Tribal Development Program, Lanna brings real change to the local hill tribe villages in Northern Thailand.
For more info on their philanthropic efforts, visit their website!
Now, on to the coffee… you better believe it tastes fantastic.
The Coffee
Lanna offers a simple coffee selection.
There are four different roasts to choose from: Artisan, House, French, and Decaf.
The Artisan Roast, which will be the focus of today’s review, is Lanna’s lightest roast. It’s described on their website as follows:
A lively, bright roast with distinct floral tastes and a hint of sweetness with crisp finish. Those who enjoy craft coffee roasters will prefer this roast as it really brings out distinct notes. It is our lightest roast and sure to knock your socks off with its higher caffeine levels than the others.
Light roasts are what those in the specialty coffee industry prefer. Light roast levels preserve the inherent flavors within coffee – resulting in a coffee bean that promotes clarity and balance.
Well, let’s start from the beginning!
Unboxing the Coffee
We were delighted to unbox our shipment of the Artisan roast. Lanna ships their coffees in a durable box that not only protects the contents inside, but it also further preserves the coffee freshness.
Did we mention they include awesome coffee swag in each box? They do. And it’s fun.
Included is a nifty pamphlet stating some coffee sourcing information, a discount card for your next purchase, a sleek Lanna sticker, and a pin.
And of course, the securely packaged coffee.
Tasting Attributes
Flavor Notes:
Think Chicory, Cardamom, and Vanilla with a pinch of Hazelnut.
Acidity:
Remember that lighter roasts don’t necessarily mean more acidity. Acidity can be attributed to varietal, region, and coffee processing as well.
This coffee had less of a “crisp” acidity, and more of a rounded, balanced acidity. The acidity found in the Artisan roast really accentuated the subtle bergamot and vanilla notes; making for a full and balanced cup.
This coffee’s acidity felt like almost a mix between an Ethiopian and an El Salvador – ranging between a dark and nutty feel and a fruity feel.
Body:
This coffee could be considered medium dry with a neutral body.
We used an Aeropress and a Bee House Dripper to test the coffee’s reaction to immersion and pour over methods. Both brews exhibited a dry and neutral body. Perfect for pairing with breakfast or a snack.
Aroma:
Subtle notes of Cardamom and Hazelnut were the triumphing aromas in this cup.
Due to the dry mouthfeel and rounded acidity, the Artisan Roast is an excellent choice for any occasion. Some coffees give off more of an “adventurous” aroma, but Lanna’s Artisan Roast gives off an aroma that is balanced and refreshing.
Brew Methods
Aeropress:
We chose to use Aeropress, as it is an Immersion method that many home brewers have access to.
Immersion brew methods bring the taster’s focus to the mouthfeel. In this case, the mouthfeel was dry; kind of like a wine. The Hazelnut and Bergamot notes took center stage and paired beautifully with the Cardamom aroma.
Here’s the recipe we used!
Beans – 15 g
Grind – Medium-fine
Water – 230 ml
Temperature – 201 degrees F
Ratio – 15.3:1
Filters – Paper
Time – 3:21 min
Instructions – Pour all water. At 1:30 stir 5-10 times to get a small vortex. Quickly put on filter and invert over cup. At 3:00 press down and compact the grounds at bottom to form a puck with light pressure. Finish at 3:21
Bee House:
We also wanted to try this coffee as a pour over, so we used the Bee House.
This cup was clean and conveyed notes of Vanilla and buttered scone. Pour overs usually brew coffees in a way that promotes clarity over mouthfeel. The Vanilla notes in this cup made the experience an absolute delight.
Here’s the recipe:
Beans – 20 g
Grind – Medium
Water – 340 ml
Temperature – 206 degrees F
Ratio – 17:1
Filters – Melitta #4
Time – N/A
Instructions – Pour in an inner rectangle. Do a round or two of pouring around the sides every 50 ml or so (not ON the sides). Keep the water level where it is at around 175 to 200 ml. Stir 2 times around at 340 ml.
Coffee Region
In Thailand, coffee is grown in the north and south – Robusta coffee in the south, and Arabica Coffee in the north.
Arabica coffee is of higher quality, and it is grown at a higher elevation than Robusta coffees. High quality Arabica is the coffee that Lanna sources. The higher elevation gives the coffee more density and flavor, making it a prized commodity.
Arabica coffee in Thailand is grown near Burma and Laos. This region is known as the Golden Triangle – a region that has optimal temperatures and wet seasons for growing a suitable coffee crop.
This is the area that Lanna is focusing on for their philanthropic ventures. The hill people and farmers deserve good pay for the commodities they provide us. Lanna is hoping to help this region by partnering and growing relationships.
Conclusion
Lanna is a good roaster that does good things. Once again, do yourself a favor and order yourself a bag of this coffee. You won’t regret it!