Banka Natural

This natural lot comes from Banka farm in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Va Autonomous County in Yunnan, an area that sits close to the borders of Laos and Myanmar. Cherries are harvested between December and March from Banka farm itself and from nearby villages, then processed at the Banka washing station.

After harvest, cherries are run through an optical colour sorter to remove underripe and overripe fruit as well as any foreign material. Fermentation takes place with the whole cherry in tanks for around two days, with time and temperature closely monitored. The coffee is then dried on raised beds on the patio before hulling. The result is a clean, controlled natural that balances fruit character with structure.

The variety here is Catimor (P3 / P4), a cultivar that dominates much of Yunnan’s production due to its resilience and suitability to the region’s climate. At Banka, careful cherry selection and controlled drying are used to push quality beyond the expectations often associated with the variety.