Migu Anaerobic Washed - China Filter

Li Yiling, coffee farmer from China, has made a wonderful combination of the Catimor and Typica varieties, which she produces in small, high quality batches. This is a light filter coffee with a lemony freshness, pleasant sweetness and a gentle astringent note.

About the coffee

The average altitude of the Migu Estate is between 1450 and 1600 meters above sea level. Most of the crops are of the Catimor variety, as well as a small amount of Typica, and the focus is on producing high quality specialty coffee. The mix of Typica and Catimor was originally a mistake – Yiling had wanted to pick the cherries from the two types of trees separately. Unfortunately, she can't speak the local minority language, so there was a misunderstanding with the pickers, and all the cherries ended up in the same pile. Luckily, after the cherries were processed, the result was a uniquely delicious coffee.

The uniqueness of this coffee form Migu Manor also stems from the anaerobic fermentation. Just the skins and a small amount of the fruit flesh are removed by a machine, so that the beans lose as little moisture as possible before being filled into fermentation tanks. The oxygen is then removed for a 32-48 hour anaerobic fermentation. Li is very open to using new processing methods, and she is one of very few producers in Yunnan using anaerobic fermentation.

About the farm

The growing region of Menglian is new to coffee, and lies on the border between China and Myanmar. The borderlands are higher than the rest of Yunnan. This means there is a wider temperature fluctuation between day and night, which slows the ripening time of the coffee cherries and lets them develop more flavours. The quality of the Catimor coffees in this region is markedly better than in other, lower-lying parts of Yunnan. The seasons are also milder, without freezing winters or scorching summers, making Menglian a perfect micro-climate for planting, growing and processing coffee.

Li Yiling founded Migu Estate in 2016. She is a young producer who grew up on a coffee farm – her family draws on more than 20 years of experience growing and processing coffee. Li Yiling is know local by her nickname "Banli", which means "chestnut". Her anaerobic natural coffee was used in the winning routine at the 2020 China Yunnan Brewer's Cup Competition.