Liberica - Liberica Project 96B

Impressions: Strawberry, white chocolate, white grape & roasted sesame
Roast degree: light-medium (3/5)
Country: Vietnam
Location: Quang Tri (Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district)
Variety: Liberica (local mixed cultivars). Liberica is a different species than Arabica
Process: Natural, slow dried for 25 days
Farm: Quang Tri Coop (96B's Liberica Project Group)
Farmer(s): 5 families in total from the Quang Tri Coop
Import-Export partners: Crop to Cup / 96B

We're so happy to be sharing this rare Liberica lot from 96B on the menu for the second year, but this time through Crop to Cup. Since they have their own roasting project and are one of the few specialty coffee companies in Saigon, they do not export much coffee nor work with many partners outside of Vietnam. When Thai, one of the co-founders, texted David to see if he was interested in bringing some in for RH, he jumped at the opportunity. Our shared values made this a natural fit, both in ethos and in the cup.

96B is a Saigon-based roaster, café, coffee education centre, green bean producer & exporter. They focus on Liberica, Robusta & Arabica coffees grown and processed in Vietnam. While the country is mostly known worldwide as the largest commodity Robusta producer, they’re actively working to redefine that narrative by collaborating closely with innovative farmers.

“Direct trade allows us to optimize our quality control, while compensating farmers fairly for their work, improving their livelihoods in a radical and immediate way. Since 2016, almost all the coffees we have bought are priced by the farmers.”

Each lot of these exclusive coffees adheres to high social and quality standards:
- Mutually beneficial relationships with producers
- Respect for health and environment
- Red cherries: only ripe cherries are picked and sorted
- Controlled drying: most coffees are slow-dried in greenhouses to improve cup quality
- Defect picking: both machine and hand-sorting are used to remove defects