Bluekoff Dark Roast: Chiang Rai Coffee Review
Today, we will be reviewing Bluekoff Dark Roast drip coffee. Bluekoff is a well-established Thai coffee producer, with a production facility in the Chiang Rai village of Ban Doi Chang (บ้านดอยช้าง). The coffee farmers of Ban Doi Chang are members of the Lisu and Akha tribes. The Lisu are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group, whose people reside in Thailand, Myanmar, and southwest China, while the Akha tribe people live in the same regions, as well as Laos and Vietnam. Like many hill tribe peoples, they grew opium for much of the 20th century before turning to coffee as their cash crop (thanks to a Royal Initiative of King Bhumibol the Great).
Bluekoff sells a large variety of coffee products, and they are one of most active companies in Thailand when it comes to coffee education (both among the public and coffee making professionals). Their website Bluekoff.com is filled with Thai articles about coffee, with topics such as the difference between coffee roasting processes, caffeine potency, beginner coffee terminology and more. They also run coffee making workshops for Thai entrepreneurs who are interested in running a coffee shop.
For our Thai coffee reviews, we are limiting ourselves to Bluekoff’s drip coffee sold in single use pouches. Last time, we reviewed Bluekoff Medium Roast drip coffee, and today we will review their Dark Roast coffee, both of which are made from coffee beans grown in Ban Doi Chang, which is located in the north of Thailand in the province of Chiang Rai. The name of the village translates to The Village of Elephant Mountain, as elephants once roamed wild in the area. Ban Doi Chang is not far from Chiang Rai city, and it has an elevation of 1,074 meters above sea level.
Bluekoff Dark Roast Coffee Review
Bluekoff Dark Roast is an excellent 100% Arabica bean coffee. We would rate this drip coffee as quite better that its Medium Roast Coffee, especially for those who appreciate a classic, strong cup of joe. It is difficult to describe but there is something vintage about the flavor and robustness of this coffee. We found nothing fruity, sweet, or sour about this dark roast brew (although Bluekoff describes it this way in its marketing). It is a rich tasting coffee in the classic sense, with a soft undertone of dark chocolate and caramel. The energy boost we received from it was probably the best one we have experienced to date, with no jittery feelings.
So, in our rankings, we would place this Thai coffee right up their with Phangkon Coffee by Cafe Amazon as our favorite one to date, just giving a slight edge to Phangkon coffee, whose flavor we liked a little better, and whose coffee beans are grown not to far from the village Ban Doi Chang.
- Thai Inhalers: Boost Your Memory & Recall with “Ya Dom” - May 18, 2024
- Phra Khun Paen: Thai Love Spells & Amulets - May 17, 2024
- Visakha Bucha Day in Thailand (2024) - May 16, 2024
