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  • #16
    Re: Barako Coffee

    Formosan Tea (mods, take this away if not appropriate), is not replying my phone calls / emails

    Not sure if they are still trading.

    As they are the only aussie supplier I can find, guess I have to put this quest aside for now.

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    • #17
      Re: Barako Coffee

      Hello all,

      I am new here, but I have traveled a lot in S.E.Asia including the Philippines and I am a huge fan of Barako coffee.
      200 years or so ago, the Philippines was one of the largest coffee growing and exporting countries.   But at some point there were other, more profitable crops that could be grown, so most Filipino farmers stopped growing coffee.  

      They still grow all four varieties of coffee there, but mostly Arabica and Barako.   The Batangas region is particularly know for Barako.

      Wrecker posted some good info.  

      There is a coffee company in the Phils, "Figaro Coffee Company" that has a campaign to save the Barako from going extinct.

      http://www.savethebarako.org/

      While it is often blended with Arabica, there are some 100% Barako coffees available there too.

      Figaros "Barako Gold" is 100% Barako

      Cafe de Lipas "Batangas Brew" is a popular Arabica/Barako blend.

      There are others, as well.

      Pure Barako is not for everyone, but if you like a coffee with attitude, you should give it a try.
      I love it myself.   It is a bit earthy in a (good) way, but it has a depth and complexity that I really enjoy.    Subtle it isnt, but this coffee has its fans, and I am one of them.

      In my opinion, the reason it is inexpensive is simply because so few people outside the Philippines have even heard of it.

      Until recently, I had been able to get it here in the US from a place in California called "The Filipino Coffee Company", but the folks running it closed down and moved back to the Philippines.

      There is a new company, who is not yet shipping, that will soon carry Barako coffee.  They are "The Barako Coffee Company"

      http://www.barakocoffee.com

      I hope they open soon.    Writing about it has gotten me jonesin for a nice hot cup of Barako.

      -Thomjinx

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      • #18
        Re: Barako Coffee

        Hi all

        This sounds quite interesting.

        Yeeza said "Yeah it seems too cheap for a rare coffee. Rare, but not necessarily good/drinkable."
        However for a coffee that is rare to also be pricy requires a market. If the coffee is good but no one wants it then it can still be rare and cheap.

        Here is some more info on it.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kape_Barako
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffea_liberica

        The last reference above said "However, many growers and traders there pass off Excelsa as Baraco because supply of real Baraco, or Philippine Liberica, is very limited and a large part of it goes into making various coffee blends."
        So one must be careful in obtaining it.

        I think as CoffeeSnobs if an unusual bean becomes available we will try it and we can decide ourselves. Perhaps someone can get in a small sample for trial.

        Mike

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        • #19
          Re: Barako Coffee

          Great to see some growing interest with this thread again. It is still in my radar

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