Portola Coffee Roasters – Myanmar Lay Ywar Coffee Review (2018)

Myanmar wasn’t even on my radar as a coffee-producing nation, so when I saw that Mistobox had this coffee available to add to my queue, I knew I had to try it.

I’m really trying to expand my coffee palate beyond the growing-regions I consistently return to time and again (Ethiopia…cough cough), so having the opportunity to review a coffee from a region I’m unfamiliar with is always an exciting opportunity.

Ironically enough, it reminded me of an Ethiopian coffee in a lot of ways. The intense fruity aromas and sweet flavors are some of the similarities, though these are probably more characteristic of the natural processing method than the region itself.

Whatever contributes to it exactly doesn’t matter so much. In the end, this is a great-tasting coffee.

Let’s take a closer look.

General Notes & Observations

Roast: Light
Producers: Danu Community
Country of Origin: Myanmar
Region: Shan
Variety: Catuai, Catimor
Processing method: Natural
Growing altitude: 1,245 masl
Roaster aroma notes: None
Coffee Concierge aroma notes: Strawberry, blueberry
Roaster tasting notes:
Coffee Concierge tasting notes: Strawberry, red wine, cocoa

Brew Methods & Equipment Used

• Chemex 6 Cup Glass Coffeemaker
• American Press Coffeemaker
• Behmor Connected Coffeemaker
• MyPressi Twist Espresso Maker
• Hario V60 Pour Over Coffee Dripper
• Kalita Wave Pour Over Coffee Dripper
• Bonavita Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle
• Espro Calibrated Tamper
• Breville Smart Grinder Pro

Drip Coffee Experience

The Lay Ywar was excellent when brewed as drip coffee.

In fact, I only ended up brewing the Lay Ywar through my Behmor Connected or my Chemex.

Frankly, it didn’t really matter which coffee maker I used, since the coffee had flavor that consistently matched its aroma.

Strawberry and blueberry flavors were rampant, but the finish was a bit more dry and reminiscent of red wine. When the coffee cooled, the aftertaste had strong chocolate notes.

Overall, the Lay Ywar had solid complexity in its flavor profile.

Summary

Though this was the first coffee I reviewed from Myanmar, it definitely will not be the last after this excellent experience.

I’m always a fan of coffees that are hard to screw up, and the Lay Ywar definitely falls under this category for me. Even when it was a day old and re-heated in the microwave (gasp), it managed to impress me.

If you like a little more body without too much acidity in your light roasts, to me, this is a perfect choice.

You can buy the Lay Ywar from Portola Coffee Roasters while it’s still available from their website or Mistobox.

Interested in trying out Mistobox?

Get $10 off your first order through my referral link here (I’ll also get $10 to spend on coffee, so we all win)!

Tried This Coffee? Have Questions?

If you’ve tried this coffee, let us know what you thought by leaving a review in the comments section below.

If you have questions, I’m also happy to try and answer them. Leave those below!