TRUNK COFFEE

— If someone walked into your shop for the first time, what would you serve as their first cup?

"A light-roast single origin. I want people who think coffee is a bitter drink to be surprised by fruit first."

— Do you remember the first time you cupped a LuLaLao lot?

"Honestly, I expected little. Then the first sip came — clean, with a clear outline of fruit. It was not what I imagined."

— What impression did you have of Asian beans before? And now?

"They were 'blend base' in my head. Now the shelf looks different — Asia sits there as an interesting choice, naturally."

— How do you roast — or how did you roast — the LuLaLao lots?

"The Typica Washed went light, keeping the acidity. Because the moisture numbers were consistent, we hit the target profile from the first batch. Next I want to see how far the ferment-driven aroma of the Geisha Natural can be kept."

— If you visited the LuLaLao farm, what would you want to see?

"The drying beds. I want to see the hands behind the daily measurements. Knowing the work behind the numbers changes the words you use to describe a bean."

— Tell us your biggest failure in coffee.

"Early on I misread the airflow and wasted a batch of a precious lot. I still remember that regret. That is why I trust makers who do not hide their failures."

— Where will Asian coffee be in ten years?

"As a consuming region, Asia is already at the center. Next is its turn as an origin — chosen not because it is cheap, but because it is interesting."