Live in the Philippines

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Philippine Coffee

Food/Drink / by

Roasted Coffee Beans
Roasted Coffee Beans

Back about 8 to 10 years ago, I started drinking coffee.  Oh, I had consumed coffee before that, but it was not a regular thing for me, just from time to time.

In the Philippines the most common thing to expect if somebody offers you a cup of coffee is that you will have a cup of Nescafe Instant Coffee.  Well, I’ve had a few cups of instant coffee in my life, but that is not what I am talking about, not at all! 🙂

No, back about 8 years ago, or something like that, a close friend of mine offered me a cup of coffee, and it was not quite the instant coffee that I expected.  It was the coffee of a connoisseur.  When I accepted his offer, he whipped out all kinds of equipment, and asked me what type of coffee beans I wanted.  I was unsure, so I just told him to choose for me.  He had coffee beans from Ethiopia, Indonesia, South America, all kinds of places!  He said that we would have a cup of Yirgacheffe beans that came from Ethiopia.

At my first sip, I was hooked!  Wow, this was like no coffee I had tasted before!

My friend had become a coffee hobbyist.  He purchased coffee beans from all over the world.  Mostly the beans passed through dealers in the USA, and then he had them shipped to him here in the Philippines.  After having that cup of Yirgacheffe at my friends house, I was asking him all kinds of questions about what type of equipment I needed, where I could buy beans, etc.

Oh, by the way, I am not talking about buying coffee beans that are already roasted either.  My friend bought green coffee beans and roasted them himself!  He explained to me that he did that because then he could custom roast them to the level of darkness that he wanted, and also he could drink the coffee while the roasted beans were still fresh and had not gone stale yet.

I have a lot of french presses
I have a lot of french presses

Well, I bought the stuff that I needed to roast the green coffee beans.  I learned how to do the roasting properly.  I bought different equipment to brew the coffee in different ways.  Did you know it tastes very different based on how you brew it?  I used to love coffee that I brewed in a French Press the best, but these days I am drinking mostly pour-over brew.

Importing beans

Over the years, I really got into buying beans from dealers and also from hobbyists in the States.  I would have the coffee beans shipped to me here in the Philippines.  It is a bit expensive, but the cup of coffee you get is well worth the cost.  Of course, you also have to wait for the beans to get here after ordering, it can take a few months, depending on the shipping method.  Because of the wait, you want to order plenty of beans to last for a long time!  You also want to order a variety of beans from different locations, because depending on where the beans were grown, they taste completely different.  For instance, there is a bean that is my favorite over the years.  It is grown on one particular farm in Kenya, and it has a distinctive taste of grapefruit.  I just love that stuff!

I roasted a few varieties at once
I roasted a few varieties at once

What about Philippine Coffee Beans?

About 4 years ago, I had taken a little break from the coffee thing, but after a while I was longing for a good cup of coffee!  I didn’t have any beans, though!  I had never really been a fan of Philippine grown coffee beans, but I decided to give it a try.  I searched far and wide, and I found some Arabica coffee beans that had been grown on Mt. Apo, just an hour or so away from my house!  I bought some and kept my fingers crossed.

After I roasted the beans and let them rest for a couple of days, I gave them a try.  I was surprised, I liked theme a lot.  Pleasantly surprised, I guess you’d say.  Also, having beans that I liked and that were grown not far from home made it convenient.  Not having to order beans from abroad was convenient and also much less expensive!  It also made beans quickly available without waiting for months.

I know a lot of people who swear by Robusta beans that are grown in the northern part of the Philippines.  There are also a lot of fans of barako coffee beans grown up north.  For me, they are not good, but we each have to choose what we like.  It just is not for me.  I stick with arabica beans 100% of the time.  I have found a few sources of arabica beans grown up north in Benguet that I find acceptable, and quite drinkable.  I get them from time to time as well.

What am I drinking right now?

Even though I have been drinking strictly Philippine grown beans for about 4 years or so, recently I got a craving for some foreign grown beans.  I immediately contacted my coffee friend in Iligan City and asked him if he had any beans that he could share with me?  He quickly responded and offered me a couple pounds of beans.  So, he sent them to me and I received them earlier this week.  Where are the beans from?

  • Ethiopia – the beans I have from Ethiopia right now are Dry Process Wollega Wato beans.  They are very bright – high acid beans.  Lots of fruit tones.  A really good cup of coffee!  I have been drinking this coffee each day sine Tuesday of this week.  Delicious.
  • Indonesia – Sumatra.  Lintong Opung James.  Wow, what a name!  I have yet to try these, I will roast them when this batch of Ethiopian beans is all gone (or close to gone).  Next week, probably.  While African beans tend to be more fruity and acidic, Indonesian beans are fuller, more “earthy”.

Neither of these beans is your father’s cup of Folgers, I can assure you.

Keeping close to home

While I am really enjoying the beans that my friend sent me, I do like to keep it close to home. If I can find locally grown coffee beans that I enjoy, there is something nice about drinking coffee where the beans come from right here in the Philippines.  I guess it is kind of like the difference between eating tomatoes that you buy at the store compared to the ones you grew in your own garden. 🙂

What about you?

Are you a coffee drinker?  Every tried Philippine grown beans?  If so, what variety of beans? Do you know where they were grown at, what province?  Tell me about your preferences.  Maybe you will mention a bean that I have not tried before.. something that will hook me!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I experimented with grinding my own beans once but it was just kind of a hassle. I liked Batangas Brew and even drank instant (black) coffee sometimes. I guess I’m just not very picky.

    • Hi Kevin – Not only do I grind my own beans.. I roast my own too! 🙂 I don’t consider it a hassle, it gives me a very fresh cup of coffee, and that is worth it to me! 🙂

      I’ve had a few cups of instant, but don’t really care much for it.

  2. Yeah sometimes a pot in the morning
    Little to much , I have start cutting back
    Stress I guess

  3. Hi Bob. I find the Nescafe instants here very weak (watery taste). The Kopico Blanca would have to be my favourite.
    Have never brewed my own coffee. Maybe the laziness factor comes into this! Lol
    In Australia we have very good “iced coffee” such as “dare” and “farmers union”. They would sell as much of them in Australia as Coke. I miss good iced coffee here.
    How many cups of coffee a day are you up to? I try to limit myself to three. Sometimes you read that coffee is bad for you and then the next week you will read that its good for you and to drink as much as you want. Hard to know what to believe

    • Hi Adam – I like iced coffee too, but not something pre-made in a bottle… I brew my own and then ice it down. 🙂

      These days, my max on coffee is 2 cups per day, but I drink 1 cup on most days. I used to drink around 6 cups per day, but wanted to cut back on my caffien.

      You are right, all of the medical studies are confusing… some say it will kill you, others say it will save your life! 🙂 I just enjoy it, and take it in moderation. 😉

  4. I am not proud of it but since landing on these shores I have been drinking almost exclusively Nescafe 3 In 1 for my morning brew. My son in Canada sends me a jar of Maxwell House dark roast and some coffee-mate in a care package at least twice a year but it doesn’t last very long. I drank the Maxwell House for years so I guess it is fair to say I am not too picky about coffee.

    One of these days I’ll have to wander your direction and try a cup of your coffee. Davao is a fair trek from where we are in Pantukan but I do make it that far occasionally. Maybe I will be convert and my wife will learn to hate another new hobby.

    • Hi Jim – If you make it to Davao, give me a shout! Nothing wrong with drinking Nescafe.. it is just not for me! But, plenty of people seem to love the stuff! 🙂

  5. you’re a man after my ow heart… I’m curious to try civit coffee, read there some local farmers who collect civit poop/beans.. sounds gross.. but I first experienced from VietNam and its terrific coffee.. do you know it?

    • Hi Frank – I have had Civet Coffee, also commonly known be several other names. Here in Mindanao Kape Balos is a common name. It is OK, but I think it is mostly a novelty. I mostly tried it (a few times) just for the “gross out factor” if you know what I mean. 😉

  6. Done right, coffee is almost a religious experience. Almost as many different viewpoints.

    Having said that, I’m happy to sample what you have to offer with an open mind.

    Hard to beat fresh small batch roasted and burr ground coffee.

    • Your last lines hit the nail on the head LeRoy! It is indeed hard to beat freshly roasted coffee, after giving it a day or two to rest after roasting. If you let it go too old, it gets very stale, and not good at all. That’s the reason to roast it in small batches, something that you can drink in a week or so at most! 🙂

  8. Bob, How do you roast? I have a friend that swears by using one of the old fashioned air pop corn poppers. He says you can make the beans as dark as you want and it blows out all of the chaff.

    • I am a simpleton, Richard. I just pan roast, but I get good results with it. I know some friends who use the popcorn popper method. I don’t go for “as dark as you want” – I like a very light roast, and that is harder to do. Anybody can burn the beans to a crisp with any method! 😉

  10. Hi Bob

    Living in Manila now, I have found roaster in Lipa city market who sells Barako, Arabica, and Robusta that are grown in Batangas, on Luzon. They roast it and sell it fresh by the 1/2 kilo bag in their little shop there.
    I have tried all three types and I enjoy them each, but I think my favorite is the Barako.
    I haven’t gone so far as to buy the green beans and roast myself yet, but I am very happy to have found a great supply of fresh roasted beans in a market that is only about 1 hour away from me.

    In the states, I would drink Maxwell house instant, or whatever brand of drip coffee was on sale. Sometimes I would treat myself to Starbucks beans, but so expensive!!!

    Here, I grind the beans at home and also use the French press almost exclusively and I drink 16-20 oz each day. Years ago, my wife grew Barako on her farm in Bukidnon, so I also prefer to buy locally when its possible.

    Great topic!

    • Hi Dustin – Glad that you like the topic!

      I like to roast my own coffee, so that I can get the taste and caffeine level that I like. Must commercial roasters roast way darker than I like, and that keeps the caffeine very low. So, I really prefer to roast myself.

      Barako has never done it for me, but if you like it, that is what you should drink! Whenever you find something that you enjoy, nobody can say that bean is wrong, because having what you like is what it is all about!

  11. I DO NOT DRINK COFFEE WITHOUT ADDING SOME NATIVE COFFEE TO IT TO GET SOME FLAVOR ! ! ! ! —MY COFFEE = TABLESPOON HONEY LEVEL TEASPOON CINNAMON- GOOD SCOOP COFFEE AND HALF SCOOP OF NATIVE COFFEE, 1/2 TEASPOON TURMERIC. ADD 1/3 TEASPOON GINGER.

  15. Dry your morning coffee what’s a tablespoon of coconut oil and a half tablespoon of real butter call Bulletproof Coffee best dang thing on Earth you won’t be hungry till lunch time you won’t have to eat breakfast it’s great

  16. Hi Bob – Coffee is the “nectar of life”! While having enjoyed “The Think Drink” (old sixties commercial ad speak there) for well over fifty years, I’d hardly ever imbibe of an instant. (There isn’t a cup of instant coffee that I wouldn’t refuse. 😉 )

    Life’s days in the Navy started with, ended with, and continued between those two with a cup of fresh brewed nearby. Occasional cups of “near pot’s end” brew, however, did result in a fondness for a darker roast.

    Annual Balikbayan Box shipments always include many large bags of Starbucks’ darker roasted beans, vacuum packed to keep them as fresh as I can. (Have been toying with the idea of finding and sending green beans.)

    “Up North,” it’s difficult to find a darker roast coffee for brewing. Even the nearest Starbucks (a province or two away) and the more local coffee shops offering “the fixin’s” to take away, never stray much further than “medium” in their roasted beans. One source that I had for excellent beans a few years back was up in the Cordillera Mountains, in Isabela Province. The beans were flawless and roasted wonderfully. Unfortunately, that source was a victim of a typhoon.

    Will keep an eye out for any new sources, and will let you know if any discoveries are made. 😉

    • Hi Paul – I guess I am too young.. never heard of “the think drink”. ha ha…

      I brew my coffee one cup at a time! The rest of the house goes for Instant, if they drink coffee at all. So, I don’t ever get a “near pot’s end” cup, since every cup is brewed just before drinking!

      I won’t drink Starbucks… I call them “Charbucks” because they over-roast their coffee so terribly!

  17. Hi Bob,
    I’m moving to a town outside of Digos from the US in 18 months and one of concerns is not being able to find decent coffee beans for my morning cup. Care to reveal a source in the Davao area ? I would hate to think my future days there would have to begin with instant coffee. Scary.
    Thanks.
    Art

    • Hi Arthur – It depends on what you are looking for. If you like just the regular coffee like Folgers or other off the shelf brands you can get that at a grocery store or a place like S&R.

  18. Try Himalayan beans. Grown up high above 4000 meters. Very nutty, with a crema that looks like gold. There’s a Korean coffee roasting machine design online somewhere worth checking out. I think you’ll have the parts there.

    Great to read this, reminds me of our coffee at your place several years ago! Hope your health is improving too.

  19. Bob;
    Instant coffee is akin to non-alcoholic beer, what is the point? One should just admit you are not fond of coffee (or beer) and move on. I used to buy a Filipino brand of ground coffee called Café Pura, which I liked, but that was the problem, If I like a product it is soon gone, I must have the kiss of death. Fancy coffee is not my forte, but some love it more power to them.
    I will not abide instant for any reason.

      • Bob;
        That’s true products do to come and go, but Cafe Pura is a Philippine Product and they still make the instant brand. Maybe Starbucks is buying it all up. (LOL)

  20. Bob, you really surprise me, there are just a few High-End coffee drinkers here.
    Glad to see that you are one of them.

  21. I drink mostly Kona coffee here on the big island of Hawaii. A friend has a coffee farm and he roasts the beans for me….haven’t bought coffee in 5 years…and always have the best.

  22. Just like you, i enjoy roasting my own beans.
    I use different kind, but for some years now, all local from Philippines. Mt. Apo and other locals.
    Barako…sure…sometimes…Arabica, ofcourse, the best, Robusta – yes. Sometimes i mix them.
    I like to have different tastes so i don’t get used to one specific.
    I have tried Civic a couple of times, good, but for me not worth the price.
    When i roast my beans i use a manual roaster, with a handle on the top, well…manual – not anymore. I mounted a 12 volt motor on top to do the rotating. I motor from a car, the windshield wiper 😀 It works perfect.
    I brought a good grinder from way back there, it still works fine, even it is made for 50Hz.
    The whole process of roasting and grinding is a part of the pleasure.
    I only drink Espresso, that’s what i like best, but i never turn down a good cup of well brewed coffee.

    • Hi Axel. I feel the same. Roasting and grinding my own beans is all part of the pleasure. Having a delicious cup is the icing on the cake!

  23. I go back to hawaii every year for my home leave. For me, Kona beans are my favorite. I buy as many lion brand bags that I can pack, even though I know the freshness factor will be gone before too long.

    One day, will try roasting and grinding, but for now, its just 2 cups in the am and one in the afternoon. Love my coffee.

    • Hi Don. I hear Kona coffee is good. F you want to preserve freshness learn how to roast. You green beans will remain fresh indefinitely. It us post roasting that they will go stale.

  25. There are 3 things I miss every time I go to Davao city. Good wines decent coffee and bookstores that are actually selling books and not only school supplies. But mostly it’s the coffee I miss.

    • I don’t drink, so I can’t help on the wine. I buy books online… but you can get decent coffee here. If you just want to go to a coffee shop and buy a cup, try out a place called Coffee for Peace. it is in Matina, near Ateneo High School. I buy my local beans from them. Tell them that MindanaoBob Sent you.

    • Bob Martin Ok I will try to go there in September when I will be back in Davao. But this time we are only staying one week in Davao so I don’t know if I will have the time to go there. But I was thinking of going to have a look at Dutertes place. And he’s living in Matina I think so maybe I can go there at the same time. And thank you for your answer.

      • S&R sells some good wines for reasonable prices. Stocks vary but they do have some nice wines most of the time

  26. I have always wondered why the Philippines does not grow and export coffee like Sumatra. Any insights? I want to grow in the mountains of Negros.

    • Philippine coffee has never been recognized by worldwide coffee experts as being of high quality. I would tend to agree. Personally, I don’t think the conditions are right here, even though Indonesia, right next door, is a world class producer, as is Vietnam, not far away. Not sure what it is, but I don’t expect the Philippines to become a coffee hot spot.. in terms of bean production.

  27. When we first came , some 7 years ago now, we used US coffee , not long before we discovered Barako – the best coffee in the world! Did you know that in the 1800’s The Philippines was the 2nd largest exporter of coffee in the world!

    • We all have our own tastes. I don’t consider Barack to be one of the best coffees, but if you do that is ok and I am glad you enjoy it!

  28. Bob, I tried some Colombian Arabica from Sam’s Club ,they have since discontinued selling, and it was great. Other brands that called themselves Colombian Arabica were not so great. I guess it depends on who roasted it and location.

  29. Great article Bob, I never used to be coffee drinker either but started roasting after I read Bobby Timonera’s coffee page a number of years back. I’m still trying to figure out if it was a curse or a blessing 😉

    • Hi Steve. Bobby is a great guy and a close friend. We have been friends for about 20 years now, even when I lived in the States.

      Roasting coffee is a blessing for sure.

  30. I had never heard of or tasted Nescafe 3 in 1 instant coffee until I began visiting The Philippines and it seemed as though it was everywhere including the complimentary coffee in the hotel rooms. I also noticed many places do not have cream or milk to put in coffee but only the white coffee creamer powder.

    I ordinarily do not put sugar in my coffee but I liked the overall taste of the Nescafe 3 in 1. I brought a bunch of it home with me to New York and sometimes enjoyed it while websurfing The Philippines from here. The taste reminded me so much of being there. One night I thought to myself ” this stuff taste so good there must be something wrong with it ” . I looked up the ingredients on the Nescafe Website ( they are also on the back of the satchets ). The main ingredient is Sugar followed by coffee creamer powder, then a bunch of chemicals too numerous to mention here, and about the last thing on the list was instant coffee ! No wonder it taste so good ! LOL .

    I have cut way back on the enjoyment of it although I still bring some home with me from my visits. It is also available through Amazon ( USA ) imported from The Philippines and is the exact same stuff I buy there.

    For the poster that mentioned it is now made with Aspertame, there is no indication fo that on the satchets I have of it. It does come in several varieties so I would be interested in knowing which one says it has Aspertame in it ?

    My normal coffee at home is Maxwell House Instant. I am not that fussy. I do enjoy fresh brewed coffee but I don’t bother with it at home. Have enjoyed some of the coffee shops in Iligan City when I am there.

    • Hi Bob – Being diabetic, I can’t use sugar in my coffee, so I have never tried the 3 in 1, although I know it is very popular.

      I have heard of some 3 in 1 type coffees are now being made with artificial sweeteners, but most still have sugar. I can have artificial sweetener, but have still not tried the 3 in 1…. I just prefer brewed coffee! 🙂

  31. growing up in the province of Apayao in the north, we had coffee plants around our house (in the 70s, our nearest neighbor was 500m away, very rural) that was enough for our family consumption plus visitors of course. we do everything from harvesting, drying, roasting. and we brew it in a kettle a la cowboys in western films. and add coconut milk as creamer, all harvested around our house. when harvest is not enough due to typhoons, we roast rice and brew it too.
    I usually tell my American officemates that Filipinos don’t usually drink milk but drink coffee, not tea just like our fellow Asians.
    now those coffee plants are gone, replaced with the houses of relatives and just send my brothers and sister Folgers

    • Those sound like wonderful days. I have heard of rice being used as coffee, and also corn. I have had the corn coffee, and it ws OK. Coconut milk in your coffee sounds good it is something I have never heard of. Thanks for sharing your memories!

  32. Hi Bob

    I was put off drinking long cups of fresh brewed when working in Korea. To tell the truth, it was like drinking hot water with a few beans waved over the top. i had no choice but to turn to an espresso to get the flavour I craved.

    My next project was in Bangkok where we discovered the Nespresso machine. We brought the machine back to Davao when I finished and to my delight found that good old S&R sold the pods…….can I get an Amen?

    Now I know that it is not gourmet coffee but it is convenient. I have however been looking for a less expensive alternative and I wonder what the cost per cup is when roasting your own? The machine is convenient but there must be a sense of pleasure when roasting your own.

    I will try the roasting when my latest supplies run out but I suppose it will cost me an espresso machine LOL. Another trip to S&R probably!!

    BTW peoples, the creamer in 3 in 1 is also full of chemicals!! I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole personally but each to his own.

  33. Hey Bob,

    I’ve just started drinking coffee again too – and so far have just tried the Barako/Arabica blend on sale at WalterMart. I’m keen on trying more types, and I’m really keen to try roasting too.

    Can you share with us the process of roasting the beans, and how you know when they’re roasted enough?

    What is the best way to find green beans (if that’s the correct term for un-roasted beans).

    Looking forward to more on this,
    Russell

    • Central Luzon, the Cordilleras, Benguet are one of the major coffee growing areas in the Philippines. I have had some good coffee from the region. If you look around you should be able to find some good beans. Do you roast your own?

  35. Hi Bob,

    Interesting topic. When I used to drink a lot of beer, I only cared if it was cheap and had a high alcohol content. Now I rarely drink beer, but when I do I want one with what I consider a good flavor. I suspect I am the same with coffee. I drink a lot of it now and I most care about the cost and the caffeine. If I cut back I would probably be more of an aficionado like you.

    My wife gets coffee and pours a lot of cream. I think she drinks about 2 or 3 sips. She seems to just like to smell it. We have a coffee maker that grinds the beans, but the grinder is dying and she just bought some Chinese 3-in-1 instant. Its OK. When in the Philippines we always drink instant and seems fine to me. Like I said if I cut back I would probably be more picky.

    Peace

    Jay

  36. Thanks Bob.

    I’d envisioned all this specialist equipment – it’s so simple! I’m really looking forward to getting hold of some green beans now!

    Cheers,
    Russell

  37. I toyed with the idea of buying oline of the small coffee plantations that are always coming up for sale in Batangas a couple of years ago. Most of the farmers use coffee as a cash crop and grow other more frequently harvested crops for cash flow. Their coffee is not very well managed and thus of much lessened output than is expected. Marketing things like Barako online to US Consumers would be an interesting way to bypass Nescafe, the largest buyer of Coffee in the Philippines (they also drive down farmgate prices to near nothing). US Consumers love the unusual and novelty of different things so would be a good market for Barako especially if marketed as the new hip thing for the hipsters. Then I remembered my youth and how much work farming actually is and that a Coffee Plantation would have to be far away from a metro area and the internet that I would need for the first five years until production started coming in. Of course this from the guy with 15 kilo of good Mindanao Cocoa beans in his freezer and 5 gallons of apple wine in a fermenter.

    As someone upthread mentioned at one point in time the Philippines was the second largest exporter of coffee in the world. Also the Philippines is one of the few regions of the world where all three coffee bean varieties will grow. I think that part of the issue is that Nescafe has a stranglehold on the wholesale buying of the beans and since most of the beans get turned into instant freeze dried powder quality is not as important. Also I am sure that the Nescafe Buyers would be quick to punish farmers trying to sell their products direct to consumers abroad plus the red tape to go through to export anything from the Philippines.

    This also goes back to a discussion we had a few years ago about not being able to find certain things in the Philippines that we are used to in our home countries, I think sausage was the topic du jour. Nearly anything you want is available in the Philippines you might just have to make the finished product from the available raw resources. Coffee other than instant we already covered, chocolate from Mindanao’s huge cacao plantations, good meat find a water buffalo breeder dealing in meat not draft animals, native pigs from the local piggery are much better than the mass produced Yorkshire breeds in flavor and texture, native chickens are like eating wild fowl without the hunting. There are even native varieties of things like nutmeg, cinnamon, and other spices that although not exactly what we are used to have their own special flavors. In fact my wife’s adobe is vastly different than any other I have eaten since her mother included nutmeg from the tree that used to grow in their yard when she was little.

    So if you can’t find it in the Philippines you are either not looking hard enough or literally missing the forest for the trees. Plastic packaged items from SM literally do not grow on trees.

  38. Hi, this is an interesting article on the coffee you came across in this country. Yirgacheffe is indeed awesome! You may want to try some local beans form Kalsada Coffee. 🙂