Meet Our Coffee Importer
Meet David from Green Bean Asia
Many of you probably don’t know the behind-the-scenes details of how coffee ordering works, so we wanted to share some of that with you today. Our team had the pleasure of hosting our green coffee importer, David Hong, and took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his work. Read on for our interview with David!
What is your role with Indie Coffee Roasters?
My role is to source coffees that best fits ICR’s brewing style and to leave a positive impression with your customers where they are wanting to come back for more. Second, is to provide expertise on the supply side of coffee, including sharing current events that are happening at origin level, opportunities with certain crops, and exciting ideas coming from the specialty coffee community.
What is your process for selecting coffee?
We are very meticulous when selecting coffees to add to our line up. We start by having the roaster in mind. Once we have determined a certain desired profile (for the coffee flavors) we continue by researching the farm/producer to see if their background and farming practices are aligned with our standards. If it’s a good fit, we start sampling (roasting, cupping, and profiling) the offers and provide the feedback to our roasters to let them make the final decision.
What makes a "good coffee" in your book?
I personally feel the attention to detail performed along each step of the coffee chain makes a good coffee.
What is your favorite coffee you've ever sourced and why?
My favorite coffees ever sourced were the ones that came from left field: Northern Thailand and the Sumatra Trogon. Reasoning is because most coffee enthusiasts like to think those countries only produce mediocre products that lack depth...which is the furthest from the truth! Green Bean Asia is here to support the underdogs that need a voice in the North American market.
How do you like to drink your coffee?
I take my coffee hot and black. Most of the time it is out of a V60. If I have access to an espresso machine, I like to do a shot in the dark.
More about David:
My love for coffee is all due to the warm, artistic, and big-hearted community that surrounds the industry. It’s inspiring to be exposed to so many passionate professionals; starting from the farmers and ending up with the roasters, baristas, and the beautiful spaces they have created. There is no better industry. It’s truly unique!
