# Trung Nguyen Vietnamese Coffee (available for review)



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Trung Dông Coffee Co has kindly sent me a few bags of Robusta rich coffee from their range for distribution amongst Coffee Forums UK members.

Each 250g bag will be split out into 75g bags for review by members

All we ask is that a review is written about the coffee and your thoughts on the taste

There are 3 types that have been supplied (descriptions on the *page linked here*)

Send me a PM with your address and requesting which Creative number you would like to receive

Creative 1 = 100% Robusta (dark, chocolatey, fiery and strong*)

Creative 2 = Robusta / Arabica mix

Creative 4 = Robusta, Arabica, Chari and Catimor varietals (full-flavoured and spicy*)

The coffee is pre-ground for filter/cafetiere

*descriptives taken from the *Trung Dông Coffee Co website*. I am yet to try these coffees myself


----------



## Trung Dong Coffee (Oct 6, 2010)

Thanks Glenn. Just a couple of points: the three samples I sent were Creatives 1, 2 and 4 (not 3). #3 is an indigenous vietnamese arabica varietal called Arabica Se. Also the grind is quite coarse, possibly not suitable for espresso (although it could of course be ground further).

Also, I have seen a couple of tweets regarding the use of Vietnamese Phin drip filters. While these do make a great cup of coffee (and are fun!), Vietnamese coffee can be brewed in any usual way. Personally I use a cafetiere: I find it the best method, and I don't have the patience to wait for the dripping!

Loking forward to hearing what people think of Trung Nguyen.


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Thanks, changes made. Haven't yet opened the bag as it's best to wait until others are ready to try before doing so (therefore unaware of grind size)

2 takers so far - this may open things up now that it is for filter/cafetiere

Have you tried in an Aeropress?


----------



## Trung Dong Coffee (Oct 6, 2010)

Great. I appreciate your self-control! I've never tried it in an Aeropress. It is possible the coarse grind might again be an issue. But then an Aeropress does have some similarities with the Vietnamese method, so it might be very effective.


----------



## LeeWardle (Nov 16, 2008)

I'd love to try a sample! I'm really intrigued!*

*(spelling?)


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Would you like some of 1, 2, or 4 Lee?


----------



## LeeWardle (Nov 16, 2008)

No.4 please! Otherwise, whatever hasn't yet been given so we can give a full review.

Lee


----------



## Trung Dong Coffee (Oct 6, 2010)

Anyone tried this yet? Would be interested to hear what you thought if so!


----------



## liquidmonkey2000 (Oct 4, 2010)

I tried the Creative No.1 (100% Robusta) for the first time today as we had a backlog of other cafetière coffee to get through first. When I first opened the bag I immediately struck by a strong but pleasant chocolatey, vanilla aroma. However, once I added hot water the aroma became much stronger - perhaps a little too strong - on top of this more acrid overtones crept in. The coffee itself had a strong bitter taste that I found to be somewhat overwhelming. Make no mistake this is not your run-of-the-mill coffee. It has a very distinct aroma and flavour that will definitely not be to everyone's liking. I suspect that this is an acquired taste and that perseverance will pay-off, a notion confirmed by Adam of Trung Dông Coffee, who kindly supplied the coffee. If you are looking to expand your coffee tasting horizons this would be an intriguing point to start. It will certainly challenge any preconceived ideas you might have - it is not a coffee to be ignored.


----------



## Osh (Jun 15, 2010)

I was directed to the Trung Nguyen Vietnamese Coffee website by another site whilst doing some research on caffeine intolerance. I wonder if it would be possible to give out samples of Passiona coffee, or to advise if it's available in the UK?


----------



## Trung Dong Coffee (Oct 6, 2010)

Osh said:


> I was directed to the Trung Nguyen Vietnamese Coffee website by another site whilst doing some research on caffeine intolerance. I wonder if it would be possible to give out samples of Passiona coffee, or to advise if it's available in the UK?


Hi Osh,

I'm afraid we don't sell the Passiona line. Not enough caffeine! No - only joking. In the future we will perhaps stock it. As for other suppliers in the UK, I'm not sure: there are very few people selling Trung Nguyen coffee. But I'd imagine that google will have the answers if you look hard enough.

Thanks for the feedback liquidmonkey. The 100% robusta is not for the faint-hearted! Has anyone tried any of the other blends?


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

I have been drinking Creative 1 = 100% Robusta on and off for the past 3 weeks now, brewing with a number of different methods and with a number of different accompaniments

Before I begin to review the coffee I would like to thank Adam for sending samples out for review. This was a gracious gesture and I am pleased to have been able to sample and share them with others. This coffee has provided me with a few reference points for comparison of other Robusta's which I have been exposed to in the past week as well.

Upon opening the bag there is an aroma of toasted sesame oil - this is a strong, pleasant smell and has a hint of sweetness (perhaps a rich aroma explains this best), which translates into the cup

My first experiment with was a Hario V60, as a traditional pourover, where the taste was quite strong. Following normal brewing parameters I was under extracting this coffee so I needed to reduce the dose where I was able to get more distinct tastes. These were heavy though and needed dilution before drinking (for me anyway)

My next experiment was with an Aeropress, and I needed to use the inverted method with a fairly long steep time (over a minute) with a stir at 30 seconds before flipping and plunging, to get a clean extraction. Again the taste was strong but I found this a better taste than the Hario V60.

There was a noticeable lack of sweetness so I ended up doubling the dose I was using, and extracting 2oz coffee over ice into a 1.5oz bed of Carnation condensed milk (that was stored at room temperature). This sugary kick evened out the bitterness and created an unusual taste. Not too rich in sweetness but had a creaminess with a caffeine kick.

There was an almost vanilla-like quality when diluted at a 1:3 ratio of extracted liquid to hot water, and all methods produced a long aftertaste

I blended some Brazilian beans (regrettably I lost the farm name) that I had which balanced out the taste and used a 1:3 Robusta:Arabica mix to drink the remainder of the bag, trying different combinations of immersion and extraction time to see if I could improve the results

Sadly this coffee wasn't for me but I am in no doubt that the quality was good and the aromas and taste did not degrade much once opened (and carefully sealed again after squeezing out the air)

I could not find a one-way valve on the bag, although if I recall this is mentioned on the site. Perhaps this can be clarified.

Thanks once again for the tasting opportunity


----------

