HAAYA’s Coffee - (Taipei)

 I find that I am not so much of a coffee hound these days -  because after chasing after the big names for a while everywhere,  it’s startling how many bad coffees you will still manage end up drinking.  If disappointment is going to set in even with immaculate forward planning,  I might as well visit cafes randomly and hope for a miracle or upside surprise.   Unfortunately while HAAYA’s group might be famous in Taiwan,  the coffees I drank were just slightly north of Starbucks standard.

 

Japanese themed Café in Taipei -

 

 

 

Reading the so many Single Origin Coffees menu -
It would have you quite excited.  Until… ?

 

 

 

Natural Panama ‘Kotowa’,   Typica & Caturra varietals -
This small farm’s coffee has won 1st Place in Panama competitions and is revered by Japanese brewers,  such as here.  For a hand drip coffee this was very dark and it is not typical for this bean to be so brood and even bordering on bitter,  harsh on the palate.  Can’t detect much sun dried coffee beans typically compacted funky aroma and sweetness either   ~  5/10

 

 

Panama La Valentina Geisha -
The above Panama coffee and cultivars was disappointing, so I headed straight to a Panama Geisha variety to form my next baseline of judgment.   This might be a little brighter,  but it was still broody in the back ground.   Seems a little too roasty for me and also took too long to extract,  which brought out bitterness again.  It spoiled the whole cup.   ~  5/10

 

Kenya Kirimara Bourbon -
On to my 3rd cup,  and this even took levels to a new low and was the worst cup.   It was all ashy and slightly bitter.   Totally different to what I expected reading the farm and it’s information.  ~  3/10

 

 

As mentioned in my  4Mano Caffe (Taipei) review:
HAAYA’s Coffee also supplies to them and they have graduated some barista champions and world coffee contenders.  With the benefit of hindsight,  the 4Mano coffee elsewhere turned out to be the best of the HAAYA’S coffee I tried.   With access to some of the best micro-lot batches of coffees in the world,  however, I have not only been not set on fire by HAAYA’S Coffee on this visit,  they somehow managed to curb all of my expectations about good coffees once again..

 

 

Price:   TWD $800
Coffee:  ♕♕ 1/2 - ♕♕♕
Ease of Access:  3/5

Address:  105台灣台北市松山區敦化北路307號
GF, Tun Hwa North Road, Taipei 105, TAIWAN
Ph: +886 2 2715 1646