Yunding Zhuchao

Tasting Notes: Greengage, winter melon tea, cucumber, caramel

Fragrance/Aroma: Greengage, lime peel, malic
Acidity: Structured, malic
Body: Tea-like, slight texture
Aftertaste: Lingering, caramelized brown sugar

An elegant and refreshingly composed cup that balances vibrant fruit with cooling, savoury sweetness, unfolding in clearly defined yet harmonious stages.

The fragrance opens with fresh greengage and lime peel, introducing a crisp, malic brightness that immediately suggests clarity and precision. On the palate, greengage leads the experience, its structured malic acidity providing a lively, orchard-fruit character that gives the cup its initial momentum.

As the acidity settles, the profile transitions into notes reminiscent of winter melon tea. Its gentle sweetness carries subtle earthy and lightly nutty undertones, bringing a cooling, almost restorative quality that softens the fruit without diminishing its vibrancy. This shift naturally gives way to delicate cucumber, whose fresh, green character further enhances the cup's refreshing nature while reinforcing its clean, tea-like presentation. Together, the winter melon tea and cucumber lend the profile a calm, understated complexity, balancing the brighter fruit with layers of quiet savoury nuance.

The body remains tea-like with just enough texture to give the cup presence without sacrificing its elegance. As the coffee moves toward the finish, the sweetness gradually deepens into notes of caramelised brown sugar. Rich yet restrained, it lingers comfortably on the palate, rounding out the brighter acidity and cooling vegetal notes with a lasting caramel warmth.

The result is a cup defined by contrast and balance. Bright greengage provides structure, while winter melon tea and cucumber introduce a refreshing, subtly earthy dimension that tempers the acidity and gives the profile its distinctive character. A lingering caramelised sweetness ties everything together, leaving a finish that is both clean and quietly satisfying.

Syrina is a hybrid varietal carefully bred from Sarchimor, Mundo Novo, Typica, and Bourbon, first identified and named after Kaleb Jordan’s daughter in northern Thailand. Known for its floral complexity and vibrant cup profile, the cultivar has captured attention across Southeast Asia and now onto Yunnan’s evolving specialty landscape.

In recent years, small experimental plots in Pu’er and Lincang have begun trialing Syrina at altitudes of 1500 to 1700 meters, where thick volcanic soils and wide diurnal temperature swings result in ideal growing conditions.

And this lot here is from one such plot high in the mountains where the Yunding Zhuchao Estate is located. Operated by the Yunnan Rongkangda Company (itself a subsidiary of the Nest Investment Group), the estate is well-known for its tea plantations but has in recent years diversified its crops to include coffee, of which Syrina is just one of the many cultivars in its portfolio.

Sourced from: 沒有石頭
We paid: S$31.21/kg
Roasted cost: S$53.15/kg

Moisture content: 10.7%
Weight loss: 12.6%
Agtron: W78.8 / G118.5 / △39.7