Taiwan, Zou Zhou Yuan Estate
Located at an altitude of 1300 meters in Alishan of Chiayi County, the renowned Zou Zhou Estate is perhaps the most famous of all Taiwanese coffee farms. Owner Cheng-Lun Fang, nicknamed ‘The Coffee Prince of Taiwan’, comes from a family of tea and orchid farmers, who planted their first coffee plants in 1996 after they were gifted by the Japanese. Mr Fang himself became involved in coffee farming in 2000 after returning home from working in Taipei, and from there he became highly dedicated to studying and deepening his understanding of coffee production.
Mr Fang’s dedication to coffee cultivation started to pay off in 2007, when Taiwan held its first coffee-related contest, the ‘Taiwan Coffee Bean Guide’ competition, and Zou Zhou Estate won first place. Since then, Zou Zhou Estate’s coffee has gone on to win a multitude of other competitions, including the Ten Great Agricultural Awards and the ‘Best of Taiwan’ coffee award on multiple occasions.Â
Although Taiwan’s coffee industry is relatively new compared to other renowned origins (previously well-known mostly for their tea), coffee culture in Taiwan is huge – and its venerable coffee farms, primarily located in the premier growing region of Alishan, are quickly becoming known around the world for producing excellent award-winning coffees.
Mr. Fang himself is now a highly respected and well-known expert in the Taiwanese coffee industry and has continued to make great developments in the coffee sphere, including the discovery of a previously unnamed African coffee variety growing on his farm – which he has dubbed the So’ngna varietal, meaning ‘best’ in his native Tsou language.
Zou Zhou Estate’s micro-lots are often only available at private auction, and regularly achieve record-breaking prices and awards in coffee competitions. This exclusive lot of geisha coffee is naturally processed and exceptionally bright – placing in the top 10 in the ‘Best of Taiwan’ 2023 auction.
