RED SPARROW

Red Sparrow – China Anaerobic Natural Yun Catimor 08

Flavour Characteristics

Best As: Filter Coffee / Black espresso drinks
Flavour Description: Honeydew Melon, Dragonfruit, Mint, Black Tea

Origin & Producer Details

Producer: Lao Wang
Farm: Red Dragon Estate
Origin: China
Region: Baoshan, Yunnan
Variety: Yun Catimor
Process: Anaerobic Natural

Importer: Yundian

Recommended Rest

For the best tasting brew of this specialty coffee from China, we'd suggest enjoying this coffee when it is 27–55 days off roast — we wrote a blog on this here.

About this coffee

* Chinese Barista Championship 1st Place 2021 *

The Red Sparrow is a small bird native to Gaoligong Mountain, located near the Red Dragon Estate coffee farms. Inspired by the bird's rebellious nature, Lao Wang named the highest-quality anaerobic natural Catimor coffee “Red Sparrow.” This name symbolises the mission to revolutionise the traditional perception of Yunnan coffee.

In February 2021, Zhao Xin, a green buyer for Chinese barista Pan Wei, requested Lao Wang to send Yunnan coffee beans and fresh coffee cherries for Pan Wei's participation in the Chinese Barista Championship (CBC). Pan Wei chose the Red Sparrow for the competition.

Despite the common prejudice against Catimor coffee for its typically poor aftertaste, Red Sparrow was tested against renowned varieties like Geisha, Bourbon, and Typica. Defying expectations, Pan Wei used Red Sparrow, a Yunnan Catimor, to win the CBC 2021.

Lao Wang’s Journey and Innovations in Yunnan's Coffee

Lao Wang, who has been in the coffee industry for eight years, grew up hearing his parents praise Baoshan’s traditional small-bean coffee. Their admiration sparked a long-standing curiosity about Yunnan’s potential to produce exceptional specialty coffee. Determined to explore this for himself, he returned to his hometown to visit the coffee production areas in Baoshan, Yunnan.

Red Dragon Estate

Between late 2016 and early 2017, Lao Wang drove his father’s car through nearly 80% of the mountains in Baoshan’s Lujiangba region. This journey eventually led him to Red Dragon Estate, a high-altitude coffee farm at 1887 metres, which is extremely high-altitude for China's coffee growing region.

Here, he met Uncle Yang, a lifelong coffee cultivator whose dedication to coffee and deep local knowledge convinced Lao Wang that this was the place to build something meaningful. With no money at the time, he promised Uncle Yang higher-than-market prices for fully ripe cherries and free seedlings of new coffee varieties. After just two meetings, Uncle Yang became the first employee of Lao Wang’s emerging company.

In 2017, Uncle Yang and his family hand-picked a large quantity of cherries from Red Dragon Estate, including a dedicated selection of fully ripe, completely red cherries for Lao Wang to taste. The clarity and clean sweetness of these cherries were so striking that they shaped Lao Wang’s entire philosophy.

From that moment forward, he committed to using only fully ripened coffee cherries, establishing his uncompromising All Red Cherry Plan — still a defining value of Red Dragon Estate and Voiceless today.

Knowledge and Expertise

In June 2017, Lao Wang travelled to Beijing to deepen his coffee expertise. Over six months, he earned his Q-Grader certification, completed intermediate roasting training, advanced SCA coursework, barista training, and the Gold Cup Standards. This period equipped him with the skills necessary to elevate Yunnan coffee to new levels of quality.

In April 2018, he launched his Typica Renovation Project, cultivating around 70,000 Typica seedlings at 1887m on Red Dragon Estate. This was a long-term investment in improving Yunnan’s potential for the cultivation of new varieties and improving cup quality.

In 2019, Lao Wang founded Voiceless, named after his belief that “good coffee speaks for itself, without the need for a human’s voice.” The brand’s slogan — “We just speak by our coffee” — reflects a commitment to quality, authenticity, and transparency.

How should I brew this coffee?

Dial in with accuracy

Because this coffee is expressive and fruit-forward, accurate dose and yield help you hit the sweet spot. We strongly recommend using a reliable scale — see our guide, The Best Coffee Scales, and our bench favourite, the Felicita Parallel.

Filter brew?

For V60, Orea and other pourover methods, follow our Best Pourover Recipes to lock in consistent extractions.

FAQs

What is the Yun Catimor variety?

Yun Catimor is a variation of Catimor that is regionally unique to Yunnan.

What does “Natural” process mean here?

The coffee is dried as a whole cherry on raised beds, after undergoing an extended fermentation in a sealed barrel.

How long should I rest the coffee post-roast?

We suggest 27–55 days off roast for optimal flavour development. More on resting coffee here.

Is this better for espresso or filter?

It’s suitable for both. Expect expressive fruit in filter; for espresso, aim for precise dose/yield. The importance of a high-quality scale for brewing espresso cannot be overstated — so if you're looking for good drip tray scales, see our scales guide.

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