Waterbay Coffee — Green Coffee Beans from Yunnan, China

Origin & sourcing

Yunnan is one of the world's great coffee origins. Most of it never reaches you intact.

Altitude, varietal potential and the dry processing tradition here put Yunnan firmly on the specialty map. The problem is supply chain opacity — lots get blended, mislabelled, or held by too many intermediaries before export.

Our supply sits inside the producing region. Our relationships run to the washing station and the farmer group, so we can tell you the village, the altitude band, the processing method and the harvest date of every lot we ship.

Named origin, every lotVillage, altitude band, varietal, process, harvest date — documented before we quote.
Cupped before we offerWe cup every lot on our own table. Scores and notes go out with samples, not after contract.
Contracting at the washing stationWe secure quality where the coffee is processed, so what you receive is what we graded.
No commercial lotsWe do not trade commodity or bulk-grade coffee. If it is not specialty potential, we do not buy it.

What we supply

Three tiers, three purposes.

Built so you can start with a reliable base, then move a share of your volume into differentiated lots that earn a genuine premium.

Volume

Catimor & Typica

Dependable regional lots for blends and supermarket programmes. Consistent cup year over year, available in container volumes.

Moisture10–12%

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Form60 kg jute / GrainPro

Volume1×20ft container up

Specialty

Micro-lot processing

Honey, anaerobic and thermal shock lots from specific villages. Traceable, cupped, and priced at genuine specialty differentials.

Moisture10–11.5%

Cup score84+ typical

Form30 kg GrainPro

Volume200 kg – 2 t

Exceptional

Geisha

Small allocations from the best-suited altitude bands in Yunnan. Sold by lot, with full farm and lot documentation.

Moisture10–11%

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Form30 kg vacuum

Volume60 kg – 300 kg

Grade specs are indicative. Every shipment ships with a lot sheet, moisture and water-activity readings, and our cupping notes. Final specs are confirmed on the specific lot.

How it works

From enquiry to landed container.

Four stages. You always know where your lot is, and what is still outstanding on our side.

01 · Tell us your spec

Send us your target profile, volume and price expectation. If we have it, you get a price list the same week; if not, we tell you honestly.

02 · Sample & cup

We ship 200–300 g of the actual lot you would buy, with a crop and cup sheet. Sample cost is credited against your first order.

03 · Contract & payment

We agree Incoterms and quality tolerances in writing. Back-to-back letters of credit are our standard structure — our cash cycle stays aligned with yours.

04 · Ship & document

Export declaration, phytosanitary certificate, bill of lading and full lot paperwork, prepared before the container is sealed.

Common questions

Before you send that first email.

What is your minimum order?: Specialty lots start at 200 kg so you can cup across several lots. For container volumes, one 20 ft container is the standard starting point.
Which markets do you ship to?: We regularly ship to importers and roasters in Thailand, Japan, the EU, UK, Korea, North America and Australia. We work EXW, FOB, CIF or DAP depending on your preference. Shipping to Bangkok takes about 7–10 days from our warehouse.
How do you manage payment risk?: Back-to-back letters of credit are our standard structure — we open an LC to the farm only against your LC to us, so the cash cycle stays aligned end to end. Terms for first-time buyers are discussed case by case.
Can you supply samples before we commit?: Yes, and it is the step we encourage most. Samples are drawn from the same lot that will be shipped, and sample fees are credited against a confirmed order.
What do you not do?: We do not trade commercial-grade or commodity lots, and we do not sell "Yunnan" as a blanket origin label. If a lot is not good enough to name precisely, we will not offer it.

Contact

Tell us what you are looking for.

Send your spec, target volume and destination. We reply with availability and pricing for real lots — not a generic rate card.

Inside the producing region, not behind it.