Limited Liberica from Central Vietnam with a distinctive signature of ripe jackfruit — discovered through friendship and a love for the finest cup.
We are starting deliberately small: a select Hue Liberica release and a founders allocation. Both are built around the same idea — coffee with a sense of place, personality, and a memorable cup.
This is the cup that brought Appel & Long together. A limited Liberica from Hue with a tropical sweetness that reminds us of ripe jackfruit — expressive, fragrant, and deeply memorable.
RIPE JACKFRUIT
Our coffee begins with a place: Hue, Vietnam — a city shaped by the Perfume River, imperial history, lush gardens, and generations of agricultural tradition.
Our limited Liberica comes from Central Vietnam, bringing a distinctly Vietnamese expression to a coffee species with roots in West Africa and a long history in Southeast Asia.
What made us stop was the cup: tropical, fragrant, and unmistakably memorable, with a signature note of ripe jackfruit.
Explore the Liberica story ↗Liberica is one of coffee's oldest cultivated species stories — and one of its most surprising. It rose to prominence in the late 19th century, when coffee leaf rust devastated Arabica plantings across Asia and Liberica was introduced as a resilient alternative.
Its tropical character is part of what sets it apart. Contemporary coffee research describes Liberica's cup profile as fruit-forward, with tropical fruit playing a defining role.
Our Hue selection is where that history becomes personal: a limited bean, a striking origin, and the unmistakable memory of ripe jackfruit.
Michael Appel & Phan Tuong Long share a passion for cultivating the finest cup of coffee — from the origin of the bean all the way to pouring a fresh cup.
Michael, a United States Air Force Officer, and Phan Tuong Long, a coffee enthusiast from Vietnam, come from different parts of the world but found an immediate connection through their shared obsession with exceptional coffee.
Their friendship began during Mike's travels in Vietnam. They quickly discovered they had something unusual in common: the same pour-over equipment, hand grinders, precision scales, and an appreciation for the ritual and craft behind a truly great cup.
Then they unearthed the coffee that changed everything: Liberica from Hue — a limited, all-season bean from Central Vietnam with a uniquely distinctive tasting note of jackfruit.
For Mike, it became his favorite cup of coffee experienced around the globe. That discovery became the beginning of Appel & Long.
From Hue, Vietnam. One origin, one distinctive story.
A carefully selected Liberica with a memorable character.
From bean selection to the final pour, detail matters.
A coffee discovered through friendship and made for curious drinkers.
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The first release is not yet available for purchase. Join the list and we'll let you know the moment it opens.