Part of the thrill that is working with roasters from around the world is that some of them come from really remote places. Malaysia is a big country with a large part of it located on the island of Borneo. But there’s also another smaller island near its Thai border on the Indian Ocean that is quite remarkable.

Penang, a tropical paradise that is home to Tongue Mission Coffee Roasters, is covered in lush rainforest and is known for its beautiful beaches. Turns out, you can also get really exceptionally good coffee there. This is thanks to Dennis Cheah, who is making his Coffeevine debut with Tongue Mission this July.

🏝️ Island paradise realness

You don’t have to be in a major capital city to make an impact. Indeed, Dennis opened his café and roastery on the island of Penang in 2015 and has seen huge success ever since. Maybe it’s the fact that being on a somewhat remote island can give you focus? I don’t know 100% but I know that being in a big city can be distracting.

Penang’s capital George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a mix of British colonial architecture, and Malay and Chinese influences.

It’s been a wild melting pot for centuries and today, it attracts a lot of digital nomads and expats who move there for the laid back lifestyle and relatively cheap living costs. Having a great roastery like Tongue Mission close by can only be a benefit!

☕️ Serious about coffee

Dennis Cheah has competed in various Malaysian championships and is always looking to challenge himself. Last year (2024), he came in 2nd place in the national Brewers Cup championships.

This commitment to always better himself is also what drives Tongue Mission. Despite being a relatively small roastery, Tongue Mission is very serious about building strong relationships with producers from around the world and sourcing outstanding coffees.

For this, Dennis works with trusted green coffee traders who, in turn, give him access to special lots like the outstanding Ethiopian coffee from Hambela Wamena that I picked for this edition.

🎂 A real treat for the senses

For his first Coffeevine feature, Dennis sent me a bunch of different coffees to choose from. It’s always exciting to taste a new roaster’s coffees and get a first impression of what they do and what they stand for.

The coffee that really resonated with me was the natural processed 74110 and 74112 lot from Hambela Wamena. This coffee from the Guji region in Ethiopia is sweet, creamy and a little bit tart.

This is a great example of a natural processed Ethiopian – some of my all time favourite coffees – roasted by a talented new Coffeevine partner.

🎢 Your Taste Buds Are in for a Ride

If you’re curious about Tongue Mission and its work, then this coffee is your ticket in. We are officially the first-ever European coffee subscription company to work with Tongue Mission.

Be sure to order your bag of this excellent pick from Penang’s best roastery.

This coffee is part of our Global roasters release and can be purchased as a set or as an individual bag. Check our shop for more options.