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Published on September 5, 2007

Java heads have endless choice these days and a cup of fresh, steaming coffee is available anywhere, anytime - service stations to Skytrain stations and office buildings to street kiosks.

You can brew up a pot or mug at home with myriad bean selections - both whole and ready-ground - available at supermarkets and specialist shops.

Supermarkets offer several brands making countless varieties. So, too, Coffee World and Starbucks.

You can shed the paraphernalia required for home brewing with a cup of instant. A teaspoon or two, add cream, milk or sugar and hot water and you're enjoying a cup in seconds. There are too many different types to list, both local and imported.

Three-in-one instant mix is another option. Many people find these too sweet, but there are some good ones.

Coffee connoisseurs know Old Town, a "white" coffee from Ipoh, a small city in the north of Malaysia. White-coffee beans are roasted in a different way from the more common "black" beans and should not be confused with the term employed to describe coffee without milk.

Old Town's three-in-one sachets are one of a kind. Each is a mix of coffee, premium grade non-dairy creamer from the Netherlands and sugar.

The secret is instant coffee made from Liberica beans grown in Malaysia after transplant from West Africa. This produces a full-flavoured and bodied mix with a strong, rich aftertaste.

"Liberica has been added to balance the flavour so the cup is not too bitter, too sweet or too sour", according to Intelligent Group marketing manager Banjerd Pasutharachati. The company imports Old Town and is introducing it to supermarkets.

The story of Old Town began at a coffee shop in Ipoh old town in 1958. Over the years, Old Town progressed in an effort to keep up with the times and satisfy tastes of discerning coffee drinkers.

One of these was the pioneering of three-in-one coffee in 1999. Today, Old Town is the largest producer of three-in-one instant coffee.

The products are distributed to Singapore, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, United States and now Thailand.

Available in Bangkok from early this month are three varieties: Old Town Classic, Old Town Hazelnut - mild and nutty - and Old Town No Sugar. This last allows drinkers to add as much sugar as they like.

You can find them at Foodland and Tops supermarkets, Villa and elsewhere.

Juthamas Cholthavornpong

 The Nation