Country: Indonesia
Island: Sumatra
Province: Aceh
Region: Bener Meriah-Aceh
Cooperative: Koperasi Permata Gayo
Mill: Melati, Jingki Jemen
Altitude: 1100-1400m
Number of members: 2012 members
Average farm size: 2.5 hectares
Varieties: Ateng, Typica, Gayo-1 ( Tim-tim), Linie S & Catimor
Process: Semi Washed
Soil Type: Andisol (specific volcanic soil to region)
Flavour: Herbal, Spicy, Sweet
Story: Many of the big roasters use Sumatran to give a punch to their blends which is why we have named it punchy. However when we tried this we thought it was too good to be blended and should be tasted on its own!
Koperasi Permata Gayo was founded in 2006 in the Bener Meriah region in Aceh Province. The goal was to guarantee more traceability along the supply chain from where the coffee is grown in Aceh to the port of Belawan. By managing the full process from growing the coffee, processing it and exporting it, Permata Gayo have gained more control of the quality of their coffee and the cup profile has improved as a result. Processing: Sumatra has a unique way of processing coffee called ‘Galling Basah’-sometimes known as wet hulled or semi washed. The first stage is farmers delivering Gabah, which is wet parchment coffee at around 45% moisture content. The Gabah is dried immediately (on large & clean covered patios) for around a day prior to hulling. After hulling the “Labu” wet green bean is at 30-40% moisture and takes a further 2 days to become “Assalan” which has a 20% moisture content. The Assalan is then transported to the main Dry mill where it will be further dried for half a day to 12-13% and will then be screen sized and cleaned for export. This way of processing coffee produces a deep blue/green colour of green coffee and also produces a special cup profile.
The Republic of Indonesia is a country of seventeen thousand islands,
reaching across the Indian and Pacific oceans and forming part of the Ring
of Fire. Unsurprisingly, it is the worlds largest island country, though with only
the second largest coastline. Forming part of the Sunda Islands, that are an
archipelago stretching across Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor, and Indonesia is
Sumatra. Largest of the islands it is fully encompassed within the country’s
borders. The northern part holds Lake Toba, formed in a caldera caused by
the largest-known explosive eruption in the last 25 million years which caused
a drop in global temperatures of around 4°C that lasted for three years.
Mandheling primarily stems from the slopes of Mount Leuser, in the Aceh
province, though has over time expanded to become more of a type sample
and flavour profile over strict geographical boundary. Coffees therefore can
come from a number of cooperatives with a similar characteristic of herbal,
sweet, complex flavours over the traditional blue/green bean the Giling Basah
process lends. This is often referred to as semi-washed and describes a
process where the bean is wet processed as usual, but dry-milled whilst still
with a larger amount of moisture (20-25%) in the bean than you would find in
other countries. This is mainly due to the high humidity levels experienced
thorughout the country, necessitating a quickened drying process.
Indonesia has also developed its own varietals. Some of these are titular, with
Hybrido-de-Timor having the moniker Tim-Tim, or Gayo, whilst others stem
from local selections that have been introduced around the region since the
die-off of a large part of the Typica population from coffee leaf rust. Some
of the few remaining plants to be found were mainly located in Aceh. Linie S
refers to a number of breedings stemming originally from India and having an
old Kent lineage, such as S-288 and S-795, these cultivars being important for
CLR resistance, and the former bringing some genetic diversity by being a
cross with Caffea Liberica, the latter being a cross between S-288 and typica,
as well as a further varietal.
We love this coffee, we are sure you will too!
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