SUMATRA, Dark Roast

• Origin : Raja Sumatra, Indonesia

• Process : Wet-Hulling

• Roast : Dark

• Notes : Chocolate, Sweet Cedar, and Pepper

• Harvest : September to December

Displays intense sweet tones of chocolate, dried fruit, and other herbal spice-based flavors such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. It is known for its earthy flavors, medium to heavy body, and wine-like acidity.

One of the unique aspects of coffee production in Sumatra, Indonesia, and the source of Indonesian coffee's deeply divisive taste, is the traditional post-harvest process of ‘Giling Basah’ (wet-hulling) method. The harvested coffee cherries are de-pulped by hand and dried on a patio for a few days. When the beans are semi-dried, containing around 30% to 50% moisture, it is passed on to a collector who puts them through a hulling machine while the beans are still moist to then finally set them on patios to dry for a couple more days. This hybrid process combines elements of the washed and natural processes. It significantly reduces the acidity of the coffee, and seems to increase its body too, creating a softer, rounder, heavier-bodied cup of coffee.

In Sumatra, coffees are grown at high elevations - above 1,350 meters above sea level, to slow the growing process to allow the plant more time to deliver nutrients and minerals to the coffee beans. This fuels the process of developing a fuller, robust flavor in Sumatran coffee.

History

Coffee was brought to Indonesia in the late 1600s by Dutch traders and colonialists. Being a nation of thousands of islands, it was first grown in an island called Java which is home to the city, Jakarta. Many plantations were developed all around the city by 1699 and began the first major commercial export by 1711. Java became one of the biggest coffee producers in the world. Not long after Sumatra had a booming industry as well as dozens of other smaller islands. 

Dessert Complements

Thanks to its spicy, herbal flavor and rich smooth texture. Sumatran coffee makes a wonderful pairing with sweet and creamy desserts such as a creme brulee, banana pudding, or a new york cheesecake. Like wine, it pairs well with savory foods such as cheese and meats.

Sumatra of Indonesia Produces the Best Sumatra Coffee Beans

Sumatra is the 6th largest island on earth and one of three key islands that make up the nation of Indonesia that produces the best Sumatra coffee beans. Sumatra’s warm, humid climate, toughened by the high height above sea level and the island’s extremely-fertile volcanic soils, produces an atmosphere perfect for growing the best Sumatra coffee beans. Indonesian coffee beans became so popular that “java” became stenography for “coffee.”

What’s So Special About coffee from Sumatra? Okay, coffee is the lifeblood of Sumatra’s economy. But why does the international coffee market so require Sumatra coffee? The answer to this question is two-pronged: the environment is perfect for growing deliciously-flavored coffee beans, and the traditional processing method takes the acidity out of the Sumatra roast coffee. Sumatra has three things going for it regarding coffee growing: the geology, the ecology, and the processing approaches of Sumatra roast coffee farmers.

Sumatra’s geology: Sumatra is part of a volcanic landform, all of its soils are volcanic, which has nutrient-rich, stable soils ideal for growing equatorial crops like coffee from Sumatra.

Sumatra’s ecology: The height above sea level of the landform works with the soil to cause a more extended coffee-growing season and a longer window for harvest, permitting Sumatran coffee roast to order for its coffee lovers worldwide.

But the authentic secret sauce to Sumatran coffee roast to order is how the farmers course the beans after they’re harvested and how an artisan roaster decides to roast the beans, which brings out the flavors.