This Indonesian coffee comes from the Toraja region in Sulawesi and produces a balanced cup with low acidity and tasting notes of dark chocolate, walnut, granola and raisin. Think chocolatey granola in liquid coffee form, plus a healthy dose of caffeine! 

Our Toraja Grade 1 Sulawesi coffee comes from various small holders with farms sitting at an altitude of 1,300 to 2,000 meters above sea level and growing varieties including catimor and S-795. The harvesting season is August through October, and what makes these beans special is that the cherries are double-picked with the utmost care and precision to remove any physical defects with the utmost care and precision. This additional quality control practice ensures that only the ripest and reddest cherries are used. These cherries are then processed using the wet-hulled method (locally called “Giling Basah”) in a similar way to other Indonesian coffees. This wet-hulled process helps give this coffee its classic Sulawesi characteristics.

The Coffee Industry in Indonesia

Indonesia’s main exports are oil palm, rubber, cocoa, and coffee. Indonesia is the fourth largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world behind Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. A large portion of the country’s overall production is of robusta (which is lower quality, but has higher caffeine content). However, Indonesia is well known for its smaller portion of specialty coffees including the world’s most expensive coffee, 'kopi luwak'.

Coffee originally came to the islands via the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries. Because of its ideal climate for growing coffee, Indonesia soon became sprinkled with plantations on Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, where this particular coffee was grown. 

Today, more than 1.24 million hectares of land is covered by coffee plantations with most of these being small holders owning an average of 1-2 hectares each. Most of the competing coffee producing countries, including Brazil and Vietnam, have large-scale farms where they are better able to safeguard stable production and therefore offer consistent exports for consuming countries. Indonesia, on the other hand, is the opposite.

Indonesia exports a large amount of robusta coffee and about 20% arabica beans. These specialty coffees are luwak, Aceh, Mandailing and this new coffee we are currently roasting, Toraja coffee. 

If you’d like to switch up your morning coffee and try something new from Indonesia, you can purchase a bag online here! These tasting notes of dark chocolate, walnut, granola, and raisin will take you to the Islands of Indonesia without having to put on pants and a mask and head for the airport!

Sources:

Genuine Origin. “Indonesia Sulawesi Toraja G1 2020.” https://www.genuineorigin.com/2020-Indonesia-Sulawesi-Toraja?quantity=1&custcol3=1

Indonesia Investments. “Coffee.” https://www.indonesia-investments.com/business/commodities/coffee/item186#:~:text=Indonesia%20is%20among%20the%20world's,Mandailing'%20(see%20below).