Indonesia Coffee

Explore by region

• West Java

  Ever wonder why coffee is often referred to as Java? Well, coffee from the small island of Java in Indonesia was one of the first origins that American colonists had access to in the early 1700s, and thus for them, “a cup of Java” was an exchangeable term for a cup of coffee.

  At the turn of the 19th century, Java was a leader in coffee production. But then Rust disease (Roya) ravaged coffee plantings on the island. In response, growers replaced the more susceptible Arabica strains with disease-resistant Robusta varieties. However, Robusta doesn’t have the flavor of Arabica, and goes mostly for commodity coffee exports. Since then, the Indonesian government has sponsored a modest comeback of Arabica on the original Dutch estates, steadily replacing Robusta varieties with higher-demand Arabica whenever possible.

  West Java

• Takengon Highlands, Aceh Province

  Though the Indonesian island of Java had already made a name for itself in the coffee world, Sumatra’s Arabica production only began in the 1700s under Dutch colonialism. The Aceh region to the northern end of the island around Lake Tawar was the first to begin cultivating coffee, and has become famous for the complex profile of fruit, earth, and wood notes, brought about largely from their traditional wet hulling process called “gilling basah.”

  Until relatively recently, Sumatran coffees were not sold by region, but marketed under the rather generic label of “Mandheling” However, as quality has improved, distinctive characteristics are bringing regions into the spotlight. The forested Aceh region, which includes the areas of Takengon and Bener Mariah, is one of these. Farmers here are proud of their coffee-growing heritage, and the more they understand the direct correlation between quality coffee and direct premiums, the more sustainable will be their success.

  Takengon Highlands, Aceh Province

• East Java Island

  Ever wonder why coffee is often referred to as Java? Well, coffee from the small island of Java in Indonesia was one of the first origins that American colonists had access to in the early 1700s, and thus for them, “a cup of Java” was an exchangeable term for a cup of coffee.

  At the turn of the 19th century, Java was a leader in coffee production. But then Rust disease (Roya) ravaged coffee plantings on the island. In response, growers replaced the more susceptible Arabica strains with disease-resistant Robusta varieties. However, Robusta doesn’t have the flavor of Arabica, and goes mostly for commodity coffee exports. Since then, the Indonesian government has sponsored a modest comeback of Arabica on the original Dutch estates, steadily replacing Robusta varieties with higher-demand Arabica whenever possible.

  East Java Island

• Lintong North Sumatra

  The volcanic soil, reliable rainfall, and cool highland temperatures of the Lintong coffee growing region of Sumatra is a sweet spot for coffee. Located southeast of Lake Toba near the Sidikalang area, it includes Lintong Nihuta, Siborongborong, Dairi-Sidikalang, Dolok Sanggul, and Seribu Dolok, southwest of Medan. Coffee from this region has a distinctive blue-green color attributed to the method of processing and lack of iron in the soil.

  In addition to terroir, a significant difference between Lintong and Aceh coffees is that in Aceh, they are washed the same day they’re pulped, whereas Lintong coffee is not. The sticky mucilage clinging to the beans slows drying. This makes wet hulling more difficult, but the extra time drying in the parchment promotes the increased acidity associated with Lintong-type coffees.

  Lintong North Sumatra

• Aceh

  Though the Indonesian island of Java had already made a name for itself in the coffee world, Sumatra’s Arabica production only began in the 1700s under Dutch colonialism. The Aceh region to the northern end of the island around Lake Tawar was the first to begin cultivating coffee, and has become famous for the complex profile of fruit, earth, and wood notes, brought about largely from their traditional wet hulling process called “gilling basah.”

  Until relatively recently, Sumatran coffees were not sold by region, but marketed under the rather generic label of “Mandheling” However, as quality has improved, distinctive characteristics are bringing regions into the spotlight. The forested Aceh region, which includes the areas of Takengon and Bener Mariah, is one of these. Farmers here are proud of their coffee-growing heritage, and the more they understand the direct correlation between quality coffee and direct premiums, the more sustainable will be their success.

  Aceh

• Sumatra, Aceh

  Though the Indonesian island of Java had already made a name for itself in the coffee world, Sumatra’s Arabica production only began in the 1700s under Dutch colonialism. The Aceh region to the northern end of the island around Lake Tawar was the first to begin cultivating coffee, and has become famous for the complex profile of fruit, earth, and wood notes, brought about largely from their traditional wet hulling process called “gilling basah.”

  Until relatively recently, Sumatran coffees were not sold by region, but marketed under the rather generic label of “Mandheling” However, as quality has improved, distinctive characteristics are bringing regions into the spotlight. The forested Aceh region, which includes the areas of Takengon and Bener Mariah, is one of these. Farmers here are proud of their coffee-growing heritage, and the more they understand the direct correlation between quality coffee and direct premiums, the more sustainable will be their success.

  Sumatra, Aceh