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.