The Story and Origin of West Java Honey-Processed Aromanis Estate Specialty Coffee Beans from Indonesia

For professional barista exchanges, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Aromanis is a traditional sweet snack unique to Indonesia, made from basic ingredients of flour and sugar. Here, Aromanis is used to name this coffee, indicating that these coffee beans have a cotton candy-like texture. However, the coffee beans come from Ciwidey Garut in West Java. Actually, no special coffee seeds are used, but coffee processed through the natural drying method can present such a distinctive taste. Of course, this flavor is not widely recognized in West Java, Indonesia.

Coffee beans are picked from branches and separated from the fruit, then rinsed and immediately dried. The coffee beans are stirred every hour to ensure even drying, including at midnight. "This is very important during the night because of high humidity," said Arif, a coffee transformer (August 5, 2014) — translated from the original Indonesian text by machine.

Hand-poured West Java. 15g of powder, medium grind (small Fuji ghost tooth blade #4 grind), V60 filter cup, 88-89°C water temperature. First infusion with 30g of water for 27 seconds of blooming, then inject to 105g and stop. Wait until the powder bed water level drops to half before continuing infusion. Slowly inject until reaching 225g total water. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-powder ratio is 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

West Java Honey Processing Aromanis

• Country: Indonesia
• Estate: Aromani
• Region: Mount Tangkuban Perahu
• Roast Level: Light Roast
• Processing Method: Honey Processing

Honey Processing

Honey processing, called Honey Process or Miel Process, produces what is known as Honey Coffee. Coffee plantations in Costa Rica, Panama, and Guatemala have adopted this processing method. The so-called honey processing refers to the process of making raw beans by sun-drying with the mucilage intact. After removing the outer pulp from the coffee beans, there remains a layer of viscous gelatinous substance. Traditional washed processing would use clean water to wash it away, but due to water resource limitations in some high-altitude areas, this direct drying method was developed.

Honey processing is a relatively complex, time-consuming, and difficult processing method. The first step is to select high-quality fruits, then remove the pulp while leaving the endocarp—this endocarp is the core of honey processing. The endocarp contains rich sugars and acids, and during the drying process, the sweetness and acidity slowly penetrate into the coffee beans. The second step is drying, which is also the most important condition for producing high-quality coffee beans.

Honey processing allows coffee to retain the cleanliness of washed processing. Although the brightness of the coffee decreases somewhat, it increases sweetness and caramel flavors. According to different degrees of honey processing, honey processed coffee is divided into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey processing. The advantage of honey processing is that it best preserves the original sweet flavor of ripe coffee fruits, giving the coffee elegant brown sugar flavors and fruity sweetness. The berry flavors also support a red wine-based aroma, making it considered a very elegant product.

• Varieties: Jember, S-795
• Altitude: 1400-1600 meters
• Flavor: Fruity, plum, jackfruit flavors, with a sweet aftertaste

West Java, Indonesia

West Java Province is a first-level administrative region of Indonesia, located in the western section of Java Island. It borders the Java Sea to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south, including nearshore islands. The area covers 46,300 square kilometers. Java's climate type is tropical rainforest climate, hot and humid throughout the year. The plain areas along the northern coast have the highest temperatures, while mountainous areas are much cooler. High humidity often creates a debilitating climate.

From November to March of the following year is the northwest monsoon period, with more rain and clouds; from April to October is the southeast monsoon period, with more sunny days and less rainfall. Jakarta's average annual rainfall is about 1,760 millimeters (69 inches). Jakarta's average daily maximum temperature is 30°C (86°F), and the minimum is 23°C (74°F). In the inland highlands of Tosari (altitude 1,735 meters [5,692 feet]), the average temperature ranges from 22°C to 8°C (72°F to 47°F). Because volcanic ash periodically fertilizes the land, Java's soil is very fertile.

The coffee processing took 25-26 days! Unsurprisingly, the price of Aromanis coffee beans is slightly higher than ordinary coffee beans. The Coffee Farmers' Cooperative sells Aromanis coffee bean raw materials at 130,000-150,000 rupiah per kilogram, while Transformed Coffee offers them at a retail price of 80,000 rupiah per 200-gram package.

West Java Honey Processing

Indonesia's West Java Aromani Honey Processing scores up to 92 points in cupping. The English name of this bean, Aromanis, is Indonesian for "sweet mango."

• Region: Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Indonesia
• Altitude: 1400-1600 meters
• Roast Level: Light
• Processing Method: Honey Processing
• Taste Description: Strong fruit aroma, with plum and jackfruit flavors, clean and sweet aftertaste
• Flavor Profile: Complex floral notes on entry, with tropical fruit flavors reminiscent of mango and jackfruit. The texture is soft and thick, with a long-lasting aftertaste.

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Address: FrontStreet Coffee, Bao'an Qianjie Street, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Content: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Raw/Roasted Level: Roasted coffee beans
Contains Sugar: Sugar-free
Origin: Indonesia
Roast Degree: Light roast

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473