Characteristics of West Java Coffee Beans & West Java Coffee Brewing Methods

West Java Honey Processing Aromanis

Honey processing lets coffee retain the cleanliness of washed processing. Although the brightness decreases, sweetness and caramel flavors increase. Depending on the degree of honey processing, honey-processed coffee is divided into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey. The advantage of honey processing is that it best preserves the original sweet flavor of the coffee cherries, giving the coffee a delicate brown sugar note and nutty fruit sweetness, while berry flavors also support red-wine-based aromas, making it a very elegant product.

Coffee Details

Varieties: Jember, S-795

Altitude: 1400-1600 meters

Flavor: Fruity, plum, jackfruit flavors with a sweet aftertaste

Origin: West Java, Indonesia

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

The coffee processing takes 25-26 days! It's no surprise that Aromanis beans are slightly more expensive than regular coffee beans. The Coffee Farmers' Cooperative sells raw Aromanis green beans for 130,000-150,000 rupiah per kilogram, while Transform Coffee offers them at a retail price of 80,000 rupiah per 200g package.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Indonesia
Roast Level: Light roast

Brewing Instructions

Hand-poured West Java. 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, 88-89°C water temperature. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Origin Information

Country: Indonesia

Estate: Aromani

Region: Mount Tangkuban Perahu

Roast Level: Light roast

Processing Method: Honey processing

West Java Province is a first-level administrative division of Indonesia, located in the western part of Java Island. It faces the Java Sea to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south, and includes nearshore islands. The area covers 46,300 square kilometers. Java has a tropical rainforest climate, hot and humid year-round. The plains along the northern coast have the highest temperatures, while the mountainous areas are much cooler. High humidity often creates enervating climate conditions.

From November to March 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 high temperature is 30°C (86°F), with a low of 23°C (74°F). In the highland area of Tosari (elevation 1,735 meters [5,692 feet]), the average temperature ranges from 22 to 8°C (72 to 47°F). Because volcanic ash periodically fertilizes the land, Java's soil is very fertile.

"Aromanis" is a traditional Indonesian sweet snack made from the basic ingredients of flour and sugar. Here, Aromanis is used to name this coffee, signaling that these beans have a cotton-candy-like quality. The beans come from Ciwidey, Garut, West Java. No special coffee seeds are used; coffee processed through the natural drying method simply presents these distinctive flavors. Of course, this flavor is not widely recognized in West Java, Indonesia.

Tasting Notes

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, tropical fruit flavors reminiscent of mango and jackfruit on the palate, rich and smooth mouthfeel, long-lasting aftertaste.

About West Java Honey Processing

This Indonesian West Java Aromani honey-processed coffee scores as high as 92 points in cupping. The English name of this bean, "Aromanis," is Indonesian for "sweet mango."

At the estate, we personally experienced completely different Indonesian coffee.

The farmers used the simplest hot water infusion method to brew the coffee they grew for us.

Meticulous cultivation and processing

allowed the coffee's flavor to break free from the established framework of Indonesian coffee.

Fruit sweetness, lemon fragrance, and even floral notes

were all strongly presented in different varieties,

truly subverting our perception of the rich, bitter, and intense characteristics we previously associated with Indonesian coffee.

Honey Processing Method

Honey processing, also called Honey Process or Miel Process, produces what's known as Honey Coffee. Coffee plantations in Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, and other regions have adopted this method. So-called honey processing refers to the production process in which raw beans are sun-dried with the mucilage still remaining. After the outer pulp of the coffee beans is removed, a layer of viscous, gelatinous substance remains. Traditional washed processing would use clean water to wash it away, but because of water resource limitations in some high-altitude areas, this direct drying method was born.

Honey processing is a relatively complex, time-consuming, and difficult method. The first step is to select high-quality fruits, then remove the pulp while leaving the endocarp, which is the core of honey processing. The endocarp contains rich sugars and acids, and during drying, 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.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

West Java's honey-processed Aromanis shows a sweeter, fruitier side of Indonesian coffee than the heavy, earthy Sumatran style most drinkers know. If that balance of sweetness and clarity appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesia Wet-Hulled Mandheling offers the classic counterpart, but still with a low-acid, full-bodied cup and notes of caramel, dark chocolate, and toasted bread.

For a deeper, more intense expression, FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling is graded G1 and triple hand-sorted, giving a clean, sweet cup of cedar, herbs, spice, roasted hazelnut, and caramel. It is the ideal next step for anyone who enjoys Indonesian coffee's wilder, fuller character.