Differences, Distinctions, and Award Situation of Single-Origin Beans from Ijen Estate, West Java, Indonesia

Aromanis Estate Single Origin Coffee: Differences, Distinctions, and Awards in West Java, Indonesia

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West Java Province is a first-level administrative region in Indonesia, located in the western part of Java Island. It borders the Java Sea to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south, including offshore islands, covering an area of 46,300 square kilometers. Java's climate is tropical rainforest, with year-round heat and humidity. The plains 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 highland area of Tosari (elevation 1,735 meters [5,692 feet]), the average temperature is 22-8°C (72-47°F). Because volcanic ash periodically fertilizes the land, Java's soil is very fertile.

Aromanis is a traditional Indonesian sweet snack 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 method can present such distinctive flavors. Of course, this flavor is not very recognized in West Java, Indonesia.

Coffee Details

Region: Mount Tigulah, Indonesia

Altitude: 1400-1600 meters

Roast Level: Light

Processing Method: Honey Process

Taste Description: Intense fruit aroma, with plum and jackfruit flavors, clean and sweet aftertaste.

Flavor Profile: Complex floral notes upon entry, tropical fruit flavors reminiscent of mango and jackfruit on the palate, smooth and rich mouthfeel, long-lasting aftertaste.

West Java Honey Processing

The honey-processed Aromanis from West Java, Indonesia, 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.

Farmers used the simplest hot water immersion method to brew coffee from their plants 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

Are all boldly presented in different varieties.

Truly subverting our perception of bitter, rich flavors.

Hand Brew Recipe for West Java

15g coffee, medium grind (small Fuji ghost tooth blade setting 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First infusion with 30g water, bloom for 27 seconds. Continue infusion to 105g, pause until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then slowly continue infusion until reaching 225g. Discard the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

West Java Honey Processing Aromanis

Country: Indonesia

Estate: Aromanis

Region: Mount Tigulah

Roast Level: Light Roast

Processing Method: Honey Process

Honey Processing

Honey processing, also called Honey Process or Miel Process, produces what is known as Honey Coffee. Coffee plantations in Costa Rica, Panama, and Guatemala all use this processing method. So-called honey processing refers to the process of producing green beans that are sun-dried with the mucilage still attached. 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 regions, 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 keeping the parchment - this parchment is the core of honey processing. The parchment contains abundant sugars and acids, which slowly penetrate into the coffee beans during the drying process. 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 the degree 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 flavors of ripe coffee fruits, giving the coffee elegant brown sugar flavors and nut sweetness, while berry flavors support a red wine-toned aroma, making it considered a very elegant product.

Varieties: Jember, S-795

Altitude: 1400-1600 meters

Flavor: Fruity aroma, plum, jackfruit flavors, clean and sweet aftertaste

Indonesia, West Java

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

The coffee processing takes 25-26 days! Unsurprisingly, the price of Aromanis coffee beans is slightly higher than ordinary coffee beans. The coffee farmer cooperative sells raw Aromanis coffee beans for 130,000-150,000 rupiah per kilogram, while Transform Coffee offers them at a retail price of 80,000 rupiah per 200-gram pack.

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop

Address: FrontStreet Coffee, Bao'an Qianjie, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Contact: 020-38364473

Shelf Life: 90 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk coffee beans

Roast Level: Roasted beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Indonesia

Roast Degree: Light roast

Coffee Regions of Indonesia

The island of Sulawesi, located between Borneo and New Guinea, is sometimes also called Celebes. Coffee produced on this island has full-bodied beans and rich aroma. The best coffee beans come from Kalossi and Rantepao in the southern part of the island. Among the many brands, you might try Celebes Kalossi coffee.

Overall, Indonesian coffee has a strong flavor, mellow taste, with a slightly syrupy quality and excellent acidity. Its two main export markets are Germany and Japan, which indirectly reflects the excellent quality of this coffee. What attracts consumers is its superior quality characteristic of Arabica coffee beans. You can add milk or cream to high-quality Indonesian coffee without worrying about affecting its taste. Indonesian coffee is divided into six grades, with AP being the best. But no one knows exactly what these two capital letters represent.

When steamships replaced sailing ships, coffee from these islands faced the same problem as coffee from Mysore, India - consumers had become accustomed to coffee affected by long journeys, so they were unwilling to accept the taste of this "fresh" coffee. To solve this problem, the Indonesian government tried to imitate coffee affected by long journeys by "aging" coffee beans for up to a year. However, unsatisfactorily, this moisture-processed coffee was not widely accepted, affecting its good reputation.

However, Indonesia's "aged" or "journey" coffee is still produced today. It is generally sold under brands such as "Old Government," "Old Brown," and "Old Java."

Despite producing so many impressive coffees, it's puzzling that local residents prefer to drink Turkish-style coffee rather than its renowned European-style coffee.

Coffee Origin Details

Origin: Mont Tikukur, Mount Tigulah, West Java?

Altitude: 1400-1600m?

Varieties: Arabica species?

Producer: Aromanis?

Flowering Period: March-May, September-November?

Processing Method: Honey Process - Natural Honey Processing?

Cupping Score: 92 points?

Flavor: Mango, red wine, peach juice, intense fruit aroma, with plum and jackfruit flavors, clean and sweet aftertaste?

The natural processed beans from Indonesia's Aromanis Estate have flavors that don't resemble Indonesian coffee at all. This bean has its own unique intense fruit aroma, mango, red wine, peach juice, plus plum and jackfruit flavors, with a clean and sweet aftertaste, scoring up to 92 points in cupping - making it hard to believe this is a coffee bean from Indonesia. The English name of this bean is Aromanis, which is Indonesian for "sweet mango."

Indonesia

Population: 237,424,000

In Indonesia, coffee beans gradually spread from Java Island to neighboring islands, first reaching Sulawesi Island in 1750, but not extending to North Indonesia at that time. It wasn't until 1888 that planting began around Lake Toba, and eventually spread to the Lake Tawar area of the Gayo region in 1924.

SUMATRA

Sumatra Island has three main growing areas: Aceh in the north, the area slightly south of Lake Toba, and the recently emerged islands near Mangkuraja. Smaller areas may also trace back to: Takengon, Bener Mariah in Aceh Province, Lintong, Sidikalang, Dolok Sanggul, and Seribu Dolok surrounding Lake Toba. In the past, coffee beans sold in this region were generally called "Sumatra Mandheling," but there is actually no place called Mandheling - this name comes from the tribal name of local islanders. Mandheling usually has grade distinctions, divided into Grade 1 or Grade 2. The grading method undoubtedly uses cupping quality rather than the generally assumed green beans themselves. However, I still have reservations about recommending Grade 1, as this grading seems to have become prevalent. It's strange to divide different varieties into different batches, so most Sumatra coffee beans are mixtures of unknown varieties. Sumatra coffee beans are exported through Medan port, but prolonged delays before export are detrimental to coffee bean quality due to the humid climate factors.

Altitude: Aceh 1100-1300m, Lake Toba 1100-1600m, Mangkuraja 1100-1300m

Harvest: September - December

Varieties: Typica (including Bergandal, Sidikalang, Djember), Timtim, Ateng, Onan Gajang

JAVA

In Indonesia, this region inherits Dutch colonial traditions and customs, so there are more large coffee estates. The four main coffee plantations cover 4000 hectares and were previously government-owned. At that time, coffee beans from this region enjoyed a first-class reputation, although I believe that recently, many blend beans have replaced "Mocha-Java" with other coffee beans. Java coffee beans remained expensive for a long time but have shown significant price reductions in the 20th century. Growing areas cover the area around the Ijen volcano in eastern Java, as well as the western region.

Altitude: 900-1800m

Harvest: September - September

Varieties: Typicas, Ateng, USDA

SULAWESI

Even though seven large estates supply about 5% of Sulawesi Island's production, local production is still dominated by small farmers. Most Arabica beans are grown at high elevations around Tana Toraja, while Kalossi in the south has become a brand. There are two lesser-known areas: Mamasa to the west and Gowa south of Kalossi. A few particularly interesting washed-processed coffees are worth exploring, and I strongly recommend trying them if you have the chance. Semi-washed processing is the common method in Sulawesi, and the region also produces considerable Robusta beans.

Altitude: Tana Toraja 1100-1800m, Mamasa 1300-1700m, Gowa average 850m

Harvest: May - November

Varieties: S795, Typicas, Ateng

FLORES

Flores is a small island about 320 kilometers (200 miles) east of Bali, one of the Indonesian islands. As a region that joined the coffee industry relatively late, it has developed a good reputation for coffee cultivation. In the past, much of the coffee produced in Flores was for domestic consumption or mixed with other coffees for export, rarely sold directly as "Flores coffee." The island has active and dormant volcanoes, with the mixture from Bajawa volcano having a significant positive impact in the main growing areas. In terms of coffee processing, semi-washed processing is the most common method in the region, though some coffees are still produced using fully washed processing.

Altitude: 1200-1800m (Note:原文有误，应为Flores地区)

Harvest: May - September

Varieties: Typicas, Ateng, Robusta

BALI

Coffee came to Bali relatively late, initially growing in the Kintamani highlands. Coffee production was severely affected when Mount Agung erupted in 1963, killing more than 20,000 people and widely devastating eastern Bali. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government distributed Arabica seedlings to promote coffee production, but some believe this had limited effects, as about 80% of the island's current production is Robusta. Although tourism provides the largest income, agriculture employs the most people on the island, with Japan historically being the largest buyer.

Altitude: 1,250-1,700m

Harvest: May - October

Varieties: Typicas, Typica derivatives, Robusta

Java produces refined aromatic coffee with relatively low acidity, delicate mouthfeel, and good balance. Java coffee's aroma and acidity surpass those from Sumatra and Sulawesi islands. Java's best plantations include Blawan, Jambit, Kayumas, and Pankur. Java Mocha coffee is a blend of Java coffee and Yemen Mocha coffee.

Sumatra Island, the second largest island of the Indonesian archipelago, is Indonesia's petroleum industry center, and the island's rubber and timber are also famous export commodities. However, Sumatra's coffee is even more remarkable - similar to Java coffee but with slightly heavier beans. Mandheling and Ankola coffee beans are also highly valued, with the former even being praised as the world's fullest coffee beans.

Important Notice :

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