The History, Culture, and Stories of Indonesia's West Java Ayerni Estate Premium Single-Origin Coffee Beans

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The History, Culture, and Stories of Aromanis Estate's Premium Single-Origin Coffee Beans from West Java, Indonesia

Although Indonesia produces so many acclaimed coffees, it is puzzling that many locals prefer to drink their coffee Turkish-style rather than in the European style the country was once famous for.

Coffee Origin Information

Origin: Mount Tikukur, Tikukur, West Java

Altitude: 1400-1600m

Variety: Arabica

Producer: Aromanis

Flowering Period: March-May, September-November

Processing Method: Honey Process, Natural Honey Process

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 coffee from Indonesia's Aromanis Estate tastes nothing like a typical Indonesian bean. This coffee has its own intense fruit character - mango, red wine, peach juice, along with plum and jackfruit notes, finishing clean and sweet. With a cupping score as high as 92 points, you would hardly believe this is a coffee from Indonesia. The English name of this bean is Aromanis, which means "sweet mango" in Indonesian.

Indonesia Coffee Overview

Indonesia

Population: 237,424,000

In Indonesia, coffee gradually spread from Java to the neighboring islands. By 1750 it had reached Sulawesi, though it did not extend to northern Indonesia at that time. Cultivation only began around Lake Toba in 1888, and eventually reached Lake Tawar in the Gayo region in 1924.

SUMATRA

Sumatra has three main growing regions: Aceh in the north, the area just south of Lake Toba, and the more recently emerged lands near Mangkuraja. Smaller areas may also trace back to: Takengon, Bener Mariah in Aceh Province, Lintong, Sidikalang, Dolok Sanggul, and Seribu Dolok around Lake Toba. Coffee sold from this region has generally been called "Sumatra Mandheling," yet there is actually no place called Mandheling - the name comes from a local ethnic group. Mandheling usually carries grade distinctions, divided into Grade 1 or Grade 2. The grading is based on cupping quality rather than, as is often assumed, the green beans themselves. Even so, I still have reservations about recommending Grade 1, as this grading seems to have become overused. Separating different varieties into different lots is unusual here, so most Sumatran coffee is blended from unknown varieties. Sumatran beans are exported through the port of Medan, but the long delays at the port before shipping can hurt coffee quality due to the humid climate.

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

Java follows Dutch colonial traditions and habits, so it has more large estates than the other islands. The four main coffee plantations cover 4,000 hectares and were formerly government-owned estates. Java's coffees enjoyed a first-class reputation in their day. Although many blend components have since replaced "Mocha-Java" in popular use, Java coffees remained expensive for a long time before showing significant price drops in the 20th century. Growing areas include the vicinity of the Ijen volcano in eastern Java as well as the western part of the island.

Altitude: 900-1800m

Harvest: September-September

Varieties: Typicas, Ateng, USDA

SULAWESI

Even though seven major estates supply about 5% of Sulawesi's production, the island's output is still dominated by smallholders. Most Arabica is grown at high elevations around Tana Toraja, while Kalosi in the south has become a brand name in its own right. Two lesser-known regions are worth noting: Mamasa to the west and Gowa south of Kalosi. A few particularly interesting washed coffees deserve exploring - highly recommended if you get the chance. Semi-washed processing is the common method on Sulawesi, and the island also produces a great deal of Robusta.

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, part of the Indonesian archipelago. As a region that joined the coffee industry relatively late, it has built a solid reputation for coffee cultivation. In the past, much of Flores' coffee was consumed domestically or blended into other coffees for export, rarely sold on its own as "Flores coffee." The island has both active and dormant volcanoes, and the soils from Bajawa volcano have had a significant positive impact on the main growing areas. Semi-washed processing is the most common method on the island, though some coffees are still fully washed.

Altitude: Tana Toraja 1200-1800m, Mamasa 1300-1700m, Gowa average 850m

Harvest: May-September

Varieties: Typicas, Ateng, Robusta

BALI

Coffee arrived in Bali relatively late and initially grew in the Kintamani Highlands. Production was devastated when Mount Agung erupted in 1963, killing more than 20,000 people and destroying much of eastern Bali. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government distributed Arabica seedlings to revive coffee production, but some believe this had limited effect, as about 80% of the island's current output is Robusta. Although tourism brings in the most money, agriculture employs the most people on the island, and Japan was long the largest buyer.

Altitude: 1,250-1,700m

Harvest: May-October

Varieties: Typicas, Typica derivatives, Robusta

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

Sumatra, the second-largest island of the Indonesian archipelago, is the center of Indonesia's petroleum industry, and its rubber and timber are famous export commodities as well. Yet Sumatra's coffee is even more remarkable - similar to Java coffee but with a slightly heavier body. Mandheling and Ankola coffee beans are both highly prized, with the former even praised as the world's fullest-bodied coffee.

West Java Province is a first-level administrative region 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, covering an area of 46,300 square kilometers. The climate is tropical rainforest - 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 muggy, draining weather.

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 sunshine and less rainfall. Jakarta's average annual rainfall is about 1,760 millimeters (69 inches). The city's average daily high 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 is 22-8°C (72-47°F). Java's soil is extremely fertile because volcanic ash periodically replenishes the land.

Aromanis is a traditional Indonesian sweet snack made from simple ingredients - flour and sugar. Naming this coffee after it tells you these beans deliver a cotton candy-like mouthfeel. The coffee comes from Ciwidey Garut in West Java. No special coffee variety is used at all - it is natural processing that coaxes out such distinctive flavors. Of course, this style of flavor is not yet widely recognized in West Java itself.

West Java Aromanis Coffee Details

Region: Mount Tikukur, 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: A layered floral entry, tropical fruit flavors like mango and jackfruit on the palate, a soft and thick mouthfeel, and a long finish.

West Java Honey Processing

Honey-processed Aromanis from West Java, Indonesia, scores as high as 92 points in cupping. The name Aromanis means "sweet mango" in Indonesian.

At the estate, we tasted an Indonesian coffee completely unlike any we had tried before.

The farmers brewed coffee from their own plants for us using the simplest hot water immersion method.

Careful 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 strongly expressed across the different varieties,

truly overturning our preconceived notion of Indonesian coffee as bitter and heavy.

For pour-over West Java: use 15g of coffee ground medium (small Fuji ghost-tooth grinder at #4), a V60 dripper, and water at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour up to 105g and stop. Once the water level drops by half, continue pouring slowly until you reach 225g. Cut off the tail of the brew. Coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

West Java Honey Process Aromanis

Country: Indonesia

Estate: Aromanis

Region: Mount Tikukur

Roast Level: Light Roast

Processing Method: Honey Process

Honey Processing

Honey processing, called Honey Process or Miel Process, produces what is known as honey coffee. Coffee farms in Costa Rica, Panama, and Guatemala all use this method. Honey processing refers to drying green beans in the sun with the mucilage still intact. After the outer pulp is removed, a layer of sticky, gelatinous substance clings to the bean. Traditional washed processing would rinse it away with water, but because water is scarce in some high-altitude areas, this direct drying method was developed instead.

Honey processing is relatively complex, time-consuming, and difficult. The first step is selecting high-quality cherries, then removing the pulp while leaving the parchment - this parchment is the heart of honey processing. It is rich in sugars and acids that slowly penetrate the bean during drying. The second step is drying, which is also the single most important factor in producing high-quality coffee.

Honey processing preserves the cleanliness of a washed coffee. Although the coffee's brightness drops slightly, sweetness and caramel flavors increase. Depending on how much mucilage is left on, honey coffees are divided into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey. The advantage of honey processing is that it best preserves the original sweet flavors of ripe coffee fruit, presenting elegant brown sugar notes and fruity sweetness, while berry tones support a red-wine-like aromatic base - considered a very refined style of coffee.

Varieties: Jember, S-795

Altitude: 1400-1600 meters

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

Indonesia West Java

The coffee beans are picked from the branches and separated from the fruit, then washed and immediately laid out to dry. The beans are raked every hour to ensure even drying, even at midnight. "It's during the night that this is very important because of the high humidity," said Aryev of Transform Coffee (August 5, 2014) - translated from the original Indonesian.

The coffee takes 25-26 days to process! It is no surprise that Aromanis beans cost slightly more than ordinary ones. The Coffee Farmers' Cooperative sells Aromanis green beans for IDR 130,000-150,000 per kilogram, while Transform Coffee offers them at a retail price of IDR 80,000 per 200g package.

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

Sulawesi, located between Borneo and New Guinea, is sometimes also called Celebes. Coffee from this island has full-bodied beans and a rich aroma. The best lots come from Kalossi and Rantepao in the southern part of the island. Among the many brands available, Celebes Kalossi coffee is worth trying.

Overall, Indonesian coffee is strong in taste, mellow in flavor, slightly syrupy, with excellent acidity. Its two main export markets are Germany and Japan, which indirectly reflects the coffee's quality. What attracts consumers is the superior quality characteristic of its Arabica beans. You can add milk or cream to good Indonesian coffee without worrying about ruining the taste. Indonesian coffee is divided into six grades, with AP being the best - though no one is quite certain what those two capital letters actually stand for.

When steamships replaced sailing ships, coffee from these islands ran into the same problem as coffee from Mysore, India: consumers had grown accustomed to coffee altered by long sea voyages and were unwilling to accept the taste of this "fresh" coffee. To solve the problem, the Indonesian government tried to imitate the aged flavor by "aging" coffee beans for up to a year. Disappointingly, this moisture-processed coffee was not widely accepted and dented the coffee's good reputation.

That said, Indonesia's "aged" or "journey" coffee is still produced today, commonly sold under the brand names "Old Government," "Old Brown," and "Old Java."

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you love Indonesian coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's wet-hulled Mandheling is the place to start. Mandheling refers to Arabica coffee from Sumatra, processed with the region's signature wet-hulled (giling basah) method. Because the beans are hulled while still half-dry and half-wet, the green coffee dries fully exposed to the air, giving the cup its characteristic herbal, woody, and spicy notes. FrontStreet's Mandheling comes from the Lake Toba area of the Lintong region. To bring out the classic Mandheling profile, it is roasted medium-dark: low acidity and a full, heavy body, with rich aromas of caramel, dark chocolate, and toasted bread, and a long, sweet finish. It is an excellent choice for anyone who loves a bold, intense cup.

For top-shelf Indonesian coffee, go for FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling. PWN is a trading company that specializes in buying up premium Mandheling lots, and "Golden Mandheling" is its flagship product. FrontStreet's Golden Mandheling is held to strict screening standards for defects, judged on bean density, size, shape, and color, and goes through one machine-sorting pass plus one manual hand-sorting pass to remove defects. The result is Mandheling with complete, even, plump, and translucent beans, and noticeably less earthy and grassy taint. Legend has it the name comes from how the beans glitter golden in the sunlight. Freshly roasted FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling offers sandalwood, herbal, spice, roasted hazelnut, caramel, and dark chocolate flavors - clean, mellow, richly aromatic, and layered. It suits daily drinking and makes a wonderful gift for family and friends.

FrontStreet's classic espresso blend is another way to enjoy Mandheling. In the era before light-roast acidity became fashionable, Mandheling was considered the most full-bodied, intense coffee in the world and was often used in espresso blends. Mamba coffee - a Mandheling-and-Brazil blend created by Taiwanese roasters back then - combines Mandheling's wild character with Brazil's smooth mouthfeel, while nutty sweetness balances Mandheling's stronger bitterness and herbal notes, which is why it caught on and remains popular today. FrontStreet's classic espresso blend adds a small proportion of Robusta to the original recipe and uses a dark roast, pushing the chocolate, nut, and caramel aromas to the fullest so that even a beginner can easily pull an authentic Mandheling-style shot.