Indonesia's Three Major Coffee Brands: Java, Mandheling, Sulawesi

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Indonesian coffee is renowned for its mellow and rich flavor profile with extremely low acidity. With caramel-like and dark chocolate sweetness and aftertaste, it has captivated Japanese coffee enthusiasts with near-fanatical dedication. Indonesia is a major coffee-producing country in Asia and ranks among the world's top coffee producers. Let FrontStreet Coffee tell you more!

The Development History of Indonesian Coffee

Indonesia, located in Southeast Asia, has a coffee history dating back to 1696 when the Dutch introduced coffee beans to the country. After successful trial cultivation, Java Island was established as the primary region for large-scale coffee bean planting. However, in 1877, nearly all coffee trees in Indonesia were infected with leaf rust disease (a bacterial infection), to which Arabica coffee beans had no resistance, resulting in catastrophic losses.

Later, Indonesia had to import Robusta coffee beans from Africa. Robusta beans' strong disease resistance helped Indonesia's coffee economy recover. Today, Indonesia is the world's primary producer of Robusta coffee beans, while Arabica beans constitute only 6%-10% of Indonesia's total coffee production, including the well-known Mandheling coffee beans. Robusta beans are concentrated in southern Sumatra, while Arabica beans are grown in northern Sumatra. FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Gold Mandheling comes from the Gayo region in Aceh Province, northern Sumatra.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding of Indonesian coffee, the best farm-to-cup Indonesian coffees come from three regions: Sulawesi Island, Sumatra Island, and Java Island. Among these three regions, Java is the most productive, renowned for its Arabica coffee with bright acidity and clean fruit notes. Today, approximately 90% of Indonesian coffee is Robusta, now commonly used for commercial-grade coffee.

Indonesian Coffee History

Arabica coffee plants were first brought to Indonesia in the 17th century by the Dutch East India Company when Indonesia was still under Dutch occupation. Their goal in cultivating coffee was to break the global Arab monopoly on coffee trade.

Initially, the Dutch colonial government planted coffee in Bogor and southern Sukabumi, as well as near Batavia (Jakarta). Coffee plantations were later established in East Java, West Java, and Central Java, with the exception of some areas in Sulawesi and Sumatra islands. To develop these plantations, vast areas of forest land were cleared and cultivated. The growth of coffee plantations drove significant infrastructure development throughout Central Java during the 19th century. Many railways and roads had to be built to transport beans from within the islands to various ports for export.

Indonesian Coffee Growing Environment

Indonesia has a typical tropical rainforest climate with average annual temperatures of 25-27°C, no distinct seasons, and annual precipitation of 1600-2200mm. Located in the volcanic belt, Indonesia's soil is fertile and rich in minerals, which is beneficial for coffee bean cultivation and growth. Indonesia's altitude ranges from 900-2100 meters, with major coffee growing areas concentrated around 1200 meters.

Indonesian coffee beans have two main harvest seasons: the primary harvest season around September-October and the secondary harvest season in May-June. This year's Indonesian coffee bean exports have increased significantly compared to last year. Analysis suggests this is due to reduced exports last year when Indonesian coffee prices were high, combined with increased production during the current season, leading to substantial growth in Indonesian coffee exports this year.

Indonesian Coffee Bean Varieties

Indonesian coffee beans mainly fall into three categories: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Within these categories, there are over 20 main varieties, commonly including Catuai, Catimor, Timor hybrid, Typica, S288, S795, Sidikalong, and others.

Indonesian Coffee Bean Cultivation

Currently, Indonesia's coffee cultivation area exceeds 1 million hectares, accounting for 24% of the total arable land. The average coffee plantation size in Indonesia is 1.7 hectares, with approximately 2.7 billion coffee trees. Among these, 66% are cultivated using modern farming methods on plantations, while the remaining coffee beans are grown on traditionally managed small farms.

Over 95% of Indonesia's coffee beans are produced by small farmers, with coffee estates primarily located in East Java and Central Java provinces. Most production is organic cultivation, with 19 farmer cooperatives and exporters having obtained international organic coffee certification.

Wet Hulling Process

The processing method for Indonesian coffee is known as "giling basah," called semi-washed/hulled in other parts of the world. Once coffee is harvested, it's then pulped and briefly dried. Unlike most other processes that dry coffee to 11-12% moisture content, the semi-washed process dries coffee to 30-35% moisture. The coffee is then hulled to remove the parchment and expose the green coffee beans underneath. These naked beans are then dried again until they're dry enough to store without spoiling. Semi-washed coffees tend to have much lower acidity and more body than most coffees.

Flavor Profile

Indonesian coffees tend to have dark and bold flavors with prominent earthiness. The semi-washed process produces flavors including earthy, musty notes, spices, wood, tobacco, and leather. They typically have a long-lasting finish with unsweetened or dark chocolate characteristics. The Sumatra region is today's most popular Indonesian region because it's known for dark roasting. Sumatra produces Mandheling and Ankola, two of the world's most famous and high-quality coffees. They often have complex smoky or roasted flavors. FrontStreet Coffee has found that people's opinions on Indonesian coffee are often polarized - those who love it can't get enough, while those who don't avoid it entirely. When customers visit FrontStreet Coffee asking for a non-acidic pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee always recommends Indonesian beans first.

Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Beans

When mentioning Sumatran coffee beans, Mandheling coffee beans are certainly the first that come to mind. The main production area for Mandheling coffee beans is located around Lake Toba in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Common varieties of Mandheling coffee beans include Gold Mandheling, Lintong Mandheling, and Aged Mandheling.

The difference between these three Mandheling varieties lies in their characteristics: Lintong Mandheling represents the most traditional Mandheling flavor with strong herbal notes. Gold Mandheling is a premium selection grade Mandheling with uniform bean sizes all above 18 mesh, manually sorted more than 4 times, featuring a clean and bright flavor profile while maintaining excellent body. Aged Mandheling, as mentioned earlier, uses different wet hulling processes that bring out richer flavors that may not be accepted by everyone. Therefore, when customers ask for a coffee that's both non-acidic and full-bodied, FrontStreet Coffee always recommends Gold Mandheling first.

Example: FrontStreet Coffee PWN Gold Mandheling

Flavor Description: Nuts, chocolate, spices, herbs, caramel. Gold Mandheling tastes cleaner than Lintong Mandheling - the original herbal, earthy, and woody notes of Mandheling are nearly gone, but the caramel sweetness is more intense, and the fruit acidity is brighter and more elegant.

FrontStreet Coffee PWN Gold Mandheling Coffee Beans

Brewing Parameters: Dripper: Kono dripper, Water temperature: 86°C, Coffee dose: 15g, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15, Grind size: Medium grind (EK43s grinder setting 11)

Reason for choosing Kono dripper: The Kono dripper has few ribs located at the bottom, causing the filter paper to adhere closely to the dripper. This restricts airflow, increasing contact time between water and coffee grounds, allowing for full extraction and enhancing body.

Brewing method: Using segmented extraction, bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. When pouring to 125g, create a pause. When the water level drops to just above the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Total extraction time: 2'00" (starting from bloom).

Kopi Luwak Coffee Beans

When discussing Indonesian coffee beans, Kopi Luwak cannot be overlooked. FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu also includes Kopi Luwak. The variety of Kopi Luwak beans is Robusta, because the civet cat's activity range is at low to medium altitudes, where most coffee varieties are Robusta. High-altitude Arabica Kopi Luwak production is rare.

Although coffee beans are not digested in the civet cat's digestive tract, the highly corrosive digestive fluids have corroded their surface. These digestive fluids contain special proteases that break down the coffee beans' original protein chains, decomposing long-chain protein structures into small particles, forming short-chain peptides and amino acids.

The processing of Kopi Luwak is completed within the civet cat's body. Because animals are much more precise than humans in selecting ripe fruits, civet cats choose only mature, high-sugar coffee beans. After fermentation within their bodies, the coffee beans develop special herbal aromas and excellent body. FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak also exhibits this excellent body and quality.

The controversy surrounding Kopi Luwak extends beyond its unusual flavor to its production methods. With limited supply and high prices, merchants have started breeding civet cats in captivity and feeding them coffee beans to increase production. Some argue this deprives animals of their freedom, and overfeeding conditions can also affect coffee bean quality.

Example: FrontStreet Coffee Kopi Luwak

Flavor Description: Herbal, nuts, dark chocolate, fermented notes.

Brewing Parameters: Dripper: Kono dripper, Water temperature: 86°C, Coffee dose: 15g, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15, Grind size: Medium grind (EK43s grinder setting 11)

Brewing method: Using segmented extraction, bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. When pouring to 125g, create a pause. When the coffee liquid is about to dry out and expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Total extraction time: 2 minutes.

Java Coffee Beans

Java coffee beans have delicate aromatics, relatively low acidity, fine texture, and good balance. The aroma and acidity of Java coffee beans are superior to those from Sumatra Island. Java has a tropical rainforest climate, hot and humid year-round. The plains along the northern coast have the highest temperatures, while mountainous areas are much cooler. High humidity often creates a debilitating climate. Because it's located in the volcanic zone, Java's soil is very fertile.

Higher quality Java coffees are mostly located in West Java Province, a first-level administrative region in Indonesia, typically coming from both state-owned and private estates. State-owned estates, with government support, more easily sell to European and American countries and thus have relatively greater fame. The plantations are basically all above 1400 meters altitude, complemented by local typical volcanic soil, creating unique flavors.

Example: FrontStreet Coffee West Java Coffee

Flavor Description: Mango, red wine, peach juice, intense fruit notes, with plum and jackfruit flavors, clean and sweet aftertaste.

Brewing Parameters: Dripper: V60 dripper, Water temperature: 90°C, Coffee dose: 15g, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15, Grind size: Medium-fine grind (EK43s grinder setting 10)

Brewing method: Using segmented extraction, bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. When pouring to 125g with small water flow, create a pause. Continue pouring to 225g and stop. Total extraction time: 2'00".

Important Notice :

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