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Java Mocha Coffee

Among coffee-producing Asian countries, Indonesia deserves particular attention. It is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, with its islands distributed on both sides of the equator. Three of them — Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi — produce coffee of global importance. In the mid-17th century the Dutch brought coffee trees to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and to Java. By the 18th century Indonesia had become a major coffee producer, and its high-quality Arabica was almost entirely supplied to Europe. By the 19th century, however, the coffee rust disease that first appeared in Ceylon in 1869 had spread to Indonesia. By 1877 most coffee plantations on the Indonesian islands had been destroyed by rust, forcing the Dutch to introduce other varieties from Africa — namely Robusta. It is more resistant to pests and disease but inferior in quality. Roughly 90% of Indonesian coffee is Robusta, about 6.8 million bags a year, while less than 10% is Arabica.

Coffee produced in Indonesia is generally not labelled "Indonesia" but rather by island name, such as Java or Sumatra.

Java Coffee Beans

Early Java coffee enjoyed widespread fame, referring to the Arabica previously produced on Java. It had a rich aroma, low acidity and a smooth mouthfeel. Blended with Mocha, the resulting "Java Mocha" became immensely popular, a synonym for premium coffee.

In those days, Java coffee sold to Europe was a very special coffee. Because it was shipped to Europe and America by sailing ship, the long journey and slow speed meant considerable time in transit. Under those conditions the coffee underwent a special fermentation, giving it a distinctive flavour.

Later, when steamships replaced sailing ships, shorter transit times meant people could drink relatively fresh beans. But those accustomed to aged beans found the fresh flavour unfamiliar, so they desperately sought aged Java coffee — to the point that the Indonesian government and some merchants deliberately stored fresh beans in warehouses for one to two years before selling them. Compared with fresh beans, aged Java beans have acidity reduced to near zero, while the aroma becomes even richer. Because ageing takes so much longer, costs rise significantly and quantities are limited, making aged Java consistently sought after. In the 1880s, unscrupulous merchants deliberately treated some fresh Guatemala or Venezuela beans to imitate aged Java and sold them at high prices. Worse, they used dyeing methods to make the beans look more like aged Java — but the chemical dyes used were undoubtedly toxic.

Java produces only a small amount of Arabica; most is Robusta, introduced from Africa after the rust disaster. This coffee shows strong bitterness after roasting but an extremely light aroma. Although it has relatively low acidity and a delicate mouthfeel, it is rarely drunk on its own and is often used for blends or instant coffee.

Pests and diseases are truly formidable. They caused massive reductions in Brazilian coffee production and repeatedly influenced the international coffee market; they led Sri Lanka, once covered in coffee trees, to cut them down and switch entirely to tea; and they pushed Java, once famous for high-quality Arabica, to Robusta for fear of infestation. The precious Arabica Java coffee thus disappeared from view, and the once limitless favour and pursuit of Java coffee was completely lost.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The old Java Mocha tradition lives on in Indonesia's great Sumatran coffees. If you want the richest, most full-throated expression of that heritage, FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling is the top choice. PWN buys only premium Mandheling lots, holding them to a strict standard — beans of 18 screen size and above, fewer than 3 defects per 300 g sample to meet the highest G1 grade, then three rounds of hand sorting. The cup is clean and sweet, full of sandalwood, herbs, spice, roasted hazelnut, caramel and dark chocolate.

For an everyday pour-over that captures the classic wet-hulled character, FrontStreet Lindong Mandheling comes from the Lake Toba region and is medium-dark roasted to keep the wild herbal, dark chocolate and earthy notes with very low acidity and a long sweet finish. And if you want that depth as espresso — as the old Java Mocha blends were once prized for — FrontStreet Classic Espresso Blend layers a medium-dark Mandheling onto creamy Brazilian beans and adds a touch of Robusta for a rich, golden crema.