What is the Growing Environment of Sumatra Kerinci Volcanic Coffee Beans? How to Brew Kerinci Coffee with Kono

What is the Growing Environment of Sumatra Kerinci Volcanic Coffee Beans? How to Brew Kerinci Coffee Beans with Kono?

The Kerinci region is located on the large island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Approximately 300,000 people live in the valleys surrounding the mountain. Kerinci and some areas are protected by large national parks. Geographically, it features wetlands, mountains, rainforests, rivers, and volcanoes. This region is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Kerinci being the highest peak on Sumatra island (actually a volcano). This area is located in the southern and western parts of Sumatra island, quite different from other parts of Sumatra island in the north that I visited this year. This coffee is wet-hulled, composed of multiple grape varieties, and grown within the 1400masl range. Coffee from Sumatra is traditionally wet-hulled, a process that can produce excellent coffee, but also frequently results in strange, untasty cups due to either processing or the way the hull is removed, absorbing environmental flavors. Early in this process, or the formation of mold and mildew, because the coffee changes hands quickly from seller to seller, and the bags remain damp.

Kerinci coffee cherries are supplied by 600 farmers from the Kerinci Valley, a region of fertile volcanic soil with over 300,000 people, known as the "rice bowl." Kerinci is a little-known coffee source in the center of Sumatra, Indonesia. The people of the Kerinci Valley, surrounded by the Kerinci Seblat Rainforest, have slowly transitioned back to Arabica coffee production with the help of a local conservation NGO called Lembaga Tumbuh Alami. In 2009, we had the opportunity to visit the region, hoping to find a group engaged in forest conservation and Arabica coffee promotion. Contact wasn't finally established until 2013. After several years of domestic supply chain issues, we can finally offer a very beautiful example of the coffee they are producing.

The NGO's goal in working with the community is to both protect the natural resources of the tropical rainforest and develop sustainable agricultural product markets to support families. Arabica coffee provides an opportunity for sustainability, as opposed to the current standards of Robusta coffee and rubber. Providing farmers with more sustainable income means reducing erosion of the rainforest. Stay tuned for ongoing updates on our relationship with this community, as we are very excited to further our work there and take you along on the journey.

This beautiful valley is surrounded by Mount Kerinci volcano in the Kerinci highlands, as well as Sumatra's largest national park, Kerinci Seblat National Park, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The altitude ranges from 1,200 to 1,500 meters. This coffee has a very clean caramel sweetness, cocoa, and tea-like floral notes, with a healthy and syrupy body. Its acidity is lower than traditional, high-growth, washed coffees, and it can make wonderful espresso.

Honey Processing

Select and classify for honey processing, then remove the cherry skin in a machine. Inside the coffee cherry are the seeds (which we call coffee beans) as well as the pulp and sticky mucilage, which contains high sugar to feed these seeds. This sticky substance in the cherry is commonly called "pectin." In this process, the skin is removed, but this sticky mucilage is not removed as it would be in washed coffee. These sticky coffee beans are placed on raised beds to dry, and the mucilage fermentation that occurs over the next few days and weeks brings some sweetness, body, and fruit flavors.

Tasting Notes

This particular coffee is of the Typica variety, grown at 1200-1600m, with flavors like "grapefruit, plum, creamy cocoa." The taste is clean, sweet, and super citrusy, completely different from any Sumatra coffee I've had! This is a medium-rich coffee with many flavors. It starts with sweet grapefruit candy notes. Pink grapefruit, but without the bitterness from the pith, it's both bright and citrusy, yet also sweet. It gradually builds on the lower part of the slope, with a damp note in the cooling cup that reminds me that this coffee still comes from Sumatra island. The finish melts into more orange juice, with some lingering grapefruit and single-origin chocolate notes that, while subtle, are still present. The fruit in the aftertaste lasts a long time, and for me, there are also berries, a bit of raspberry, maybe some blackberry, while still maintaining orange and grapefruit dominance.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters:

Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:14

Grind size: Fuji Rokusuke 3.5

Water temperature: 86°C

Brewing method:

Bloom with 26g of water for 30s, then slowly pour with a small water stream to 118g for segmentation, then slightly increase the water flow for a slow pour to 210g.

Total time: 1'45"

BG grind: 4Z

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