What Coffee Brands from Indonesia Are Worth Buying? The Flavor Profile of Sulawesi Toraja AA Washed Beans

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What are the worthwhile coffee brands to buy in Indonesia? What are the flavor characteristics of the washed AA grade beans from the Tana Toraja region in Sulawesi, Indonesia?

Indonesia straddles both sides of the equator, with a humid tropical rainforest climate and abundant rainfall, while fertile volcanic soil provides rich nutrients for coffee. Indonesia is a republic composed of approximately ten thousand islands, but coffee production is mainly limited to three islands: Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi. Robusta varieties account for 90% of its coffee production. The small quantity of Arabica variety coffee beans produced on Java Island are small-grained and represent a high-quality coffee bean with acidity. The Arabica variety on this island was once world-class, but in 1920, due to large-scale pests and diseases, it was replaced with Robusta varieties that have pest resistance. Today, the Robusta variety coffee beans it produces are considered world-class, with the distinctive bitterness of "Java Robusta" widely used for blending. The "Mandheling" produced on Sumatra Island is one of the few Arabica varieties with relatively large beans, but due to less-than-ideal production management and the immediate impact of roasting quality on the beans, it has received some criticism. However, its rich thickness from the Orient, with a syrupy smooth texture, made it considered a premium coffee before Blue Mountain appeared, and many people still love it today. "Ankola" is a small, slightly round coffee bean that represents Indonesian coffee.

The large Kalosi from Sulawesi, while the smaller-grained "Rante Pao" is less famous. The old name of Sulawesi Island was Celebes, one of the oldest islands in the Indonesian archipelago. Sulawesi, Java, and Sumatra all have volcanic terrain, with the most famous coffee growing region located in the Tana Toraja highlands, situated in the mountains of South Sulawesi. The coffee-growing areas range from 1,300 to 1,500 meters above sea level, with towering terrain, abundant sunshine, significant day-night temperature differences, and constant temperatures maintained between 24°C-25°C. Combined with the rich nutrients of fertile tropical highland volcanic soil, this provides the ideal environment for growing high-quality Indonesian Arabica coffee forests.

Coffee beans from the Toraja highlands of Sulawesi, Indonesia are synonymous with quality coffee; with limited annual production, they possess the elegant characteristics of high-altitude beans and are renowned for their full body viscosity and rich flavors. They are often the preferred choice of Indonesian royalty and European aristocracy, representing a refined selection among Asian coffees.

Sulawesi Island (Celebes) was under Dutch rule from 1605 until World War II and was deeply influenced by them; in 1669, the Dutch East India Company controlled the trade in Sulawesi; in the mid-1600s, the Dutch built Fort Rotterdam in Ujung Pandang (now Makassar), and it wasn't until 1905 that they completely conquered the entire island, incorporating it into the Dutch East Indies; in the 1700s, the East India Company controlled all coffee production in Indonesia and introduced Arabica coffee (Typica variety) to Sulawesi in 1750. It takes quite some time to travel from Minneapolis, USA to Tana Toraja in Sulawesi: Minneapolis—Tokyo—Singapore—Jakarta—Makassar, followed by an eight-hour drive north to Rantepao in Tana Toraja. This place is simply one of the most beautiful in the world, lush green with rice paddies as far as the eye can see, a peaceful atmosphere pervades, and traditional boat-shaped stilt houses (Tongkonan Houses) are visible everywhere, with special Toraja patterns carved into them as decoration.

Most coffee in the Tana Toraja region is of the S795 variety, a Typica hybrid, which once again proves how deeply variety affects coffee flavor; Indonesia has many Timor varieties, which are cross-breeds of Robusta and Arabica, but Tana Toraja has successfully preserved higher-quality coffee varieties. In 2010, rainfall in Sulawesi was double that of previous years, leading to a 70% reduction in the 2011 harvest, making it nearly impossible to purchase Sulawesi-produced coffee during that harvest season.

Traditionally, Indonesian coffee is processed using the wet-hulling method (Giling-Basah) or, like in the Sumatra region, the wet-pulping method; Toarco is a Japanese-Indonesian joint venture that introduced the traditional Central American washed processing method to Sulawesi in 1976. Toarco operates the Pedamaran Farm, located at 900-1,250 meters above sea level, which purchases undried coffee beans (approximately 40% humidity) from small-scale coffee farmers. These farmers typically grow coffee at 1,200-1,800 meters above sea level. After the coffee beans are quickly transported to Pedamaran Farm, they are placed on raised beds for drying at the farm's processing plant. If farmers wish to sell their coffee beans to Toarco, they must provide grade certification for their beans, including details about selective harvesting, storage, transportation, humidity, and more; farmers need to apply for coffee identity cards to sell coffee during weekly market days in the Tana Toraja region. This batch of coffee comes from higher altitude growing areas.

Flavor Profile

Soft acidity, smooth and mellow, with fruit and cream aromas as well as woody grassy notes. The aftertaste carries a sweet spiciness, with both finesse and depth. The aftertaste is long-lasting.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method:

Dripper: KONO dripper

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 4

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:14, using 17g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring to 238g total water. Extraction time approximately 2:30 minutes.

Analysis:

The KONO dripper has relatively few ribs at the bottom, causing the filter paper to adhere closely to the dripper, which restricts airflow. This allows water and coffee grounds to have longer contact and steeping time in the dripper, ensuring proper extraction time and extraction rate for coarse grinds. This enables the coffee grounds to be fully extracted, enhancing the rich mouthfeel and making the flavor more concentrated.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473