How Many Varieties of Indonesian Coffee Beans Are There? Introduction to Indonesian Coffee Types

Introduction to Indonesian Coffee

Coffee was first introduced from Ethiopia, Africa, to Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, where it officially became an economic crop. Around 1600 it spread to India and was cultivated in Ceylon in 1658, though harvests were consistently poor. It was not until 1696 that the Dutch sent a batch of Yemeni Arabica coffee seedlings from Malabar, India, to Batavia in Java, Indonesia (now Jakarta). This first batch of seedlings perished in severe flooding. In 1699 a second batch was sent, and these coffee trees took root, flourished, and were domesticated as the JAVA variety. Thanks to suitable climate and soil conditions, Arabica quickly spread to Sumatra, northwest of Java, and to another large island to the northeast, Sulawesi.

Elegant-flavored Arabica is distributed mainly in northern Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the higher elevations of Java. Although it accounts for only about 10% of Indonesia's coffee production, the reputations of Mandheling, Golden Mandheling, Lake Tawar, Gayo Mountain, Aceh, Sulawesi, Aged Mandheling, and Old Brown Java have kept Indonesian coffee renowned in the specialty industry for decades, unburdened by other inferior Robusta varieties. Today, Java coffee is predominantly Robusta.

Coffee Varieties

TYPICA

TYPICA is the original variety introduced by the Dutch. Most TYPICA plants were destroyed in the late 1880s when coffee leaf rust swept through Indonesia. However, TYPICA mutant varieties from Bergandal and Sidikalang can still be found in the high-altitude regions of Sumatra.

Hibrido de Timor (HDT)

Also known as "Tim Tim," this is a natural hybrid of Arabica and Robusta. It appears to be a single-origin coffee variety from around 1917-1918 and was cultivated in Aceh in 1979.

Linie S

This lineage initially evolved from Bourbon in India. The most common varieties are S-288 and S-795. They are typically grown extensively in Aceh Province, Flores, and the Lindong region.

Ethiopian lines

Including Rambung and Abyssinia, these are varieties brought to Java in 1928 and have been continuously cultivated in Aceh. Another group of Ethiopian varieties was discovered in Sumatra, known as "USDA," which was introduced to Indonesia in the 1950s.

Caturra

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon coffee, originating from Brazil.

Catimor

Catimor is a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta developed to enhance flavor and disease resistance. Catimor includes many sub-varieties, and most current research focuses on determining which Catimor varieties are suitable for cultivation in Aceh while maintaining good cupping results.

Quality Characteristics

Indonesian coffee quality is highly diverse. Its advantages include the fact that most coffee characteristics feature rich, reserved flavors and lively acidity. Its disadvantages may include an uncomfortable astringency or slight musty flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Among Indonesian coffees, FrontStreet's top Mandheling is the FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling. PWN buys high-quality Mandheling green beans, then applies one machine sort plus manual hand sorting to select only plump, flawless beans, all of which reach specialty grade. Golden Mandheling is the company's flagship. Its beans are even, plump, and translucent with a low defect rate, and after medium-dark roasting they carry a rich roasted aroma. The brewed black coffee has a clean mouthfeel and full body, and it is a fine choice for anyone who dislikes acidic coffee.

For pour-over, FrontStreet suggests 87-88°C water, 15g of coffee, a 1:15 ratio, and a coarse-sugar grind, poured in three stages: 30ml to fully wet the grounds and degas, then 100ml to bring out the golden foam and lift the coffee bed, and finally a gentle 95ml center pour to raise the sweetness, rounding out the body and the caramel sweetness with chocolate and nut flavors.

If you want to use Mandheling in an espresso machine or moka pot, the FrontStreet Lindong Mandheling is the everyday choice. FrontStreet's classic blend layers a medium-dark Mandheling onto Brazilian coffee's creamy nut character, making the butter, roasted chestnut, and caramel notes especially prominent. The Mandheling lifts the body of the whole cup and lends it distinctive sandalwood, herbal, and spice notes, and a small amount of Robusta is added to enrich the crema, so latte art and layered Dirty drinks are both easy to pull off.