Indonesian Sulawesi Coffee Beans - Kalosi Toraja Royal Treasures from Sulawesi Island

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FrontStreet Coffee - Indonesia Sulawesi Island Kalossi Toraja Introduction

Indonesia's Sulawesi Island was formerly known as Celebes Island, ranking as the 11th largest island in the world by area. It integrates the cultures of multiple ethnic groups. The name "Celebes" means "strong currents," originally given in 1511 when a sailor was stranded here due to a severe storm and thus named it Celebes. Today, because this area was rich in iron ore in early times, the place name was changed by combining local languages (Sula meaning "island" and Wesi meaning "iron ore"). It is one of Indonesia's islands famous for coffee production, possessing unique natural conditions, and its coffee cultivation history is quite long-standing.

Like Java and Sumatra, it also has volcanic terrain, with ten active volcanoes still present in this region. The Dutch began planting coffee on this island in 1750 AD. Due to the fertile tropical highland volcanic weakly acidic soil, high-quality Arabica can be cultivated in Toraja, southern Sulawesi.

"Toraja" is not a place name, city name, or variety name, but rather refers to the "Toraja" ethnic group skilled in coffee cultivation living in the mountainous areas of central Sulawesi, and it's also the name of the island's specialty beans. "Kalossi" is the small town of Kalossi in the central part of the island, serving as the main trading center for Toraja coffee beans. Due to limited production, it has been defined as specialty beans since the Dutch era. Toraja farmers possess a strong quality concept, selecting only fully ripe coffee cherries for harvest, which consequently extends the harvesting season. Sulawesi Island is rich in iron ore with high iron content in the soil, creating the unique Toraja coffee flavor profile.

Indonesia Sulawesi Island Kalossi Toraja

Region: Indonesia Tana Toraja highland (southern part)/ South Sulawesi

Altitude: Approximately 1000 ~ 1600 meters

Variety: Arabica

Soil Type: Volcanic soil

Grade: G1

Processing Method: Semi-washed processing

Harvesting Method: Hand-picked

Annual Temperature/Rainfall: 20°C/ Approximately 1000 ~ 2000mm

Dry Aroma: Earthy, sweet nutty, mushroom aroma, rich woody notes, spiced nuts, orange peel bitterness

Wet Aroma: Woody aroma, distinct nutty grain notes, rich oily sensation, malt grain flavor, wine-malt aroma, brown sugar fragrance

Tasting Notes: The sweetness and thickness taste somewhat similar to savoring single malt whisky, with wet earthy notes close to Sumatra Mandheling, fresh grass aroma, rich creamy texture, smooth and mellow with nut and chocolate flavors, slight floral notes, quite rich with a long aftertaste. Overall, it's a fragrant and sweet coffee with pleasant aftertaste.

36 Coffee Aromas

Knowledge Point: In Indonesia, 90% of coffee is Robusta, likely a result of the devastating coffee leaf rust disease in the 19th century. However, in the Toraja region, 95% of coffee is Arabica.

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