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What Are the Characteristics of Sumatra Coffee - Indonesian Sumatra's Rich and Wild Brew

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat Official Account: cafe_style) FrontStreet Coffee - Sumatra Coffee Introduction Coffee from Sumatra Island is renowned for its smooth, sweet, full-bodied flavor and low acidity. Notes of cocoa, earth, and cedar wood are all well-represented in the cup. Sometimes, Sumatra coffee can exhibit higher acidity

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Sumatra Coffee

Coffee from the island of Sumatra is known for its smooth, sweet, full-bodied flavor and low acidity. Notes of cocoa, earth, and cedar are well-expressed in the cup. Sometimes, Sumatra coffee exhibits higher acidity, which can balance its full body. This acidity carries flavors of tropical fruits, sometimes with notes of grapefruit or lime.

Mandheling

Mandheling is a trade name used for Arabica coffee from northern Sumatra. It originates from the name of the Mandailing people, who produce coffee in the Tapanuli region of Sumatra. Mandheling coffee comes from northern Sumatra and Aceh.

Lintong

Lintong coffee grows in the Nihuta region of Lintong, located southwest of Lake Toba. This large lake is one of the deepest in the world, reaching 505 meters deep. The coffee production area is a plateau famous for its rich tree fern species. The neighboring Sidikalang region also produces Arabica coffee.

Gayo

Gayo is a region on the slopes around Takengon town and Lake Tawar at the northern tip of Sumatra in the Aceh region. The production area has an average elevation ranging from 1,110 to 1,600 meters. Coffee is grown by smallholders under shade trees.

Coffee from this region is typically processed using the traditional Wet Hulling method, known locally as giling basah. Wet-hulled coffee is characterized by its rich body but relatively lacking in acidity and sweetness.

Historical Note

In the 1860s and 1870s, coffee leaf rust disease devastated Indonesia's coffee market, causing the Dutch to abandon many plantations. With the collapse of the plantations, workers took possession of small plots of land, eventually replanting coffee with Robusta and various disease-resistant Arabica hybrid varieties.

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