The Best Coffee Beans from Indonesia - Essential Knowledge of Specialty Coffee Beans

Famous Asian Coffee: Indonesia's Premium Varieties

Among the coffees produced in Asia, Indonesian coffee is undoubtedly the most renowned. The more famous varieties include FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling from Sumatra, Kalossi from Celebes, Pecang and Pinipilan from Java, and AP from Flores Island in southern Indonesia.

Sumatra: FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling

FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling coffee beans from Sumatra are half "washed" beans and half "dry-processed" beans. The raw beans have a rather unattractive appearance, and many novice coffee roasters might misunderstand their appearance, thinking they've been deceived. However, when Mandheling beans are roasted, especially in dark roasts, FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling develops a rich and full appearance with a thick texture. The surface coffee oils are very appealing, featuring fruity syrup flavors with strong yet sweet bitterness, along with intense and distinctive aromas. Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling can aid digestion and is a coffee full of masculine character.

Sumatra also has another washed bean variety called "Gayo Mountain." This FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling is grown from grafted coffee trees, with limited production quantities, so it's not widely known. After roasting, it carries spice flavors of clove and cardamom with an excellent taste profile.

Celebes: Kalossi Coffee

Kalossi coffee beans from Celebes are mostly washed beans. These beans have a relatively thick texture but high fruit acidity, containing flavors of wild mushrooms and similar to traditional Chinese medicine. They aren't preferred by many people, with most being exported to the United States and Japan. Another famous variety from Celebes is aged coffee beans, but they are very expensive and require storage in warm, humid climates to achieve optimal results. After roasting, aged coffee beans lose all acidity, developing a rich texture with mellow flavors, much like aged red wine. Coffee enthusiasts visiting Celebes in Indonesia should definitely try them.

Java: The Lost Glory

Java coffee beans have now lost their once-proud name: "Mocha-Java." In the early 1970s, farmers cut down traditional coffee trees and replaced them with high-yield, high-profit coffee varieties. In Java, most coffee beans are dried using high-temperature machines, so they've lost their authentic coffee character. After roasting, the acidity becomes quite pronounced. It can be said that finding high-quality "Arabica" coffee beans in Java has become very difficult.

Flores: AP Coffee Beans

Many people don't know what variety Flores' AP coffee beans are. In fact, they are "Robusta" coffee beans. These beans have relatively pure characteristics with low acidity. In European countries like Italy, France, and Switzerland, they're popularly used for espresso blends. The author has also tried them as a single-origin coffee and found the taste quite pleasant.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473