Sigumpar Lintong – Indonesia

Indonesia has a long coffee producing history, until recently their coffees have been overlooked by the specialty market. But now, with new infrastructure and relationships, farmers are able to produce high quality, meticulously processed, and traceable coffees. This lot comes from farmers near Sigumpar village and is processed by the Hutasoit family. “Lintong” coffees take their name from the District of Lintongnihuta in Northern Sumatra.

Farmers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farms. They start by pulping the coffee cherry and drying for about 1 to 2 days. Then, they sell this wet parchment to the Hutasoit family, collector-processors who hull the parchment and complete the drying process.

Indonesia is perhaps best known for its unique wet hulling process (giling basah). Though its exact origins are unclear, wet hulling most likely originated in Aceh during the late 1970s.

At higher elevations with constant humidity and unpredictable rainfall, drying can prove to be slow, risky and difficult. So, farmers first partially dry their coffee before bringing it to a central processor to be hulled and fully dried. Removing the hull is typically done after drying, but in the wet-hulled process the hull and husk are removed while the coffee is still wet in order to allow the coffees to fully dry.

In this lot from Sigumpar Village look forward to deep, lingering notes of honey and star anise, complimented by a juicy acidity reminding us of currants or grapes.