Sumatra Gayo G1 TP Natural 2024

Sumatran Natural Process Green Coffee

Pendi is a producer in Sumatra with a farm in Kute Panang at 1,500masl. Although the wet-hulled, or giling basah, process is the most widely adopted processing method in Indonesia, Pendi applied the natural process to this lot of Ateng Super green coffee, yielding complex flavors and a variety of fruit notes that complement a syrupy body.

Ateng is a commonly grown local variant with a lineage that traces back to the Timor Hybrid. The Ateng Super line originated from a single dwarf tree on a farm in Aceh Tengah that stood out for its small size and high yield, thus earning it the designation of a “super” varietal. Ateng Super trees can also start producing crops only a year after planting, which helps farmers repay their debts more quickly after an investment.

Sumatran coffee production has a long history, extending to the 17th century when the Dutch East India Company imported coffee plants to Indonesia. Indonesia’s large, westernmost island is home to a wide range of tropical flora, fauna, and microclimates. Farms on Sumatra are typically 0.5 to 2.5 hectares scattered across remote regions, connected by a network of collectors, processors, traders, and exporters to the global market.

Natural Processing in Sumatra

Most farmers and wet mills employ the wet-hulled, or giling basah, process for coffee from Indonesia. However, some regions like Kute Panang have been eager to adopt other processing methods, like the natural process, to diversify their offerings.

After ripe cherries are harvested, they’re sun-dried on plastic sheets or specialized drying containers for three to four weeks, depending on weather conditions. Producers turn the cherries frequently to ensure they all dry evenly and to prevent mold and rot. Due to Indonesia’s humid climate, it can be challenging to have dry, sunny weather for weeks at a time, making natural Indonesia green coffee lots like this a rarity.

Sumatra Coffee Quality

Sumatra coffee quality is classified into different grades depending on the number of defects present in an unroasted coffee sample of 300 grams. The highest, Grade 1 TP, signifies that the coffee was triple-picked, referring to how many times the beans were hand-sorted, and less than five defects were found per sample. Similarly, Grade 1 DP (double-picked) signifies less than nine defects were present. For a Grade 1 Indonesia green coffee without a TP or DP mark, less than 11 defects were found per sample. The grading system spans grades 1 to 6.

Indonesia Green Coffee

The key Indonesian green coffee regions include Aceh, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, West Java, Bali, and Flores. Java, in particular, is renowned for its pivotal role in spreading coffee production across the Indonesian archipelago. While regions like Sulawesi and Sumatra boast a long history of coffee cultivation, Bali represents a relatively newer coffee-growing area, primarily known for its small-batch, limited-scale coffee production. For a deeper dive into these regions, explore our Indonesian Coffee Origin Report .