Bali Blue — Kintamani Single Origin, Medium-Dark Roast

Roast: Medium-dark  |  Region: Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia  |  Altitude: 1,200–1,600m
Cup: Dark chocolate, molasses, brown sugar

Kintamani sits in the highlands of northeastern Bali, in the shadow of an active volcano, and the soil there is volcanic loam — young, mineral-rich, and very good at growing things.

This lot comes from smallholder farmers working that ground between 1,200 and 1,600 metres. Cherries are hand picked, then wet-hulled and finished on raised beds.

That processing choice is why this doesn't taste like a Latin American coffee. In wet-hulling — Giling Basah, the Indonesian method — the parchment layer is stripped off while the bean is still soft and wet, rather than after it's fully dried. The bean spends far longer exposed, and it picks up the depth that Indonesian coffee is known for.

What arrives in the cup is dark chocolate and molasses with brown sugar underneath — heavy, sweet and low in acidity, with none of the brightness you'd get from an African coffee. Bourbon, Typica and Catimor varietals.

If you like bold coffee but find dark roasts bitter, this is the one to try. The depth is coming from the bean and the process, not from the roaster.

Brew it: French press. The body is the point, and a paper filter strips out exactly what you're buying it for.

Pairs with: a cold night and something atmospheric.