Sumatra — Aceh Single Origin, Wet-Hulled

<p><strong>Region:</strong> Aceh, Takengon, Sumatra &nbsp;|&nbsp; <strong>Altitude:</strong> 1,100&ndash;1,600m &nbsp;|&nbsp; <strong>Process:</strong> Giling Basah (wet-hulled)<br>
<strong>Cup:</strong> Medium acidity, syrupy body, dark chocolate, dried fruit, earthy, long lingering finish</p>

<p>If you've had coffee that tasted <em>earthy</em> and weren't sure whether you liked it, it was almost certainly Sumatran. This is the origin that divides people, and it's worth understanding why.</p>

<p>The reason is <strong>Giling Basah</strong> &mdash; wet-hulling, the processing method that defines Indonesian coffee. Everywhere else, the parchment layer stays on the bean until it's dried to around 11% moisture. In Sumatra it comes off at 30&ndash;35%, while the bean is still soft, and drying finishes afterward. The bean is exposed to air, humidity and handling far earlier and for far longer.</p>

<p>That produces the Sumatran signature: a <strong>syrupy body you can almost chew</strong>, low acidity, and a savoury depth that reads as earthy or forest-floor. Dark chocolate and dried fruit sit on top of it, and the finish goes on for a remarkably long time.</p>

<p>This lot comes from <strong>Koperasi Baitul Qiradh Baburrayyan</strong> in the Takengon highlands of Aceh, at the northern tip of the island &mdash; a farmer cooperative working land between 1,100 and 1,600 metres. The varietals are ones you won't see elsewhere: Tim Tim, Ateng, Onan Ganjang and Jember, alongside Typica.</p>

<p>Not a beginner's coffee, and not trying to be. If you want bright and fruity, our <a href="/products/kenya">Kenya</a> is the opposite end of the shelf. If you want the heaviest, deepest cup we sell, this is it.</p>

<p><strong>Brew it:</strong> French press, without question. Coarse grind, long steep.</p>

<p><strong>Pairs with:</strong> something dense and slow. This is not a beach-read coffee.</p>