Wet-process coffees from Sumatra or Sulawesi are rare. There are other Indonesia islands (Java, Timor, Flores) and sources farther up the island arc (Papua New Guinea) that do wet-processing. But Sumatra and Sulawesi are known for the Giling Basah (Wet-hulled) process that results in the heavy body, low acid cup profile tasters associate with the reason. This is an example of flavors from processing having a huge bearing on the cup flavors. Previous examples of wet-process Sumatra showed that when you lift that veil of "process flavor", there was little origin character, be it from the cultivar, the altitude, the micro-climate, or anything else, to speak of ... in other words, the coffee was incredibly boring. For those who dislike process flavors this always poses a problem; fruitiness from funky fermentation, or earthiness from the fact that, in Sulawesi and Sumatra, green coffee is dried directly on the ground/patio/tarp, with no protective shell or skin. So the question always in the back of my mind was this: are these inferior coffees that are being "flavored" by process, something we would not accept from any other origin. If we lift that veil of flavoring, would there indeed be a cup "signifying nothing." Well, to stand as clear proof that fear is unfounded, we offer a totally unconventional, fully washed (wet-process) coffee from the only long-established Estate in Sulawesi; PT Toarco Jaya. Relieve this coffee of the overlaying process flavor, and it soars! Clean, bright, sweet; things that only come with good handling, good altitude, and good cultivar. While it may be a flavor profile one expects from Guatemala, not Sulawesi, it might also prove to those who don't like the earthy funk of Indonesia coffee that they CAN find something extraordinary from this part of the world. I visited there late last year and was so impressed. Toarco Estate is located in Tana Toraja and ranges from 1000 to 1250 meters, but much of their coffee comes from higher-altitude smallholder farmers they work with, upward of 1500 meters. It measures 530 hectares, but 300 is planted in coffee while the rest is preserved as native forest. The coffee is grown under a shade-tree canopy which they are restoring to nearly original condition at this writing. As I mentioned, Toarco farm also purchases coffee from surrounding smallholder farms, and provides agronomic education to these farmers to make sure the strict quality measures are met (in particular, the purchase only of fully ripe, red coffee cherry, and exacting milling and sorting standards). All the cherry is processed at the Toarco wet mill the same day it comes in from the field, using traditional wet-process methods you would find in Central America or other areas with a washed coffee tradition. While this an unusual Sulawesi cup, it still has flavors that relate to other coffees of the region. The dry fragrance is floral, potent, dynamic and bright with dried orange peel and rose petal potpourri. Slight traces of fresh pine sap beneath the floral and citrus harken to the foresty character of Sulawesi. The wet aroma has the same super-fragrant potpourri character, with a slightly more herbal-floral aspect. In the cup, the clean and sweet character is so unique for this origin. The body is moderate, certainly less than the wet-hulled Sulawesi coffees, but suggestions of pine/juniper resinous flavors give an Indonesian twist to a profile that might otherwise be Guatemalan. While bright and dynamic, it has a a softer side too, characterized by the floral notes and balance; this dimension reminds me of Kona ... but this is far more complex and sweet than any Kona coffee. Perhaps the "island character" influence links the two, as marine climate patterns seem to be at play with both. The finish balances between the the floral and the foresty character I mentioned before. This AA preparation is, like all things from Toarco, expertly done. It is very large, rating more as a 19+ screen than an 18. We will also have a peaberry lot coming later, with the same cup character and ratings.

This coffee is part of our direct trade Farm Gate pricing transparency program.

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This is a regional lot from South Sulawesi, from the area called Enrekang, grown on the slopes of Mount Alla. As happens often in Indonesia, the people of the region are also the Enrekang (or Endekan), and live a very traditional agricultural lifestyle. They also happen to have coffee from especially high altitude, and a separate coffee mill serving just this area. So for the first time this is a separate and distinct lot from this one processing station, rather than having it blended with other lower grown coffees. It is also a traditional "semi-washed" Indonesia process lot, meaning that it has the earth tones, rustic chocolate notes, low acidity and dense body that is anticipated in Sulawesi coffees (and has been missing in the clean, bright lots of recent years). I appreciate both styles of Sulawesi, but those who look for something closer to Sumatras will enjoy this Sulawesi Enrekang. The dry fragrance has plenty of earthy chocolate, but also a black pepper note, and a dark caramel sweetness. The cup is dense, chocolaty, low in acidity, and at first it seems a bit mild in the aftertaste. As it cools it "opens up" more, and the body seems opaque and syrupy in texture. It's sweet in that rustic, Indonesia kinda way, butterscotch-like. It's a good deep-toned cup. For the finish I jotted down these terms: Syrupy, Dense, Bittersweet. While having earth/humus aspects, it's also clean (if that can be, without contradiction). On the one hand, there is dirty, earthiness and on the other there is the smell of fresh dark earth, forest floor aromas, as we have said before. If the distinction is difficult to imagine, this cup of coffee can help!



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Toraja coffees can come from anywhere in the Tana Toraja highlands, and sometimes they even come from outside the area and are blended with true Toraja coffees. In the very north of Toraja are the highest growing areas, like Pulu Pulu, and these coffees are brought by the farmers down to the local markets of Sapan and Minanga to sell to collectors for the larger mills. So Sapan and Minanga represent the best collection points for the highest grown Toraja lots, and what we have here is a coffee exclusively from those two local markets. A lot of the cup quality of Sulawesi coffees is the result of the post-harvest process, the wet-hull method, called "Giling Basah". The dark, chaff-free appearance of the green is evidence, as well as low acidity, heavy body, and some of the muted, deep fruit notes. But with this lot, it is clear that starting with higher altitude coffee from these areas in the extreme north of Toraja is a factor in the final cup. In particular, the bean seems to have more density, resulting in sweet roast flavors well into 2nd crack. The dry fragrance isn't overwhelming, but has a lot of rustic sweetness, and pungent spice in the darker roasts. The wet aroma fleshes out these qualities: dried plum and raisin pudding, peppery spice in the FC+ roast. The darker roast levels are where this coffee really hits it's stride: intense, thick oily body, dark brutish cup flavors. It's also a astoundingly clean cup, not musty, without dirty earth notes, but by no means a wimpy cup either! The coffee remains darkly sweet, with caramelized brown sugar, into 2nd crack, and has no ashy roast flavors (well, not until you really burn it). The aftertaste has a pleasant, warm woody tone, with lingering caramelized sugar sweetness, and traces of fruit: berry, raisin bread, black currant. It's one of the best Indonesian coffees I have cupped at this FC+ roast level, with an intriguing relation between bittering roast notes and lingering sweetness.



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