Sumatra Wet Process Kerinci Pendekar

Wet processed coffee is a little harder to come by in Sumatra than the traditional wet hulled style. Those two processes may sound very similar, but are actually quite different. The wet process is typically associated with clean flavors, and more pronounced acidity, whereas wet hulling leads to the earthy, rustic flavors, and low acidity that Sumatra is known for. What happens when you remove the lens of rustic processing? This is a unique opportunity to find out. This coffee comes from Gunung Tujuh area, a higher elevation coffee zone around Mount Kerinci in Jambi Province. There's a cooperative of farmers that have banded together in this growing region, taking an interest in going beyond the traditional wet-hulled process, incorporating dry process, honey process and wet processing to their repertoire. We're calling it "Pendekar" - which translates to "warrior" - as it's a term of endearment members use for each other when someone does a really good job with a coffee (like improving their processing equipment, planting more coffee, building a greenhouse, etc.). This is their fully-washed coffee, meaning they are pulping, fermenting immediately and moving wet parchment straight to the drying beds after rinsing away the remaining fruit. It's a gentler process than wet hulled, and results in a cleaner flavor profile, almost no earth tones at all, and acidity that's normally lacking in Sumatran coffee. The farms in this area are planted in mostly Ateng (cross of Timor Hybrid and Bourbon) and benefit from the high slopes, situated between 1400 - 1500 meters above sea level.