An Overview of Indonesian Coffees
Indonesia. (China and India also produce high-quality arabica in this flavor group, but we treat them separately.) Most high-quality (and some really poor) coffee from southeast Asia comes from Indonesia, but you knew that. It’s essentially a string of active volcanoes where elevation, rich soil, tropical heat, occasional ash and abundant rain can make coffee trees quite happy. Indonesian coffees such as Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java and Bali are generally Typica and Typica hybrids, and the traditional giling basah (wet hull) processing method produces an earthy, rustic, low-acid, slightly savory cup that is the basis for many a coffee aficionado’s first coffee love.
In general, Indos are far less bright than African coffees, earthier, chocolaty, savory, and even smoky or herbal rather than fruity and sweet–in short, more rustic and less refined.
Exceptions to the Rule Of course, Indonesia’s coffee industry is not a monolith, so there are places where different varietals and processing methods are changing the expected taste profile a bit. Some of this is driven by the desire to improve the quality of Indo region coffee overall, and some is pure experimentation with cultivars and processing. Two examples are worth noting: Papua New Guinea and Sulawesi (formerly called Celebes).
Papua New Guinea Central Highlands In the case of Papua New Guinea, introduction of the Jamaican Blue Mountain cultivar and a different processing method gives much of the coffee a taste profile like those of Jamaica and the Islands with only a hint of Indo-ness. I’ve included it in the Island Coffees regional description for that reason. PNG coffees grown from Jamaican Blue Mountain varietals and processed using a washed method deliver a delicate, clean Island profile that is quite different from the classic rustic “Indonesian” profile. Sulawesi may use the same Typica hybrids as the rest of Indonesia, but different processing methods are used to create a cleaner, more refined version of the “Indonesian” profile.
General Profile. Indonesian region coffees in general present an opportunity for experiencing a fairly wide variety of taste profiles depending on roast level. The traditional wet-hulled processing methods of the beans allow for more wild, rustic flavors at lighter roasts. These are very complex cups and not everyone’s favorite, but they are interesting and worth a try. Some descriptors include:
cedar
herbal
fruity
pipe tobacco and leather
The lighter roasts of Indonesians tend to look mottled, gnarly and not at all uniform, so it is no surprise that most of us were introduced to the dark roasts first. They are the dark, brooding, “noir” profile Indos that made us take notice of specialty coffee in the first place:
Dark bittersweet chocolate
smoke and pepper
forest floor after a rain, cedar and herbal
licorice, pipe tobacco
While neither end of the roast spectrum has much acidity, the heavy body and low acidity of the dark roast is emblematic of the region.
Note: While kopi luwak (civet cat poop coffee) has become popularized as an exotic, very high end coffee of late, NanoRoast will not jump on the bandwagon and offer it for two reasons: a) muddy, dirty taste not worth the price, and b) cruelty to the civets. Avoid kopi luwak.