Coffee from the Koerintji Barokah cooperative has become a staple in our offer and we look forward to it every year. We would not be afraid to say that it is one of our favourite coffees.
Farm / Processing Station:
The coffee beans come from the foothills of the volcanic Mount Kerinci, one of many volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 40,000-kilometer-long series of 452 horseshoe-shaped volcanoes that are part of an almost constant dance of eruptions and plate movements. Historic eruptions of the volcanoes have ensured that the surrounding area is full of green and very fertile volcanic soil.
The grains were processed by a 320-member cooperative called “Koerintji Barokah Bersama Cooperative live and farm on a planteau”. The entire group is led by Tryiono, who oversees the processing and roasting of their coffees. Incredibly, the entire group was founded in 2017 and today they have their own fully functioning roasting and cupping lab right next to the dry mill.
Almost all farms in Sumatra are small. They average between one and a half and two and a half hectares and coffee is the main income for farmers here. After the coffee harvest, many of them work as labourers on local tea plantations, which are often not far from the coffee plantations. This is one of the reasons why there is an increasing initiative to organise cooperatives here, allowing them to negotiate better prices for coffee cherries, share their experiences and organise training.
During the harvest, all the cherries are picked by hand. Usually most of the work is done by the immediate family. After picking, the cherries are brought to the UPH collection centre where they are bought by the cooperative and processed before being sent to the central processing station. Basically, the UPH centre is a small processing station. Triyono oversees 9 UPH centres owned by the cooperative.
Each UPH centre is located in a different area and receives cherries from different farmers. To make things more efficient, there is another farmer who provides technical support to make sure that the processing process is done with the same precision and quality at each station.
Variety:
Anung Sari is a hybrid of Caturra and HdT1343 (Timor hybrid). It is known for its high yield, relative ease of cultivation and excellent sweet cup profile. It is a dwarf plant, which means that it is relatively small and grows best at an altitude of 1 250 m above sea level or higher.
Sigarar Utang is a semi-dwarf plant that was bred in the mid-1990s by the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI). It is a cross between Caturra and HdT831 (Timor hybrid) and is known for its fertility and year-round fruit production. The name of the variety translates as ‘quick to repay a debt’, which is indicative of its productivity. In terms of cup profile, you can expect a clean cup with herbal and fruity notes, syrupy body and rich intensity.
Processing:
Our natural lot, was first carefully sorted and then dried on African beds. These are placed in large temples to protect the cherries from rain or direct sun. Here, the coffee cherries were re-sorted and turned regularly to ensure that the drying process was even. After drying, the beans are shelled and sorted by hand for the last time. Once sold, a portion of the proceeds goes back to the farmers as a reward for the premium quality of the beans.
Notes from our baristas:
Our favourite natural processed coffee is back and as every year the farmer did a great job. At the roastery we unanimously agreed that this is our favorite espresso of the year. The 1 : 1 2,17 recipe worked best for us in times around 30 seconds. The espresso is beautifully juicy with notes of tropical fruit on the body. The flavours of passion fruit and mango dominate. At the end the natural processing flavour stands out leaving sweet notes similar to caramel biscuit and chocolate in your mouth. Don’t be afraid to play with the output. At slightly longer output on the gram the coffee is more sweet with less juiciness. On the contrary at lower grams the fruity body stands out with a light natural aftertaste. We use the same recipe to the milk as well. The coffee tastes incredibly sweet. The taste is reminiscent of passion fruit cheesecake and caramel biscuits.
