The history of coffee production in Indonesia dates back to the seventeenth century. In the late 1600s the Dutch set up their first coffee plantation on the island of Java, as a result of which the Netherlands became the commercial centre of coffee. The geographical conditions of the Indonesian islands are excellent for coffee cultivation. In addition to the high-quality Arabica coffees, the production of Robusta is also significant in the country. One of the central regions of modern coffee cultivation within Indonesia is the island of Sumatra, where coffee is grown by small producers working on farms of a few hectares. Coffees produced in the middle part of the island are often labelled Mandheling, which stems from a historical misunderstanding. It does not indicate the area but goes back to the word "Mandailing" that is the name of a local ethnic group. Sumatra employs almost exclusively a special processing method called Giling Basah, as a result of which the coffee has low acidity but a rather full body.
Cup profile: heavy body, low acidity with floral, cedar notes