SUMATRA MANDHELING BENER MERIAH - Premium Roast

If you know Sumatra's, you know!

About This Coffee:

Sumatra coffee beans are known for having a taste that is rich, full-bodied, earthy, rustic yet have a mild acidity. While higher acidity coffees overall are a deeply satisfying brew, it can be too much for coffee drinkers who prefer a milder experience. The lower acidity makes Sumatra a great option for people with acid sensitivities.

Sumatran coffee is full-bodied and heavy, and some say it's so thick it can be mistaken for syrup. Sumatran coffee is processed using a wet-hulling technique, which retains the beans' moisture content and results in a full-bodied coffee. Sumatra's volcanic soil, climate, and the unique processing techniques used by small-holder producers contribute to the coffee's distinctive flavor.

A group of smallholder farmers from Bener Meriah, Sumatra came together to produce this regional blend. In this region, coffee farms average at just 0.5 – 2 hectares each. Bener Meriah is nestled around the northern shore of Lake Tawar and dominated by the imposing Burni Telong volcano. The process of producing coffee from groups of smallholder coffee farmers in Sumatra is complicated and involves many steps. Every village typically has a collector who receives the fresh-picked cherry from the smallholder coffee farmers for washed processing each day before continuing on to the central mill. For this coffee, PT Indokom Citra Persada managed the composition of the coffee, quality, milling and exporting. PT Indokom Citra Persada is an export group that works throughout Indonesia’s coffee regions, but who has a dedicated mill and operations team in Aceh.

The acronym GR1 for coffee beans stands for Grade 1, the highest classification in a defect-based grading system. This grading is used by some countries, most notably Ethiopia, to indicate the quality of green coffee.

Grade 1 coffee bean requirements According to these grading systems, to be classified as a Grade 1 specialty coffee bean, the lot must meet the following criteria:

• Defects: The beans must have no primary defects and only a few minor, or "full," defects (usually between 0 and 3). • Quakers: The lot must have no "quakers," which are unripe or improperly roasted beans. • Distinct attributes: The coffee must possess a distinct and positive characteristic in one or more of the following areas: taste, acidity, body, or aroma.

• Moisture content: The beans' moisture content should be between 9% and 13%.

• Uniformity: The beans must be well-sorted, with a maximum of 5% of the beans falling outside the specified screen size. e'

Grade 1 vs. Grade 2 coffee

The distinction between Grade 1 and Grade 2 coffee, especially in a country like Ethiopia, is primarily the defect count. Grade 1 has a stricter, near-zero tolerance for defects, while Grade 2 allows for slightly more. Both are considered "specialty grade" coffee. <2

Non-universal grading It is important to remember that coffee grading is not a universal standard. Countries like Kenya use a different system that grades based on bean size (e.g., AA, AB) rather than defects, and other countries have their own unique grading methodologies.