Description
This is an organic certified, G1 fruity natural processed lot from Rantekarua Estate, Bittuang, in the Tana Toraja region of southern Sulawesi.The farm was originally established by a Dutch company called Van Dijk and was nationalized after independence in 1945. The subsequent decades it became overgrown forest, until 1987 when Kapal Api purchased the land and rehabilitated. The estate encompasses 1200 hectares, 700 of which are planted with coffee. A full wet-mill equipped with Pinhalense equipment is located on-site and coffee is dried on raised beds under expansive cover. Standard processing includes flotation, pulping, 24 hour fermentation, wash, soak, and 14-21 days drying. In addition to farmed coffee, the estate purchases cherry and wet-parchment from out-growers. The estate is currently owned and operated by the Sulotco Jaya Abadi group, which has a major processing facility in the Bolokan valley at 1500 meters above sea level. The road from the estate to the processing facility is extremely rough and rocky with the nearest major city (Rantepao) about 4 hours away along unpaved roads.
Very different from most Sulawesi coffee, and less like its cousins from Sumatra or ones like Bali Blue Moon. The fruitier natural processing puts it pretty similar to Indonesian Bali Kintamani Natural. Lots of sweetness with a fruity/fermenty tone that will overlay some traditional Indonesian cup qualities.
Tasting Notes: One tasty Indonesian bean for you natural processed fans. A hint of citric brightness comingles with stronger fruit tones, balancing with some classic Indonesian chocolate and earth notes. Very sweet for a Indo but will be fruity enough where traditional wet-hulled fans may not like it. Unlike its wet-hulled cousins, fruity naturals shine at the light to medium roast levels. Crisp, clean, sweet, balanced and exotic. The darker one goes, the more traditional Indonesian tones in the cup but there will be no missing the natural processed fruitiness, comes off a bit boozy and oaky at the fuller roasts giving great depth for some but can turn a little bitter/sweet if you touch 2nd crack or go darker. Still tasty for an Indo fan but the lovely light-medium roasts are where most will think it best.
Roasting Notes: Light to medium roasts is what to shoot for. Higher chaff levels and a little uneven roasting, but we had no issues hitting our roast levels. Lighter roasting, good to get through the first crack, if you end it during first crack you may get a bit heavy on the grassy tones. Fuller roasting, any signs of second crack cool it out right away or risk a little bitter.
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