Indonesian Java Bondowoso – Echwan Farm – Anaerobic Natural

Description

Before he began farming coffee, Pak attended Brawijaya University in the city of Malang, East Java, where he studied agriculture, farming techniques and farm management, as well as business. He then attended the IPB (Institut Pertanian Bogor) / Bogor Farming Institute where he underwent more intensive training in coffee farming.

Initially, Pak was met with little success when he tried to market coffee from Argopuro to local markets; coffee prices were very low at the time, so local farmers in Argopuro chose to plant tobacco or corn instead. Undeterred and determined, Pak explored the markets of bigger cities like Jakarta, where he found roasteries and coffee shops that recognized the potential of coffee from Argopuro and were willing to pay higher prices.

Proper natural processing is very challenging given the extreme level of humidity in the region; it takes an astounding amount of effort and skill to ensure consistency and quality through strict quality controls. The end result, however, is an incredibly expressive, juicy, floral yet clean profile.

This coffee was dried on raised beds for 15-16 days and stirred once every hour before being patio dried for an additional 8-10 days.

In this unique “hydro honey” process, cherries are sorted and dried on raised beds for 4-5 days, just as they would during a natural process. After drying, cherries are then soaked in water for 24 hours to rehydrate. After rehydration, cherries are depulped and dried on raised beds for 12-15 days, just as they would during a normal honey process.

Tasting Notes: A beautiful offering unlike any Java we have had before. These beans taste decently closer to a Central American Natural processed than other Indonesian coffees we have had. Lighter roasts produce a  delicate and sweet exotic cup of coffee, lighter bodied with some crisp lemony acidity right upfront and pronounced red fruit tones. Medium roasts get a bit more chocolaty, fuller bodied and lesson the raw lemony acidity without reducing too much of the fruity factor. Dark roasts get more traditional Indo tasting, much edgier with smoky and roasty chocolaty notes and a little fuller bodied. The aromatics on this cup regardless of roast levels let you know you have something exotic and special.

Roasting Notes: Higher chaff and a little uneven roasting, we would still consider them easy to roast but might need a little reduction in batch size. Good from light to dark, this is a more delicate coffee so if you want those lovely floral and fruity tones, make sure to end it just a little after first crack.