Sumatra Holong Batak Heirloom

This unique coffee comes from Northern Sumatra, on the south west side of Toba Lake and is about eight hours of driving from Medan (six, if you know the right guy), the capital of the province. This area’s altitude ranges from 800 up to 1,700 meters (2,600 up to 5,600 ft) above sea level;  Arabica coffee trees are maintained on the higher parts of the region, from 1,500 up to 1,700 meters (5,000 up to 5,600 ft) above sea level, some of the highest grown coffee in Sumatra.

A higher grown coffee means the bean had a cool, slow maturation time, allowing the coffee plant to impart as many nutrients as possible from the soil to the seed. In addition to this coffee being uniquely grown at such altitudes, our partners in Sumatra go a step beyond their counterparts and fully wash this coffee. The normal processing in Sumatra (called Giling Basah) is to foster bacteria in the coffee and maintain high moisture levels, giving it a dirty, earthy, mushroom and often fermented taste. If one can avoid the fermented taste, Giling Basah tends to mask negative flavors of inferior varietals. However, the Onan Ganjang variety is full of flavor, complexity and nuance. By fully washing the coffee, you can taste the true nature of the bean, a rare – and with this variety – wonderful revelation. In the cup, expect big dark and milk chocolate flavors and subtle sweetness.