Flavor:
Fruit, spicey, earthy nusances with a delicate acidity. Rich, full bodied with syrupy nusances.

Detailed Information:

Arabica coffee production in Sumatra dates back to the 18th century under Dutch colonial rule and was first introduced in the northern region of Aceh around Lake Tawar. There is still a lot of coffee production in the northern regions of Aceh (Takengon, Bener Mariah) as well as in the Lake Toba region to the southwest of Medan. Sumatras have traditionally been sold as Mandheling and Lintong. The historical name Mandheling derives from the ethnic group who assisted in coffee production. The ‘Classic Mandheling’ has been used as a general term to describe all coffees from the area. 

This special coffee found in the sub-region of Gayo displays a unique plant material and trees with extra large cherries. Farmers believe this to be a mutation of old seedstock when coffee was first planted in the area. 

Historically, Sumatrans started arriving on our shores in the 1960s. They were more popular north of the border where they were roasted aggressively to a darker colour. 

Today Sumatrans have been rediscovered and the Gayo is distinctive and triple hand sorted to a grade 1 standard. These coffees are usually very forgiving during roasting. They work well on a wide range of roasting equipment and roasting styles. They prefer a darker roast just past 2nd crack for 10-20seconds. The cup can be very volatile for 5 days after roasting and can create blending issues during this period. Well roasted and blended Sumatras are suited to all types of wet cup coffee making equipment.