All good things to come to an end, the wonderful Madam Popa we have been stocking has now run out, and as sad as that is, the good news is we have found a lovely organic Sumatran to replace it.

Although sharing a lot of properties with the Madam Popa, it is also full of differences , with the biggest hit of leather I have found in a coffee. But enough I present to you, Sumatra Aceh Tengah Organic

The growers that produce this coffee are located around the town of Aceh Tengah, close to Lake Laut Tawar in the centre of Aceh Province in the far north-west of Sumatra and are part of a organic mill.

There are very few coffee estates or even co-ops in Sumatra. Instead, a huge number of tiny growers – farms rarely exceed three hectares – sell small quantities of coffee at their local village market. These farmers, many of whom are women, bargain hard and prices for semi-prepared coffee are very high compared to Latin American and African standards.

The local market system means that traditional notions of ‘traceability’ do not apply in Indonesia. This makes our choice of milling partner absolutely crucial.Our import partner with this coffee agreed to pay significantly more than any other buyer for first refusal on their pick of the crop coffees, this is the only way to guarantee quality from Indonesia on an ongoing basis. The mill in Medan is clean, efficient, well-managed and staffed by a legion of hand pickers, all of whom receive at least the government minimum wage – with many earning more than this with performance related bonuses.

In the cup expect some big bold notes. A little bit of leather on the front end, mixed with earthy tobacco tones, and a HUGE body that carries on and on. Not for the feint of heart, this is a big old coffee.

Coffee: Aceh Tengah Organic
Farm: Numerous organic certified small growers around Aceh Tengah
Varietal(s): Various
Processing: Semi-washed
Altitude: 750 -1,500 metres above sea level
Owner: Numerous small growers
City: Aceh Tengah, Lake Toba
Region: Aceh Province
Country: North West Sumatra, Indonesia