[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro 1″ _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px”]<\/p>\n
The Republic of Indonesia is without a doubt one of the most diverse and challenging places from which we source coffee, for myriad reasons.<\/strong> For one thing, when we say Indonesia<\/em> we are talking about a chain of literally thousands of islands in the Indian Ocean, comprising roughly 1.9 million square miles of total land mass between continental Asia and Australia, on which more than 260 million people make their homes. Those islands also contain a multitude of ethnicities and cultures, as well as more than 700 languages in addition to the official national tongue of Bahasa Indonesia.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Indonesia_OR_Cafe_Imports_2-1.jpg” module_alignment=”center” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro 1″ _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px”]<\/p>\n For another thing, wow, Indonesia is really, really far away from our headquarters in Minnesota\u2014nearly 9,000 miles, almost as far away as two places on planet Earth can be from one another. The journey from his most recent stop in Peru to visit partners on our primary coffee-sourcing island of Sumatra is even farther\u2014more than 11,500 miles\u2014and it can take senior green-coffee buyer Piero Cristiani at least two full days\u2019 travel by plane, car, moto, and however else he can make tracks just to touch down at the start of his visits.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/FLores_2018_Piero-1-2.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro 2″ _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Despite the distance, the language barrier, and the cultural variations that make sourcing coffee throughout Indonesia\u2019s different islands something of a Tetris game, Piero always looks forward to the journey and is perpetually seeking new partners and exciting developmental projects for the coming years. This year\u2019s trip to Indonesia for Piero was no exception, and in fact it brought him to some farther reaches of the country in search of exceptional quality, dedicated and innovative producers, interesting profiles, and\u2014especially in a year with tough pricing all around from Asia Pacific\u2014some value options to meet all of our customers\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n Here, a brief recap of Piero\u2019s most recent visit to Sumatra, Java, and Flores, and what we can expect from a few of this year\u2019s arrivals from Indonesia.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Sumatra 1″ _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px”]<\/p>\n There\u2019s no way to sugar-coat the fact that there was something of a coffee crisis in Sumatra last year: Supplies have been almost desperately low and, correspondingly, prices are exceptionally high\u2014but unfortunately cup basis has almost nothing to do with it.<\/p>\n \u201cBasically it rained too much when it wasn\u2019t supposed to and then it was dry when it was supposed to rain, so there was flowering that happened but the cherry never developed,\u201d Piero reports. According to the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters and Industry, Indonesian coffee in general was tremendously over the spring harvest, and yields in North Sumatra decreased to roughly 20 percent the typical annual production\u2014an absolutely drastic drop in the supply of coffees that are cornerstones for so many coffee companies.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Sumatra 1″ _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px”]<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we see this type of activity when prices go up and production is low, the farmers don\u2019t really pay as much attention to quality since people are desperate to buy,\u201d Piero says. For this reason, we have had short supply of some of our signature coffees such as Harimau Tiger and FTO offerings, as the price simply hadn\u2019t justified the cup. However, Piero learned on his travels that producers are hopeful for improvement in the second season.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re expecting a much better crop now. The main crop is typically October, November, and December, but they\u2019re saying it will probably start earlier, in September this year,\u201d he says, and forecasts are expecting prices to markedly drop\u2014though it is typically an origin that is slightly pricier than others. \u201cDemand for Sumatra in general is high since it has been a staple for roasters as single origins and even for blending,\u201d he continues. \u201cIt\u2019s always been expensive relative to some of the other origins we really value, like Latin American coffees.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/sumatra-3-e1535475614698.jpg” align=”center” max_width=”90%” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/sakdan-e1535475784556.jpg” align=”center” max_width=”90%” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Sumatra 2 – Sakdan + Sabri” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px”]<\/p>\n Overall annual volume is certainly a factor, weather or no weather: Compared to a huge volume\u2014and therefore value\u2014producer like Colombia or Brazil, whose bag counts are in the many millions, Sumatra\u2019s annual production of roughly 400,000 bags on a good year is a drop in the proverbial bucket. We are expecting to see coffee from some familiar and friendly faces, however: In addition to later-season lots from Fair Trade\u2013 and organic-certified group like KSU Item Reje Gayo and Kopepi Ketiara, we\u2019re also bringing in single-variety selections from Sabri, who grows Abyssinia variety on his family farm Blang Glee, and the community lots from our micromill partner Sakdan and his Bergandal Mill.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Sumatra 2 – Sakdan + Sabri” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px”]<\/p>\n \u201cSakdan is doing really good,\u201d Piero says, following up after a difficult year health-wise for our friend at Bergandal. Back on his feet now, Sakdan is interested in collaborating with Cafe Imports on an interesting new social and community endeavor that we can\u2019t wait to watch develop. Meanwhile, Sabri has had some difficulty with his farm help, which Piero says can be common in these times of low supply and very high demand. \u201cIf you start being too strict [about quality] with pickers in these conditions, they\u2019ll just tell you, \u2018Oh, at the farm next door they don\u2019t really care what we\u2019re doing.\u2019 We\u2019re going to give perfect cherry prep a shot,\u201d Piero says as a possible solution, even though it will probably limit quantities.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/washed_sumatra.jpg” align=”center” max_width=”90%” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Sumatra 3 – Washed coffee” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px”]<\/p>\n One of the other most thrilling developments in Piero\u2019s sourcing this year has been the development of a new relationship that is showing real potential, with a small group of growers who are focusing on producing Washed coffees\u2014some of the first that we\u2019ve tasted out of Sumatra, with cup scores between 86\u201388. \u201cI thought it was pretty intense, with red fruit\u2014kind of like a Rwanda type coffee. Really interesting. We\u2019ve been trying to work with them for a year,\u201d Piero says, though pre-financing has been an issue for the group. \u201cI have high hopes,\u201d he continues\u2014so stay tuned.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Java” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px”]<\/p>\n It might seem a fair assumption that a company that imports coffee might do more direct work in a growing region that literally shares a name with the stuff, but our past purchases in Java have not been as direct or as consistent as in other parts of Indonesia. Java remains one of the islands that has some large estate farming, something of a holdover from the Dutch colonial history of the island. Four large farms that were former government property account for more than 4,000 hectares, but we have found that the coffees from these bigger properties don\u2019t always stack up to the region\u2019s reputation for ultra-high quality. Instead, Piero has been focusing on finding smaller producers in the west, at high altitudes\u2014between 1,200\u20131,500, maybe 1,600 meters above sea level.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Java_2018_Piero-2.jpg” align=”center” max_width=”90%” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Java_2018_Piero-6.jpg” align=”center” max_width=”90%” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Java” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px”]<\/p>\n \u201cThe collection system is very similar to Sumatra,\u201d he says, describing some of the additional difficulties of working with smallholders on this island. \u201cThere are collectors, and they will buy in either cherry or parchment. The collectors sell to the wet-hullers, and then the wet-hullers sell to the local market or to exporters.\u201d<\/p>\n Finding the right partners, then, has been pretty tricky, in part because of the complicated number of steps the coffee goes through, but also simply and practically speaking, because of both distance and difference.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s been the most complicated,\u201d Piero admits. \u201cFinding good counterparts in Latin America is fairly easy, but here there is a language barrier. Most of the people\u2014especially local suppliers\u2014don\u2019t speak English, they speak Bahasa Indonesia.\u201d Those challenges are hardly enough to keep Piero from making introductions and, of course seeking out the best cups he can find. While at the time of this writing we are still waiting on samples from a couple different potential partners in Java (their main harvest generally wraps up in August), Piero came away from his trip here feeling very optimistic, with one Community Coffee booked from the smallholder producers of Majalengka in West Java. If that lot\u2019s cup notes of sweet, tart citric acidity, dark chocolate, and smooth mouthfeel is any indication, this might be the start of something really delicious.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Flores” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px”]<\/p>\n South of Sulawesi\u2014an Indonesian island from which we also get several lots every year, from our partners at PT Toarco\u2014is Flores, which also turned out to be a rose of a coffee-producing region for Piero this trip. It was his first time visiting the lesser-recognized origin, and he was impressed by what he reports was \u201cthe best cherry selection in Asia, and even solid for Latin American standards.\u201d<\/p>\n The smaller island is distinct from its neighbors on the archipelago not only because of its name (Portuguese for \u201cflowers,\u201d called for the underwater gardens to the east) and its primarily Catholic population (Indonesia is a predominately Muslim country), but also because some of its coffees are Washed, specifically in the Bajawa region, though there is also Wet-Hulling. \u201cAltitudes are around 1,200\u20131,500 meters,\u201d Piero says, \u201cso there\u2019s potential here, but you can\u2019t really export out of Flores. You have to bring it to Java, or to Medan in Sumatra.\u201d Which, of course, doesn\u2019t add any<\/i> complications at all.<\/p>\n Flores was also still in the thick of harvest at the time of writing, and it\u2019s yet to be seen what relationships and offerings will come out of this season, but with this groundwork and his experience traveling and cupping his way through Indonesia, Piero believes that there is certainly reason to watch this space for awesome updates from this incredible, challenging, varied, and consistently compelling coffee-growing country.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/FLores_2018_Piero-2.jpg” module_alignment=”center” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Arrivals ” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified” text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px”]<\/p>\n Piero expects the coffees resulting from this trip to begin arriving to our international warehouses over the late fall or early winter of 2018. Stay tuned to our offerings list and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on arrivals and to request samples of the available lots.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A look at the diversity and difficulty of sourcing in Indonesia, one of our favorite far-flung coffee origins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":37130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[305,306,304,245],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flores","category-indonesia","category-java","category-sumatra"],"site_id":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}SUMATRA<\/span><\/h1>\n
JAVA<\/span><\/h1>\n
FLORES<\/span><\/h1>\n