Sumatra Lake Toba Samosir Honey

This honey-processed coffee was grown along the southern shores of Lake Toba in the District of Lintong Samosir. The Lintong region of Northern Sumatra is known for growing and processing high quality cherries using classic Sumatran techniques. More than 300 smallholder farmers from the Hutasoit tribe, seventy percent of whom are women, contributed to this lot. They grow their cherries between the elevations of 1200 and 1400 masl in volcanic loam soil.

After harvest, the farmers sort their cherries and transport them to a central mill. There, they are depulped and fermented overnight before being sun-dried on patios with their mucilage intact. Fermenting coffee in its mucilage is known as honey processing. Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are hulled using the traditional Indonesian "giling basah" method, also known as wet hulling. The parchment layer of the coffee cherry is removed while it has a 30-35% moisture content as opposed to the usual 12% moisture content, resulting in an earthy, full-bodied flavor. Honey processing is uncommon in Sumatra, which is one of the many reasons why we are excited to feature this coffee!