Ribang Gayo (Washed) – Sumatra

Description

Plum, Blackberry, Molasses

Limited Time Offering – This ain’t your typical Sumatra. Clean and sweet, this thoroughly washed coffee from the Aceh Province is a total 180 from the earthy, wet-hulled Sumatras of the past. Refreshing notes of stone fruit, brown sugar, and white grape are supported by a creamy, coating mouthfeel that lingers like warm molasses, significantly as it cools. Hailing from the Ribang Gayo Cooperative led by Asman Arianto, this coffee is a prime example of how selective harvesting and quality processing can lead to exceptional flavors in the cup.

When Asman Arianto arrived in Aceh Tengah in 1998, he began collecting and processing wet-hulled (giling basah) coffee. This unique process is used almost exclusively in Sumatra, where many producers lack the drying infrastructure to shelter parchment coffee from high humidity and inconsistent rainfall. Asman soon transitioned to natural, washed, and honey processes with colossal success. Ten years later, in 2018, he formed the Ribang Gayo Musara Cooperative to offer competitive prices and training for other farmers in the area. 

Today the cooperative comprises over 350 producers who deliver hand-picked cherries to a newly completed wet mill in Pantan Musara. The fruit undergoes a rigorous selection process before being de-pulped using a disc pulper. Beans are wet fermented for 12 hours before being soaked in clean water for 24 hours, then dried on raised beds and covered patios.