New Bean Release: Indonesia Sulawesi Toraja Sapan Minanga
One of the highest elevation grown coffees in Indonesia, Sapan-Minanga is unusually crisp, while still possessing the rich body you expect from a Sulawesi coffee. Sulawesi is a more exquisite taste structure compared to the over-marketed Sumatra friend to the north.
- Acidity & Brightness: Low acidity, crisp for an Indonesian coffee
- Balance & Finish: Slightly complex with a lingering, sweet woody finish
- Body & Texture: Bold, rich body and syrupy texture
- Flavors: Baker's chocolate, cedar and licorice
- Grade: Grade 1 (Highest from this market)
Processing: Wet-hulled (semi-washed), shade grown in volcanic soil, hand picked & sun dried
Recommendation: This is one of our most popular coffees. People who enjoy rich coffee with very little "bite" and a long, lingering chocolate finish will enjoy this coffee. It is Indonesian without the earthiness of a Sumatran. The flavor can be changed substantially depending on how dark you roast it, but it will appeal to a wide audience.
Formerly known as Celebes, the island of Sulawesi is home to some of the highest (if not the highest) grown coffee in Indonesia. Nearly all of the coffee from this island comes from the southern region of Toraja which is bisected by the Sesean Mountains. Historically, coffee grown on the east side of the mountains ends up in the market town of Minanga, while coffee grown on the west side usually ends up in Sapan. Recently, however, much of the Sulawesi coffee we've been getting is chosen from the best crops from both markets, indicated with the name "Sapan-Minanga." In any case, this extremely high grown coffee (up to 2,000 masl) results in some of the cleanest and smoothest coffee you'll find in Indonesia. So if you like all the syrupy body and low acidity of Indonesian coffee but aren't a big fan of all the complex earthiness, Sulawesi coffee is for you! This very dense coffee also stands up to dark roasting quite well and even into Vienna roasts, you can still taste much of the origin character.
This years crop does not disappoint! It retains the low acidity you expect from Indonesian coffee while having just the slightest sense of crisp front end when compared to its neighbors. This is representative of it's higher grown character. It's also very clean and less complex than Sumatra or Java which still having that baker's chocolate sweetness and slight bitterness. The syrupy texture is accompanied by a huge body and you'll also note pleasant woody flavors including cedar and the classic black licorice candy. This coffee remains the cleanest Indonesian coffee and is great for folks who tend to be chased off by Sumatra's supremely complex earthiness.