KSU Arinagata is a fair trade cooperative in Aceh. We like Aceh coffees, those grown by Gayo peoples in the area of Lake Tawar, because they have the classic balance of earthiness, pungency, body and rustic sweetness that signifies "Mandheling" type coffee. If it's a bit confusing, you have reason to think so. Mandheling (the Dutch spelling of Mandailing) is a region and a people from West Sumatra, but they grow little to no arabica coffee! Yet their name was borrowed to signify a specific flavor type, at a time when most coffee from Indonesia was exported as "Java" coffee. Coffees grown in the state of North Sumatra, centered around Lake Toba, are often called Lintong coffees, and have a more herbal character. Some coffees from North Sumatra are also sold as Mandheling, such has those from Sidikalang, from the northern side of Lake Toba, or simply ones that cup without the typical Lintong flavor profile. Aceh is actually the state that is to the north of North Sumatra! And for me these coffees have a flavor less distinct than Lintongs, but epitomize the cup character people might expect from the name "Mandheling". In any case, since Mandheling really signifies nothing, we have decided not to overuse it. Only our regional Classic Mandheling (which is also an Aceh coffee!) uses the name. KSU Arinagata coop has over 800 members, small-holder farmers, who produce 100% organic coffee. It is a traditional wet-hulled coffee, meaning the farms each pulp the fresh-picked coffee cherries and semi-dry in small batches on the farm. Then they are delivered to the coop mill for further drying, wet-hulling, and final drying. At lighter roast levels, the dry fragrance from this cup has a rustic caramelly sweetness, laced with sorghum syrup. Darker roasts have a pungent bittersweet quality, molasses and chocolate notes. The wet aromatics add a more rustic element, an earthy scent (in the positive sense, not dirty). The cup is impressive for the balance of sweet and (especially at FC+ roast) potent dark spicy notes; cinnamon, allspice, clove, mulling spices. The acidity is very low, as expected, and the body very dense and thick. There's no mustiness that I find so often in bad Sumatra lots, but foresty dark-earth notes, wet humus-like flavors, linger in the aftertaste of the darker roast levels.



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Lintong coffees are from Sumatra, the island that is politically and geographically part of Indonesia. Lintong Nihota is the town that has become synonymous with the entire southern part of Lake Toba area. Lake Toba defines the landscape of the area, the largest volcanic crater lake in the world, and the result of the largest volcanic event on earth in the last 25 million years! It is huge, and the coffees from the north and eastern shores are quite different from the Lintong coffees. Lintong coffees are farmed by the Batak peoples that are the indigenous tribe that works the coffee in this area. We offer the top grade, specially- prepared Lintong coffees as Blue Batak in honor of the Toba Batak people. Blue Batak is a near-zero defect prepartion, without the usual split beans, broken pieces and crud found in standard Sumatras. It is carefully density sorted and triple-hand-sorted. A roast note: It might go against common sense, but I find Sumatras like this more complex in the lighter roasts than in the usual darker roasts they receive. The main reason is that many commercial roasters use color and surface texture as indicators of roast level. They roast coffee until the bean looks attractive. With a Sumatra like this, you will mostly likely hit 2nd crack at the point where the surface texture and variegated bean color evens out, and (I think) you may have gone too far at that point. Ignore appearance, try a lighter roast. The aromatics are pungent and the cup is complex at City+ roast, with herbal tones, and caramel/butterscotch sweetness paired with malty grain notes. There are hints of tobacco and spice (clove, pepper). The sweetness reminds me of chicory root and molasses. There is latent fruit hiding behind chocolate in the finish. And there is tons of thick, chocolate roast flavor as well. The body is huge, oily, waxy. Of course, I roasted this to FC, FC+ and Vienna and it's a great cup across the board, turning more to bass-note flavors and a "noir" cup profile at FC+. But it was my lightest roast, C+, that was the most complex. Give it a try.



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Dolok Sanggul is a city within the coffee growing area we refer to as Lintong. Lintong Nihota is the town that has become synonymous with the entire southern part of Lake Toba area most of the coffee from the southern shores are sold as such. Lake Toba defines the landscape of the area, the largest volcanic crater lake in the world, and the result of the largest volcanic event on earth in the last 25 million years! It is huge, and the coffees from the north and eastern shores are quite different from the Lintong coffees. Dolok Sanggul is a local marketplace for coffees from the area; once a week the farmers gather to sell their parchment coffee to trusted vendors, who "collect" it on behalf of specific mills, or as freelancers. The mill we work with has certain farmers from higher altiitude areas, and who produce a very clean, high-quality parchment coffee. That's part of the reason this has great cup character ... the other is special milling and sorting practices. We offer the top grade, specially- prepared Lintong coffees as Blue Batak in honor of the Toba Batak people. Blue Batak is a near-zero defect preparation, without the usual split beans, broken pieces and crud found in standard Sumatras. It is carefully density sorted and triple-hand-sorted. The dry fragrance has chocolate and caramel biscuit tones, but with a slight earthy and graham cracker graininess. Surprising fruits come forward in the wet aroma, even a momentary whiff of citrus, pineapple, dried plum, fig. It's got great rustic sweetness, aromatic tree bark, cinnamon stick, black tea, and mulling spice in the finish. The body is a bit lighter than the Onan Ganjang micro-lot we have as a sister lot, even though they come from areas that are very close to each other. It also has less of the herbal notes found in other Lintong coffees, which I think makes it a better choice for use in espresso. In fact, the shots I have made from Dolok Sanggul have been really fantastic, like no other Sumatra I can think of ... but only when rested 5 days or more after roasting. It needs rest!

This coffee is part of our direct trade Farm Gate pricing transparency program.

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