Roasted Darker.  Bold, Rich & Intense. Gooseberry. Tomato Puree.

About the coffee | APKO (Asosiasi Petani Kopi Organik) co-operative are focussed in the Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah districts of Sumatra. Their 750 contributing producers are small, family-owned farms, spread across 13 villages in the surrounding hills. Each village has its own collecting station for receiving parchment.

The producers are responsible for hand pulping ripe cherries at their property, loosely washing away mucilage and partially drying their coffee in parchment down to between 35-40%. In this state, collection points transport the daily haul to APKO’s centralised mill, where parchment is further dried down to 14-16%. It’s this, very particular coffee handling tradition in Sumatra, in which parchment is held for an extended moment at a relatively high moisture content, that gives wet-hull processed coffees from the island their distinct bluish hue. It also imparts an equally pronounced flavour profile that carries somewhat lime-mineral, herbaceous notes and a deep syrupy body. Born out of a hustle to move a cash crop with minimal fuss has inadvertently carved traditional Aceh producers a niche profile that has proven near impossible to replace once it takes up residence in a roaster’s blend.

After density sorting, milling and mechanical cleaning, a team of highly skilled women hand-grade the lot to remove visual defects and improve uniformity. In the case of this lot, the second round of hand-sorting is carried out by APKO’s senior QA team of more experienced women, to elevate and lend the coffee greater transparency of flavours.

Region: Aceh, Sumatra

Producer: Collection of Farms

Altitude: 1110-1160 masl

Varietal: SL 795 & Typica

Processing: Semi-Washed