Sumatra Aceh: Gayo - Pantan Musara Microlot

Sumatra Aceh: Gayo - Pantan Musara Microlot

Our Origin Select coffee this month comes from a small mill in the Pegasing district of Takengon, in northern Sumatra's coffee-famous Aceh (AH-chay) region. The mill serves several small coffee producers within the Pantan Musara villages; several years ago, these producers were dislocated from their homes and land because of a natural disaster, and they have rebuilt their lives and farms with a new focus on coffee. Unlike the vast majority of other Sumatran coffee receiving and processing centers, this mill is producing washed coffees, as well as naturals.

This outstanding coffee that we selected this month is unlike our standard Sumatra single origin that we feature year round. Sweet, fruity and citrusy, this drinks almost like an African coffee, and as such we backed off of our normal super dark roast to really highlight these notes. Our roasting team chose a medium roast to bring out the best in this wonderful microlot. 

Coffee is delivered to the mill by producers in the area, and for washed coffees, only fresh red cherries can be purchased. The washed coffees are fermented for 36 hours after being de-pulped, then washed four times to remove the mucilage. It's then spread into a drying house or on raised tables to dry for 14 days or so.