The Explorer Trio

Spices, Dark Chocolates, Big Bodied   The northern most part of the country is ‘Daerah Istimewa Aceh’, one of 27 provinces in Indonesia which has special status. The Mandheling coffee is grown around lake Tawar, near to the town of Takengon. The soil is rich and volcanic and has grown coffee for many years. Many areas work on the single stem pruning system, and cut the main trunk every 3 years or so – this gives a very solid central producing wood. The surrounding district is pretty tropical rainforest, with coffee sometimes growing wild amongst other trees, other times in cleared areas. The coffee is produced on many small holder plots, and usually pulped and sun dried on patios, without being fermented. There are very few plantations. The final quality is determined by the exporters, who are based in Medan, close to the port, where they hull and polish the green beans. Area: Lake Tawar, Takengon, Daerah Istimewa Aceh Process: Giling Basah (Wet Hulled) Variety: Catimor, Typica Altitude: 1200 meters