Indonesia

The flavour, acidity, aroma and level of caffeine are influenced by several factors. Soil conditions are important and the rich, volcanic soil of Indonesia is particularly friendly to coffee trees. Elevation, of course, affects the beans and so does the amount of shade or sunlight that they get. The method of harvesting, processing and how the beans are roasted also contribute to the body, flavour and aroma of the coffee.

Sumatra coffee is rich with good body.  One of our favourites. consistent coffee with a really good body.  Tastes range from earthy through to chocolately - so you want to be sure to get the better options available.  They tend to be dry processed.

Java coffee is one of the more famous names - part of perhaps the earliest blend - Mokha Java which is names after the two largest coffee exporting ports in early times.  They tend to be grown at around 1,370 metres.  Generally washed / wet processed, arabica and robusta coffee tends to come from former Dutch estates.

Bali coffee is grown on the plateau of Kintamani, which lies between the Batukaru and Agung volcanoes.  The beans are wet-processed and have a soft body and sweet flavour with citrus notes.

Sulawesi coffee is grown in an area called Tana Toraja high in the mountainous areas.  It tends to be spicy, sweet and smooth.  Mostly wet-processed.

East Timor coffee has a limited production - with the growth of coffee farming one of the bright spots for this new nation.  Primarily organic - watch this space.

Kopi Luwak is notoriously the most expensive coffee in the world (featured in the movie "Bucket List").  The Asian Palm Civet, also called a Luwak in Indonesia, eats the raw red coffee cherries.  Their "excretions" are gathered by the locals who wash and sanitise the beans therein to ready for sale across the world.  It seems the Luwak’s stomach enzymes are responsible for the unique flavour of this coffee.

How this "wonderful" coffee was discovered in the first place - we can only speculate.  Perhaps it was served to an unsuspecting European as what became Indonesia's greatest joke on the Western world.