

However, the plants in the highlands of Indonesia, such as in northern Sumatra, were not as affected by the coffee rust disease. Most of the coffee produced in Indonesia these days is robusta. It’s more resistant to disease, has more caffeine, but it doesn’t taste as good as arabica. The Dutch colonial government decided to replant with the robusta coffee plant. The lower elevations were especially devastated. Coffee rust, a disease common to coffee, nearly wiped out all the plantations around the end of the 19th century. Unfortunately, all the plants were the same varietal. Once established, Indonesian was the largest coffee producer in the world. Coffee plants flourished and exporters began a vigorous trade. Although the plant isn’t native, the tropical climate, heavy rains, and high volcanic mountains were a perfect fit. Our Top Picksĭutch colonialists first brought arabica coffee beans to Indonesia in the late 1600s. In a study, three out of four blind tasters picked the Mandheling out of 42 samples!Īre you ready to walk on the wild side? Choose the best Sumatra coffee from our list below to expand your horizons. This coffee has a distinctive flavor profile. We’ll talk more about the process later in the article.Ī premium variety is Mandheling. Sumatra is virtually the only place that processes the beans this way. The taste comes in part from the unusual coffee processing technique called wet hulling. It has a full body that holds up well to additives like cream and sugar. Indonesia is the fourth largest coffee producing country in the world.Ĭoffee from the island of Sumatra has a reputation for a unique, earthy flavor. But what is Sumatra coffee? It has a flavor as exotic as where it’s from. People either love or hate coffee from Sumatra. The bonus is that it’s naturally low in acidity. Do you love a dark, rich, fully flavored cup of coffee? If yes, you might want to try Sumatra coffee.
