Pantan Musara, Natural Process, Asman Gayo Mill

When we first came across this coffee in 2022 we were so blown away that it ended up being one of our favorite coffees of the year.  Yet, we didn’t buy any.  The issue was that we didn’t think the market was ready for a coffee from Sumatra to be a bonafide fruit bomb.  All of the things we think of when we think “typical Sumatran coffee” do not apply here.  Tobacco, leather, cedar, smoke, bitterness- none of that.  This coffee stuck with us long after we passed up the opportunity to buy some and it ended up restructuring and refocusing how we present our coffees: producer and flavor first; country and region as an afterthought. If the coffee stands out on the cupping table, we buy it- full stop. We have been dreaming of the chance to offer this coffee since 2022, and our very limited amount is finally here!

This coffee comes from a small mill in the Pegasing district of Takengon, part of the coffee-famous Aceh region- from which we source our other Sumatran coffees. Several years ago, the producers in the Pantan Musara villages were dislocated from their homes due to a natural disaster, and they have rebuilt their lives and farms with a new focus on coffee, producing both washed and natural offerings, rather than the “wet-hulled” offerings that we typically get from Sumatra which are responsible for that characteristic, traditional flavor.  Instead, this coffee is syrupy and sweet, with berry flavors, dried fruits, dark sugar, and just enough of an herbaceous undertone to subtly remind you where it’s from.

• COUNTRY: Sumatra

• REGION: Aceh, Gayo

• ELEVATION: 4900 ft

• PROCESS: Natural

• VARIETAL: Ateng

• This coffee is best 8-15 days after it was roasted.