Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/673312
April 2016 45 Island, thus the coffee from here is mar- keted as Tambora coffee. Intensive coffee planting began in the colonial era after the area was cleared up because of the erup- tion of Tambora volcano in 1815. Recent archaeological findings have revealed cof- fee seeds in Tambora, suggesting the locals were already cultivating the seeds acquired from Dutch East Indies Company and growing and harvesting them. Flores: Flores (or Flower) Island is 360 miles long and is located 200 miles to the east of Bali. The terrain of Flores is Hollywood-style rough country, includ- ing some active volcanoes. Volcanic ash makes for fertile soil, which is ideal for organic coffee production. Arabica coffee is grown on mile-high hillsides and pla- teaus. Most farm grade is canopy grown and wet processed. Coffee from Flores is known for sweet chocolate, floral and woody notes. They also use a traditional style of processing, known as pulped natu- ral, where parchment coffee is dried in its mucilage without fermentation, produces a floral coffee that has been found to be highly sought after by some buyers. Papua: New Guinea is the second largest island in the world. The western half of New Guinea is part of Indonesia. The Indonesian half of the island was formerly called "Irian Jaya." Today, it is known as Papua, and it is divided into two provinc- es—Papua and West Papua. There are two main coffee growing areas in Papua: Baliem Valley in the cen- tral highlands of the Jayawijaya region, surrounding the town of Wamena, and the Kamu Valley in the Nabire Region, at the eastern edge of the central highlands, surrounding the town of Moanemani. Both areas lie at altitudes considered ideal for growing Arabica coffee. Growing Interest by New Companies The aforementioned areas combine to produce some 230 tons of coffee per year. This is increasing as new companies like Koperasi Serba Usaha set up operations. These companies are also helping farmers to obtain organic and Fair Trade certifica- tion, which will help increase their coffee profitability. Most of these coffee growing areas aren't even accessible by road. If you're really seeking off-road coffee grow- ing, you'll feel right at home here. All coffee is shade grown under various trees, including Calliandra, Erythrina and Albizia varieties. Papua farms use a wet hulled process. Chemical fertilizers and herbicides are virtually unknown in this region, hence there is a strong reason to quickly obtain organic certifications so the coffee can be marketed as such. Rare, Unique Aged Coffee Both Sumatra and Java have been known for "aged" coffee. Apparently, years ago, certain estates established a practice known as aging. To do this, burlaps sacks filled with green beans are held in warehouses for up to five years. As they age, the beans turn from green to light brown, and their flavor gains strength while further losing acidity in what is already known as a lower-acidity coffee. This aging process seems to highlight woody tones such as cedar and spices such as cinnamon or clove, and also further increase the already pronounced body to what has been described as syrupy. These aged coffees are called Old Government, Old Brown or Old Java. They have always been rare, but in our modern era where fast returns on crops are de rigeur in busi- ness, it's amazing we see them at all. I've had only a few samples in my life, but one in particular I would consider profound. The above are my quick descriptions of the regions and taste profiles, but you may have your own. Indonesia's diversity is such that as more and more specialty roasters grow as Indonesia's coffee pro- duction already is, I believe we're on the verge of an expanding market. My opinion is that Indonesia offers a wider range of tastes than most of us, even roasters, realize. However, I think a major hurdle Indonesia needs to address is their very strength: they're exotic and gentle people, but distant from much of the Western World (no direct flights, opposite time zone changes). Indonesia needs to emphasize the diversity, friendly people, ecological cleanliness, and politi- cal stability Indonesia is known for. I'm hoping this year results in a major specialty breakthrough. Kevin Sinnott is author of the book The Art and Craft of Coffee and creator and host of CoffeeCon, The Consumer Coffee Festival. He reviews coffee makers and writes lengthy articles about other coffee issues at his blog and podcast at CoffeeCompanion.com. He lives with his wife Patricia in Chicago. Aside from coffee, Indonesia is known for its diversity and ecological cleanliness. A farmer tends to young coffee plants. Catura coffee beans Most coffee in Indonesia is shade grown and farms are often inaccessible by roads.