Origin: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra, Kerinci
Altitude: 1500-1600 MASL
Coop: Koerintji Barokah Bersama Coop
Varietals: Andung Sari, Sigarar Utang
Process: Anaerobic Natural (dry fermentation 168h)
With this Anaerobic Natural lot, coffee is first floated and separated by density before being laid on raised beds where workers remove underripe, overripe and damaged cherry. Then, ripe cherry is collected again and sealed in airtight, 20kg plastic bags that are stored in a cool, dry location (with temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius) for 7 days.
After 7 days, cherry is again laid on raised beds to dry. The beds are located in domes that protect the coffee from rain or harsh sunlight. The parchment will dry here for around 20 to 23 days. When dry, the coffee is milled and sorted by hand.
The 320 members of the Koerintji Barokah Bersama Cooperative live and farm on a plateau that sits at the foot of Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra. Mount Kerinci is one of the many volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 40,000 kilometre horseshoe-shaped series of 452 volcanoes that are part of an almost constant dance of eruptions and plate movements.
Mount Kerinci’s historic eruptions have assured that the surrounding area is lush and verdant with a deep supply of fertile volcanic soil.
The cooperative is managed by Triyono, who leads members in processing and roasting their own coffees. They have a fully outfitted roasting facility, including a cupping lab that’s next to the dry mill.
Stuart Palmer (verified owner) –
A deliciously complex brew — real ripe fruits and bitter chocolate! The distinctive funkiness of a natural process coffee. I’ve been loving it simply filtered brew, and have had some success with a cold steep as well. A real treat.
matt SHINGLETON (verified owner) –
I found it sour. Lovely to drink but an unpleasant smell.
Butterworth –
Hey Matt,
Thank you for your review. My name is Will, I am the Sensory/Quality control here at Butterworth & Son.
In coffee, processes like natural and anaerobic natural tend to divide opinion much like marmite or blue cheese do in other circles. Some find the potent flavours to be delicious and interesting whilst others struggle to get behind the funky/challenging flavours.
Washed coffees (like that in our Artisan Espresso) are most common and are named as such because the coffee “cherry” is washed away from the bean(s) contained within. They are devoid of any funky or fermentation flavours and are incredibly drinkable.
With natural coffee, the cherry is left on the bean to ferment, releasing fruity esters and acids with an enhanced flavour and complexity. If it is also an Anaerobic or Anoxic Natural like in the case of our Indonisea here, it means the cherries are picked and then sealed in an airtight container for a controlled ferment without oxygen for up to a week. They are then left out to dry on beds for a number of days. This extra process amplifies the funkiness and intensifies the flavours.
Compared to washed coffee, anaerobic naturals are the complete other end of the spectrum in terms of accessibility and are quite a leap in flavour compared to many of our other offerings in our range. With our Indo Anaerobic Natural, the smell itself is indeed very intense. It reminds me of bananas, tropical fruit and even pear drops. The flavour is intense too however milder than the aroma like you suggest in your review.
If you aren’t keen on our natural offerings but would love to experience the fruity flavours without the funk, I would point you in the direction of the following;
Ethiopia – Yirgacheffe (Green apple, blackcurrant, rose and brown sugar)
Guatemala – La Loma (Orange, apricot and caramel flavours)
Colombia – El Nariño (Crisp apple, blackcurrant and treacle)
Colombia – Aztec Gold (Green apple, jammy raspberry and milk chocolate)
Indonesia – Kerinchi Washed (Candied lemon, black tea, and florals)
These can all be found on our website.
I will say, it took a little time for me to come round to natural coffees and truly enjoy them. For some people, they are happy to exclusively drink washed coffee as that best suits their tastes.
If you are interested, Butterworth and Son are hosting a free coffee tasting event at Wright’s in Bury St Edmunds 18:00-19:30 this thursday (26/9/24). We are bringing with us our Guatemala range and will be discussing different processes and flavours. If you have any spare time we’d love to see you there. It’s a great opportunity to taste a whole range of flavours in an environment where you can ask as many questions as you like.
If there’s anything I can assist you with please get in touch via my email: [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support and have a great day.
Kind regards,
Will @BW&S
Jon Hewett –
The tasting notes are spot on for this. I’ve tried it in espresso and filter form. You get that funky flavour, especially when brewing, but the taste is so clearly of strawberry and milk chocolate.
I found it very easy to brew and drink.