A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Armia Ahmad - the Chairman of the Permato Gayo Co-op in Sumatra, Indonesia. Armia has dedicated his life to coffee production in the and this was his first ever trip to roaster, explaining to us that “not very many farmers get the chance to meet with a customer like you.”
During his trip down here, he told us about the beauty of coffee production in Sumatra - describing the volcanic soils and trees that fertilise the soil naturally, allowing the coffee plants to flourish without the need for chemical fertilisers or pesticides. The 100% Organic & Fairtrade Arabica beans Armia produces are known worldwide for their quality and unique earthy taste, and are used in both our Organic Dark Roast (which just happens to be the most popular product we sell) and our Merchant’s Blend.
Armia also spoke to us about the method he uses in Indonesia is known as Giling Basah, a processing method that is unique to Indonesia, as is roughly translated to mean ‘wet grinding.’ To understand Giling Basah, the fresh coffee fruit has it’s skin removed (pulped) and is left in concrete tanks to ferment overnight. The moisture content is kept high and once hulled the coffee is then dried over a patio, which (due to the amount of sunlight the coffee receives throughout the day) takes a lot longer than is usual - giving the resulting beans a taste found nowhere else in the world.
This ‘Indonesian taste’ that Armia constantly referred to is only achieved by using this method, and is an integral part of coffee production on the island. It creates a fruity, earthy, almost ’spicy’ taste that allows us to add a completely different element to the coffees we then blend and roast.
Whilst it might not be as idyllic as the mountainsides of Sumatra, there was something really rewarding about showing Armia around our roaster. We want every one of our coffees tell a story, and it was special to both Armia and ourselves to see the whole journey, from bean to cup, really come to life.
So if you fancy trying the ‘Indonesian taste’ that Armia is so passionate about, why don’t you give our Dark Roast and Merchants a whirl?