About This Coffee
Bajawa is among the world's most unique growing regions. The region, home to the Bajawa ethnic group, has a distinct microclimate that’s influenced by three active volcanos (Inerie, Wawo Muda, and Ebulobo) and the cold winds that blow in from the Savu Sea.
Bajawa is also unique within Indonesia for the Fully washed processing of mainly Linie S-795 cherry. Most coffees in Indonesia are Wet-hulled and typically use Catimor-derived cultivars. Linie S-795 is the product of a cross between S288 (a natural hybrid of Liberica and Arabica) and an older Kent variety, a Typica family plant that had been adapted to growing conditions in India. The resulting coffee is clean and full-bodied, with moderate acidity and notes of maple syrup, walnut, raisin, and pure cacao.
This lot is from producers in the villages of Watu Nai, Watu Ata, Sobo, Wolo Bobo, and Bei Poso. The producers are loosely organized into three primary cooperatives Primavera, Papa Wiu, and Papa Taki. These cooperatives all fall under MPIG AFB, which stands for "Masyarakat Perlindungan Indikasi Geografis Arabica Flores Bajawa."
Sucafina began working with these producers in 2017. After identifying a high potential for Fully washed lots, we helped establish lot separation to maintain traceability and set up quality control. The group’s quality control manager, Marselina Walu is a Q Grader who founded her own women-led cooperative.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Uniquely for Indonesia, this lot is Fully washed. There were several reasons why these cooperatives chose to produce Fully washed coffee instead of the more common Wet-hulled process. First, none of the cooperatives have a Wet-huller, an expensive piece of machinery. Wet-hulling is controlled by a few large local collectors who have a monopoly on pricing and often combine many lots, obscuring traceability. Another reason is that when the Indonesia Coffee & Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI) went to Bajawa to train producers, they taught producers Fully washed processing to differentiate the region and to take advantage of the drier season during harvest.
With these Fully washed lots, we can maintain traceability to specific hills, wolo in Bajawa, or to single processors. Once producers have selectively handpicked ripe, red cherry, they pulp cherry on small motorized pulpers at home. They ferment coffee in plastic bags or buckets for 18 to 24 hours and then washed parchment in clean water. They lay parchment on raised beds to dry. Producers turn parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes 5 to 7 days for parchment to dry.
Coffee in Indonesia
Indonesia has a long coffee producing history, but recently their coffees have been overlooked by the specialty market. Thanks to our innovative and ever-expanding supply chain, we are proud to bring you high-quality coffees from many of Indonesia’s unique regions, accompanied by in-depth traceability information.
Indonesia is perhaps best known for its unique wet hulling process (giling basah). Though its exact origins are unclear, wet hulling most likely originated in Aceh during the late 1970s.
Wet hulling’s popularity can be attributed to producers’ need for prompt payments. It was also adopted specifically by many producers who lacked the drying infrastructure that was needed to shelter drying parchment from the high humidity and inconsistent rainfall typical in Sumatra. At higher elevations with constant humidity and unpredictable rainfall, drying can prove to be slow, risky and difficult.