Crema Trekkers: Explore Indonesia Blue Bianca
- 27 Sept 2018
INDONESIA - SUMATRAN COFFEE BEANS
Blue Bianca coffee is a local Bourbon varietal called Onan Ganjang grown in the Dolok Sangul region of Sumatra around 1,400m above sea level.
Onan Ganjang is a natural cross of the S795 cultivar and the Bourbon varietal. The beans are quite large in size and this varietal is well known for its good productivity. It also produces a consistently good cupping profile with classic Sumatran tasting notes.
The Indonesian Blue Bianca is produced using a wet-hulled method called Giling Basah that produces a unique less acidic and earthy flavour, and is a great all-rounder coffee, suitable for espresso – especially as a long black, Stovetop, AeroPress and French Press!
Tasting Notes: This is a clean, sweet coffee with flavours of dark honey and peaches. Acidity is light and citrusy with a medium body and subtle earthy notes, typical of an Indonesian coffee.
BLUE BIANCA – INDONESIA, SUMATRA
Indonesia is the third-largest coffee producer in the world and the island of Sumatra is located along the equator. The equator runs directly through the centre of the island, with equal halves on either side creating two distinct climatic zones. The temperature in Northern Sumatra is an average of 28°C all year round, with an annual rainfall of around 2125mm.
Geologically speaking, the island has a turbulent history with ash deposits still left from one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the world’s history. As a result of the Northern regions climate, humidity (average of 75% daily), mountainous regions (most crops are grown around 1200-1400m above sea level) and rich volcanic soil, the island is extremely fertile for thriving coffee crops.
Many coffee growers are small farms or family plots located across the islands remote landscape. These farmers grow and process the crops, delivering the green beans to regional mills for purchase and assessment. Women make up the majority of the workforce in the Sumatran coffee industry, responsible for the bulk of the planting, growing, harvesting and transportation of the coffee.
Sumatran coffee, such as this Blue Bianca coffee, is well known for its unusual flavour profiles, which is credited to the unique Giling Basah or wet-hulled process.
THE GREEN BEAN PROCESS
Wet Hulling, also known as Giling Basah, is a form of pulped natural but somewhat different and unique to Sumatra. The majority of coffees from this region are processed this way and it is this method which gives them their distinctive flavour. The cherries are pulped and placed in fermentation tanks for a very short time, which leaves a portion of the mucilage intact and the remaining mucilage is washed off. Then they are dried down to 30-40% and immediately hulled, then further dried down to the standard 10-12% moisture. The process give the beans a distinctive dark green colour and deep earthy flavour, with very muted acidity.
Image Sources:
https://www.fivesenses.com.au/blog/coffee-varieties-in-sumatra/
https://www.coffeekilimanjaro.com/education/category/wet-hulled
https://www.sweetmarias.com/sumatra-onan-ganjang-cultivar-ii.html
http://www.my-indonesia.info/nl/en/destinations/sumatra/lake-toba/dolok-sanggul
http://blog.suvie.com/a-beginners-guide-to-coffee-processing
