Varietals
Rust disease almost completely wiped out Arabica production in Java when it was the leading producer of coffee in the18th century. Robusta coffee that wasn’t as susceptible to the disease was replanted, but Arabica beans have made a comeback after the efforts of the Indonesian government. Specific varietals of Arabica are hard to find as the coffees from Sumatra and Java are generally marked by the old estate names as in the case of Java Jampit, or in the name of the growing region as in Sumatra Mandheling. Timor however has its own varietal named after itself which has been cross-pollinated with the caturra varietal to make the disease resistant yet nutrient depleting and inconsistent catimor cultivar. Typica and Boubon are grown in Papua New Guinea along with Blue Mountain trees transplanted from Jamaica.
Processing
In Java you might see washed coffee being processed on the old estates using the original machinery introduced by the Dutch. Papua New Guinea coffee is wet processed lending to its wild, sometimes hibiscus-like acidity. Sumatra uses a semi-washed processing method where the skin of the fruit is removed directly after picking and then fermented overnight in bags. After fermenting, the remaining fruit is cleaned off manually and then the beans dry in their parchment usually in the farmers’ front yards.
Flavors
PNG, or Papua New Guinea is full bodied with a sometimes pungent acidity while Java tends to be very well balanced with a medium body and dry pecan finish with a muted acidity. Sumatran coffee is famous for it broad and long lasting body that resembles thick syrup or olive oil in texture. Earthy flavors abound and sometimes prune or raisin notes are present. The herbal acidity can throw some off at first, but patience rewards with fragrant sage and sweet basil notes. Semi-washed Sulawesi shows similar characteristics if not just a tad neater in its presentation.