Our Roast of the Month has joined the Bulk Bin offerings at Kimberton Whole Foods in Kimberton and Downingtown.
Look for sales and special discounts in coming weeks and join us on a coffee adventure as we explore classic and overlooked coffees from farms and cooperatives all over the world, including some personal favorites from Burundi, Guatemala, Brazil, New Guinea, and Bali.
Sumatran Sunrise has been a favorite of our "occasional offerings." But the way it started - the way we cooked it up - was just a happy accident! I got tangled up between two roasts that had been ordered and ended up with a coffee that was neither one nor the other.
But it tasted pretty darn good! The Sumatran component in particular went from the expected molasses chocolate notes to an interesting milk chocolate and malt profile. Underneath, a light floral aftertaste, or floral on the edge of herbaceous... the original mistake had yielded quite a happy surprise.
I'll tell you one thing that wasn't a mistake: The Sumatran coffee used this time, and any time of year we can find it, was from Aceh Ketiera, a woman managed cooperative. This powerhouse producer is profiled here by one of our importers:
In spite of its relatively young age, Ketiara quickly has established itself as one the most-respected Fair Trade cooperatives in the Gayo Highlands of Sumatra due to the excellent quality of its coffees, efficient contract performance, and a focus on innovation and continuous improvement. The group’s leader, Rahmah, is a force in the local coffee industry in spite of being a woman in the traditional, male-dominated Gayonese society. Her vision and tenacity have served as the foundation for Ketiara’s success.
Rahmah, and the Cooperative as a whole, are the subjects of an excellent short video here.
Enjoy, this cup's for you.
