Sumatra Aceh Ketiara
Organic, Fair Trade, Women run Co-op
Pronounced Body, Spice, Wood Notes
This is an outstanding Sumatra from the women run cooperative: Koperasi Pedagang Kopi Ketiara.
Founded in 2008, the Ketiara co-op is made up of 890 growing members and is one of the most well respected co-ops in the Gayo Highlands of Sumatra.
This is a Fair Trade Organic Sumatra coffee that has been processed using the traditional
semi-washed (wet-hulled) or
Giling Basah method (see Additional Info below for more detail).
There is no other coffee quite like a Sumatran coffee; you will not find a profile like this from any other country.
Tired of mellow and ready for something different?
Look no further. Your booming cup of spice and character has arrived!
General Flavor Observations
Sumatra Aceh Ketiara
I love Sumatra coffee! It's big in the cup, rustic, and complex.
The aroma is amazing and will fill the room with an array of scents from spice to cedar.
The overall profile will provide notes of sweet caramel, a clean earthiness, woody tones, and a rich, full body.
The acidity is mild yet with a crisp, lingering finish.
Flavor notes also include dark chocolate, black licorice, and vanilla.
No other coffee offers such an intensely satisfying range of complex flavors and body.
Simply outstanding!
Roast Level Profile Notes
Sumatra Aceh Ketiara
My personal favorite roast level for this FTO Sumatra Ketiara coffee is a
Full City roast.
However, I found a Full Coty (+) roast to be equally satisfying.
In truth, this excellent Sumatra has something to offer at all of our roast levels.
We are always happy to accommodate any roast level you prefer.
The notes below illustrate how changing the roast level will alter the flavor profile:
City Roast (light roast)
For those seeking pure Origin Characteristics, this is always the go to roast level. Here you will find more
pronounced herbal qualities, notes of Graham cracker, bell pepper, and more of a dry nuttiness. There is plenty of spice
and character, with a more pointed finish. The cup will be a bit brighter, but the body will still be big
and full. This is a good choice if you enjoy herbal and spicy qualities.
Full City Roast (medium roast) - Preferred
This roast is a great choice for experiencing the best balance between Origin and Roast characteristics. Huge,
deep body, dark chocolate, subtle notes of black licorice, forest floor, clean, earthy spice, and wonderful aromatics. Soft acidity, smooth lingering
finish with hints of vanilla, and a rich mouth-feel. This is the roast level that really captured my attention.
Full City (+) Roast
This is also a great roast level and will develop a more depth and juiciness to the overall experience. The body
will be syrupy with additional notes of cedar and spice, with a slightly more pointed finish. Silky smooth and deep!
Vienna Roast
Want an even heavier body, notes of bitter-sweet chocolate, velvety mouth-feel, tempered acidity and herbal tones, then this roast level is an excellent choice!
French Roast
This roast will provide a heavy, dense body, with profound bitter-sweet chocolate tones. Spice tones remain,
but complexity is lost. Thick, heavy, and rich!
Additional Information
Sumatra Aceh Ketiara
Founder and current chairwoman, Ibu Rahmah, has over 20 years of industry experience.
Her passion and commitment, and that of all the women managers, in working together in support of the entire production process, has enabled Ketiara to become an important supplier to larger coffee traders in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra.
Giling Basah - Sumatra (and Sulawesi) growers are the world’s exclusive practitioners of the Giling Basah,
or Semi-Washed (Wet Hulled) process. No other origins use the process.
In the Giling Basah process, the outer skin of the coffee cherry is removed leaving the mucilage on the parchment
and on;y dried for a few hours (conventional, fully washed coffees remove the mucilage as well and are dried for 1-2
days).
With the parchment layer still intact, along with a good portion of the mucilage, the beans tend to be gummy and
sticky, and the parchment will have a very high moisture content.
The extra mucilage and moisture content profoundly alters the cup profile by providing more sweetness and body.
The drying of semi-washed parchment is done on natural clay or dirt patios where the coffee beans can freely absorb
characteristics and minerality of the soil, which in turn contributes to the classic, earthy profile of Sumatra coffee.
Fair Trade - guarantees that a premium price will be paid to the farmers, regardless of market conditions,
effectively providing them with a 'living wage.'
Other benefits of Fair Trade include providing electricity to the houses of the farmers, funding for the education
of the farmer’s children, improve road construction, and a community library.
Organic - Organic certification means that the coffee has been certified by a third-party agency as having
been grown and processed without the use of pesticides, herbicides or similar chemicals.
- Origin: Sumatra
- District: Aceh Tengah (Central Aceh)
- Municipality: Bebesen District
- Traceable: 890 growing members - Ketiara Women's Co-op
- Elevation: 3,937 - 5,000 ft.
- Process: Giling Basah (Semi-Washed)
- Drying: Sun Dried on clay patios
- Varietal: Adsenia, Bourbon, Typica, Ateng
- Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic
