Bean Origins

Coffee was introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch in the 1600s, with large plantations exploiting local labor under colonial rule. The 1860 novel Max Havelaar exposed the severe abuses and oppression faced by Indonesian coffee workers. In the 1860s and 1870s, a coffee-leaf-rust epidemic devastated the market, leading to the abandonment of many Dutch estates. Laborers then took over small plots, replanting with Robusta and disease-resistant hybrids.

Today, Indonesia is the fourth-largest coffee producer, with Sumatran coffees known for their earthy, savory, and herbaceous characteristics, influenced by a unique post-harvest processing method called Wet-Hulling (Giling Basah). Hendra Maulizar, the son of a coffee producer, started a processing station in 2010, expanding from one acre to 10 hectares. In 2014, he shifted to specialty coffee production, investing in post-harvest processing facilities. At his station in Aceh-Pantan Musara Village, he purchases cherries from 50 nearby farmers.