Sumatra Kerinci Natural

This coffee comes from the Bersama cooperative in the Kerinci region. We have bought coffee from these producers every year since we started Gringo. The cooperative produces coffee in many styles, wet-processed, honey, anarobic of various kinds as well as the traditional Giling Basah. But this is a classic cherry-dried lot;; smooth and full-bodied in its style, with some fine fruit to go along with it. We think many will enjoy it.

The coffee is produced by farmers on small family farms in the volcanic region of Kerinci - bordering Sumatra's largest national park. The beans are dried after picking in their pulp on raised beds, right on the farms. The result is an unmistakably naturally dried coffee where the slow fermentation has settled into the coffee's flavorful character. The result is a very smooth coffee with a distinct fullness, which is balanced by a round, characterful and pleasant fruitiness. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

The 320 members of the Koerintji Barokah Bersama Cooperative live and farm on a plateau that sits at the foot of Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra. Mount Kerinci is one of the many volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 40,000-kilometer horseshoe-shaped series of 452 volcanoes that are part of an almost constant dance of eruptions and plate movements. Mount Kerinci’s historic eruptions have assured that the surrounding area is lush and verdant with a deep supply of fertile volcanic soil.

The cooperative is managed by Triyono, whom you see on one of the pictures, who leads members in processing and roasting their own coffees. They have a fully outfitted roasting facility, including a cupping lab, next to the dry mill.

Almost all farms on Sumatra are small. On average, farms are between 0.5 to 2.5 hectares. Coffee is usually the primary cash crop for farmers, but most also intercrop their trees alongside vegetables, potatoes and fruit. This intercropped produce will make up a substantial part of the family’s diet for the year. There are more and more initiatives by farmers on Sumatra to organize themselves into cooperatives. In cooperatives, they can share resources, organize training and negotiate better prices.