Introducing: Sumatra Dolok Sanggul LTD
Posted by MHawn on 6th Jan 2022
Goodness! Neither of our last Sumatra LTD coffees lasted very long at all. Good thing we've got another lined up for you. But honestly, we expect this one to be a home run too. Unlike its two predecessors, this latest batch from Sumatra is a fully washed processed coffee. And you can taste the difference too. To kick off the new year, we're happy to share with you, Sumatra Dolok Sanggul LTD.
Lake Toba, considered to be the largest volcanic lake in the world (and over 1500 feet deep), is the backdrop of this coffee's origin. The surrounding highlands are known to produce "some of the most buoyant and acid-defined coffees on the entire island," according to our trusted coffee supplier.
Most coffees from Sumatra are wet-hulled processed. Drying the beans this way is painstaking with such high humidity, resulting in dried coffee beans with a higher water content than coffees from drier regions. The result is typically a bit of a stout coffee with a lingering mouthfeel, prominent earth tones, and low acidity.
Lake Toba by Marcel Ardivan
This coffee, however, is technically a washed processed coffee. More specifically in this case, the drying time is considerably longer to ensure the water content of the beans reaches just 12.5%. A painstaking and gradual process for this region, but well worth the extra effort!
Unlike most other roasters, we don't typically roast our Sumatra coffees to the dark end of the spectrum. While the robust bean can certainly handle the heat, we find a Full-City medium roast allows more subtle notes to shine instead of being washed out by the taste of the roast.
Sumatra Dolok Sanggul is just the coffee to benefit from this roast level. With its walnut aroma, comforting notes of wheat, and its slightly sweet blackberry finish, this coffee is much livelier than most other offerings out of Sumatra. Typically, washed process coffees tend towards a clean, bright finish, but this one lingers longer on the palate, though not cloyingly so.
This tantalizing coffee is a delicious departure from typical Indonesian coffee profiles. Get yours while you can!
Photo by Jacob Spielman