Sumatra Ratu Ketiara Gayo

Region: Aceh
Farm: Ratu Ketiara Gayo Womens CoOp
Elevation: 1200-1600 masl
Varietal: Regional Catimor and Typica 
Process: Wet-Hulled
We Taste: Grapefruit peel, herbal and spice notes, sage, bakers chocolate
Size: 12oz/ 340G bag
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About the Coffee: 
This coffee comes from the Ache (AH-CHEY) region of Sumatra. The region itself is in the northernmost par tof Sumatra. This is a center point for a unique coffee growing region, due to having an isolated heirloom (local) varietal of typica and catimor based coffee. The farms in this area are woven into the natural forests and landscapes surrounding them, with farms that have been in operation for generations.
 
The coffee industry in this region is primarily male owned and operated. This lot, however, comes from a CoOp that started in 2009 by Ms. Rahamah, who has a 20 year history in coffee, and is now one of Indonesias most respected coffee entrepreneurs. Ratu Ketiara Gayo (RKG) is the Ketiara group’s newest project: a women’s cooperative started in 2017 and co-led by three women selected by Ms. Rahamah: Ms. Indayana,  Ms. Dini, and Ms. Murul Kemala. RKG focuses on a younger generation of farmers, about 971 in total, 80% of whom are women, and all of whom are focused on top quality.
 
Something fun about coffess from northern Sumatra is they are categorized by peoples rather than regions. So "Gayo" is Ketiara's way of proudly expressing a microregion and community of coffee at the heart of Aceh. 
 
About Wet-Hulled Process:
This is a coffee process unique to and prevalent in Sumatra, and has a distinct impact on the flavor profile of the coffee. After harvesting the coffee, the cherry is removed through a small mill, usually on site at the farm. After de-pulping, the coffee is stored in plastic bags or jute sacks, allowing the breakddown of sugars by microorganisms to begin to occur. Once the coffee arrives at the larger mill/processing station, the other layers of parchement and musilage on the coffee are removed and the coffee is laid out to dry. It is the removing of the initial parchement layer so early on in the process that gives coffees like this such a distinct, earthy, herbal quality to them.