Sumatra is one of the great romance coffees of the world. Sumatra
coffee is earthy, mouth-filling, supple coffee with pronounced aromatics of
tobacco and exotic earth notes. When it is at its best, the coffee itself
suggests intrigue with its complexity, its weight without heaviness, and an
acidity that resonates deep inside the heart of the coffee, enveloped in
richness, rather than confronting the palate the moment we lift the cup.
Earthy Sumatras, which pick up the taste of fresh clay from
having been dried directly on the earth, are popular among some coffee
drinkers. Musty Sumatras, which acquire the rather hard, mildewy taste of
old shoes in a damp closet, are also attracted to some palates.
Sumatra Lintong and
Mandheling. This praise applies mainly to the finest of the traditional arabica
coffees of northern Sumatra, the best of those sold under the market names
Lintong and Mandheling. Lintong properly describes only coffees grown in a
relatively small region just southwest of Lake Toba in the kecamatan or
district of Lintongnihuta. Small plots of coffee are scattered over a high,
undulating plateau of fern-covered clay. The coffee is grown without shade, but
also without chemicals of any kind, and almost entirely by small holders.
Mandheling is a more comprehensive designation, referring both to Lintong
coffees and to coffees grown under similar conditions in the regency of Diari,
north of Lake Toba.
eetness,
fruit, and winey flavors come to the foreground as the cup cools.
