This month, we’re spending some time on Sumatra, where the harvest of the main crop will be underway soon. We’re also celebrating a new certification recognizing our sustainability efforts in Costa Rica.
Depulping coffee on a farm in Lintongnihuta
Evaluating coffee in parchment for sale at the Doloksanggul market
Sumatra in the Spotlight
While La Minita is best known for our Costa Rican coffees, we also have a reputation for sourcing phenomenal coffee from Indonesia — Sumatra in particular. 99% of Indonesia’s coffee is grown by smallholder farmers, who, in most cases, depulp the coffee themselves and sell the wet parchment to either a third-party collector or directly to an exporter, who then removes the parchment and dries the coffee until it reaches around 12% moisture. This method, known as Giling Basah, or wet-hulling, is unique to Indonesia and is a major contributor to the cup profile that so many roasters and coffee-drinkers look to Sumatran coffee to provide.
La Minita has been importing excellent coffee from Sumatra since 2002. In 2014, we began our partnership with PT Anugerah Semesta Parahyangan, a woman-owned exporter which works with small farmers in the Lintongnihuta growing region to produce the Boru Batak, Mutu Batak, Suku Batak, and Raja Batak coffees to our specifications. The first container of Mutu Batak was shipped in 2015, and in the years since, these coffees have become important staples for many of our customers, whether as standout single-origin offerings or beloved blenders.
The harvest for the main crop in Sumatra will be beginning soon, but there is still some coffee from the fly crop which will be shipping shortly. If you’d like more information, reach out to your salesperson or fill out the form here!
This Month in Costa Rica
Just as the harvest is picking up speed at our farm Hacienda Rio Negro, we’ve received our certificate from Costa Rica’s Bandera Azul Ecológica, or Blue Flag Ecological program. This program is a collaboration between multiple government agencies that recognizes organizations for their sustainability and conservation efforts.
Sustainability guides our decisions at all of our farms and mills in Costa Rica, and it’s great to see our team’s hard work being recognized!
Recent Arrivals
KENYA, KAGUMO PB
This coffee comes from the Mutira Farmers Cooperative Society in Kirinyaga County, and is a perfect fit for any roaster that’s looking for a balanced, complex coffee with distinctive Peaberry character.
Availability: CTI NJ
Certifications: N/A
Cupping notes: Toffee, chocolate, stonefruit
KENYA, GAKUYUINI AA
We mentioned this coffee in last month’s newsletter, and it’s available now on the east coast. We’ve been purchasing coffee from the Gakuyu-ini factory for many years, and it’s a perennial customer favorite.
Availability: CTI NJ
Certifications: N/A
Cupping notes: Apricot, peach, white tea
LOGISTICS UPDATE:
You’ve likely heard about the ongoing contract negotiations between the International Longshoreman’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. This contract affects many of the busiest ports in the US and is set to expire on September 30th. If there is no new agreement reached, a strike is likely to cause delays for coffee shipments into the ports of New York and Houston. We are continuing to keep a close eye on the situation. If you have questions about the availability of incoming contracted coffee, please reach out to your salesperson.
That’s all for this month’s edition. Thanks for reading, and as always, if there’s anything we can do for you, reach out to your salesperson or fill out our contact form and we’ll get right back to you. See you next month!