Brought to Equator Coffee Roasters from the coastal plains of the island of Sumatra’s northern-most province, situated within the mountainous Indonesian regency known as Central Aceh, our new Sumatra Kokowagayo single origin coffee will be available for purchase in-stores and online from October 3rd until November 7th!
You may wish to take advantage of our early Thanksgiving sale and buy these beans in bulk as each bag is currently 20% off from now until the holiday itself on October 14th!
History of The Permata Gayo Cooperative
The Permata Gayo Cooperative was founded in 2006 by a group of 50 farmers banding together as a call to action to rebuild their abandoned coffee farms throughout the 5 Bener Meriah district villages in the Aceh Province. They had been abandoned from when numerous farmers fled to Medan, a neighboring city, during years of civil war. The ruthless violence came to an end and permitted a safe return for these farmers after peace accords were signed following one of the most devastating tsunamis in recent history 10 years ago in northern Sumatra’s coastal region. (1)
Permata Gayo has been partnered with Cooperative Coffees since 2009, the same year in which the former received its Fair Trade certification from FLO-Cert. Two years prior to that, Permata Gayo also received its organic certification.
The cooperative’s membership has successfully been increasing, as well as the unification of their bean-to-cup coffee production process under one roof to improve traceability from Aceh to roaster and increase overall quality. Through these efforts, Permata Gayo has been able to better financially support its farmers by sharing more of the final coffee price with them.
The ideal growing conditions work in this region’s favor, contributing to a long, high-quality history and elevated reputation of “Gayo Mountain” coffee.
Tasting Notes And Flavors
The Sumatra Kokowagayo was grown at an altitude of 1150 to 1650 m. It is an organic washed process specialty coffee with our roast level 6. This earthy medium-dark roast is composed of the coffee varietals Catimor, Caturra, and Bourbon, and comes with a solid cupping score of 84.25. You’ll experience the luxurious tasting notes of baker’s chocolate and jasmine green tea, perfectly suited for a classic homemade French Press or an artfully-poured pour-over brew.
As Equator Coffee Roasters’ blog writer and part-time barista, here are my thoughts on the Sumatra Kokowagayo’s flavor profile made via Chemex:
When brewed, each sip is smooth, rich, and nutty. It’s perfectly balanced, calming with its earthy mildness, and it isn’t as intense as I expected a medium-dark roast to be. The mellowness lingers pleasantly.
And here’s what our Head Roaster, Justin Houle, had to say about the Sumatra Kokowagayo’s flavor profile:
"The Sumatra Kokowagayo Single Origin we have is a really great low acidity, darker roast coffee that we love to bring around to our coffee lovers this time of year. This coffee will make you want to sit down with a warm blanket and watch the leaves slowly change in colour. Its simple notes of Earth and Jasmine are present when it's hot and as it cools down, the beauty of the Baker's Chocolate begins to shine with a hint of smokiness to the cup. One of the best ways to enjoy this coffee is a simple pour over or drip coffee."
Try our Sumatra Kokowagayo and start your autumn mornings with this fall-apt earthy pick-me-up!
References:
- CoopCoffees. (n.d.). Permata Gayo. Retrieved October 1, 2024, from https://fairtradeproof.com/users/view/211
