Sumatra Ratu Ketiara Mandheling Organic
This bold, rich coffee comes to us from the women-led Ratu Ketiara Gayo Cooperative (RKG). While it's just as big and complex as other wet-hulled offerings, their meticulous Grade 1 processing provides an unusually clean and crisp cup. Look for notes of marshmallow, vanilla, cedar, anise and dark chocolate.
What happens when you take the bold, earthy profile of wet-hulled coffee and meticulously process it taking only the best beans in the lot? You find that it cleans up pretty well! The women of Ratu Ketiara Gayo cooperative have knocked it out of the park with this one. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a “clean” cup, it’s very clean for a wet-hulled coffee. Their fine processing also managed to pull a bit of vibrance out of the bean as well, resulting in one of the brightest Sumatras we’ve ever had. Like a biker wearing a 3-piece suit, it’ll knock your socks off, but it’ll look good doing it! It’s big, bold and rich with a velvety, almost syrupy texture along with spicy black pepper and an undertone of cedar and licorice. These flavors are contrasted with sweet toasted marshmallow and baker’s chocolate which, along with the added brightness and cleaner than usual finish, round off the edges for a delicious cup.
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: February 9, 2023. US Arrival February 2023
Acidity & Brightness: Moderately bright and a little sweet
Balance & Finish: Complex with a spicy, slightly earthy finish
Body & Texture: Big, rich body and velvety texture
Flavors: Marshmallow, vanilla, cedar, anise and dark chocolate
Grade: Grade 1, grown at 1200 - 1600 masl
Certifications: Organic & Fair Trade
Processing: Wet-hulled (giling basah) and patio dried in the sun
Grower: Ratu Ketiara Gayo Women’s Cooperative (RKG)
Region: Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Varieties: Bourbon, Catimor and Typica
Recommended Roast Range: Full City to Vienna (medium to dark)
This coffee is tailor made for folks who enjoy dark roasting and a big, bold cup so we like it best around Full City+ (medium-dark), though it will even perform well into Vienna (dark). Roasts in the Full Medium range bring out the most vibrant acidity and marshmallow while darker roasts are where the spicy notes like licorice, cedar and black pepper shine.
Royal Coffee - "SUMATRA FT ORGANIC RATU KETIARA WOMEN'S COOPERATIVE MANDHELING GRADE 1 is produced on family owned farms organized around the Ratu Ketiara Gayo cooperative (RKG), located in the Takengon highlands of the Aceh province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. This region of Indonesia is also referred to as the Gayo land because the coffee farmers are from the Gayonese ethnic group. The RKG cooperative was established in 2017 by a group of young women focused on creating gender equity and investing in young coffee producers. The female leadership is mentored by Rahmah (chairperson of PT Ketiara umbrella cooperative) who works tirelessly with a number of cooperatives in the region to overcome the inequity of a male dominated coffee industry in Indonesia."
