Sumatra, Lintong Triple Pick

Sumatra has had a bad rap for having "ugly" beans. Lots of cracks and deformities, but it's flavor is sweet and syrupy and quite popular. When we found this option for triple picked we knew we had to try it. Still not as beautiful of a bean as our Guatemalan leaving us to pick through the beans for a fourth time, but the end result in the taste makes up for it! 

Flavor Notes: Dark Chocolate, Cedar, Dried Plum

About the beans from our provider:

The Sumatra Lintong Triple Pick Tiger represents the highest grade of specialty coffee from Sumatra, classified as Grade 1 TP (Triple Picked). This designation means the coffee undergoes rigorous hand-sorting to remove natural defects, ensuring only the finest quality beans make the cut. Traditionally, Grade 1 was the pinnacle of Sumatran coffee, but increased demand for even cleaner, more refined cups within the specialty coffee industry led to the introduction of double-picked and triple-picked certifications for enhanced quality control.

At the mill, growers combine their harvests, allowing operators to adhere to strict standards for defect levels and bean size, producing consistently exceptional Sumatran coffee. These farms average just 2.7 acres each, located at elevations ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 feet above sea level.

The Sumatra Lintong Triple Pick Tiger offers a cup full of rich, earthy, and syrupy aromas, complemented by a bold body, a substantial mouthfeel, and a pleasantly lingering finish.

Growers in Sumatra (and Sulawesi) are the world’s exclusive experts in the Semi-Washed / Wet Hulled process, locally known as Giling Basah. A defining feature of this process is the higher moisture content of the parchment at the point of sale.

In the standard Washed or Wet Process, common worldwide, coffee cherries are pulped, fermented, washed, and dried in parchment until the moisture content reaches 10-12%, a process that typically takes 12-24 hours. In contrast, Semi-Washed coffees, like our Sumatra Lintong Triple Pick Tiger, are pulped and only partially dried for a few hours, leaving the moisture content between 25-50%. At this stage, the parchment remains intact, and much of the sticky, gummy mucilage is still present on the beans, sometimes even making them feel slimy to the touch.

Flavor-wise, the retained mucilage profoundly impacts the cup profile, enhancing sweetness and adding even greater body. The Semi-Washed process can be considered a midway point between Washed coffees and Natural-processed coffees, creating a unique and rich flavor experience.

In another break from convention, the drying of semi-washed parchment takes place on natural clay or dirt patios, allowing the beans to absorb the unique characteristics and minerality of the soil. This process greatly contributes to the classic earthy flavor profile associated with semi-washed coffees.

Additionally, semi-washed beans have a distinctive bluish hue and often exhibit a curly shape compared to other green coffees. These traits result from the unique processing method and the beans’ elevated moisture content.

Traditionally, farmers in Sumatra and Sulawesi sell their coffee lots to local collectors, who manage storage and transport to the dry mill. At the mill, the coffee is stripped of its hull and parchment, then sorted and prepared for export. This system allows farmers to receive faster payment for their crop compared to the more labor- and time-intensive washed/wet process.