Java Tilu coffee is a single origin coffee from the Tilu Mountains in West Java, Indonesia. It is produced by the Frinsa Collective, a group of small farmers who work together to improve the quality and sustainability of their coffee.
Mount Tilu Java Arabica coffee is grown in the highlands of West Java at an altitude of 1,500 to 1,600 meters above sea level. This area has a tropical climate with moderate temperatures and high humidity, which provides ideal conditions for the growth of Arabica coffee plants. The soil on Mount Tilu is rich in volcanic minerals, contributing to the coffee bean's unique flavor profile. Farmers use traditional farming methods and sustainable farming practices, including organic fertilizers, natural soil amendments and pest control techniques to promote the growth of healthy plants and high quality coffee beans.
The farmers of Java Tilu coffee use a Semi-washed process which is when the coffee has undergone a partial wet processing method. The coffee cherries are first pulped and then dried, before being hulled and polished. However, unlike washed coffee, the coffee beans are not fully soaked in water. Instead they are only rinsed. This method is also known as the ‘wet-hulled’ process. The outer skin is removed, similar to washed coffee, but the mucilage – inner-mesocarp – remains on the parchment and is sun-dried. Then the parchment is removed and the swollen white beans enter the second drying-phase.
Java Tilu coffee has a savory and complex taste, with notes of lemon, toffee, chocolate, and spices. It can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
One of the most important factors is the altitude where the coffee is grown. The highlands in the Tilu Mountain region create the ideal environment for growing Arabica coffee beans, which are renowned for their complex flavor profile and exceptional quality.
Another factor that contributes to the taste profile of Gunung Tilu Java Arabica coffee is the soil composition of the region. Volcanic minerals in the soil give coffee beans a unique taste and aroma not found in other coffee varieties.
When people think of "wet hulled coffee" (aka "giling basah"), Sumatra tends to be the origin that comes to mind. But Java also produces some of our favorites of the complex, rustic-sweet coffees, and are often exceptionally sorted for defects too, as Waspada is. The dry fragrance yields hints of banana bread, dark corn syrup, and bittersweet rustic cocoa. I pick up on a potent blackstrap molasses note in the wetted coffee that carries notes of milk chocolate and brown bread in the steam. The interesting smells give way to a somewhat atypical wet hulled cup as well. This coffee really challenges preconceptions you might have about wet hulled coffee. Sure, it has some of the typical earth and woody aspects. But it also offers notes of fruit and an acidic impression that put it in a league of its own. The cup sweetness walks a tightrope between unrefined sweeteners and earthy dried date. I'm giving City roasting the green light here - not often recommended for wet hulled coffees - which cultivates a moderately bright cup considering, with acidity being informed by notes of lemony sour grass, and a hint of orange herbal bitters. Full City+ roasts produce more than ample sweetness that offsets some of the intense roast bittering. There's also a hint of dried plum in there, and subtle anise aroma. I didn't pick up on a whole lot of 'smokey' aspects either, which only helps to lift the dense layers of dark cocoa.
Processing Method: Wet Hulled (Giling Basah)
Cultivar:Modern Hybrids
Farm Gate:Yes
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Pak Gunawan's has really stretched out his entrepreneurial roots. From coffee roaster and cafe owner, to pine oil distiller (most coffee is grown in the pine agroforestry zones, so this makes a lot of sense), this Sundanese small-businessman recently added "coffee collector" to his repertoire. "Collectors" are intermediaries of sorts who buy partially processed coffee and full coffee cherry from coffee small scale farmers and then process the coffee down to the dried seed/bean. In the case of Pak Gunawan, he is renting a small warehouse space replete with coffee huller in Ciwidey and producing mostly wet-hulled coffee (aka "giling basah"). Whereas many collectors create large blends of all the coffee they buy, Pak Gunawan pays special attention to separating the lots that he buys by region, these smaller lot sizes adding a layer of quality control, not to mention more specific provenance. The washing station where Pak Gunawan has procured this coffee is in Waspada (also known as "Laspada"), near Pangalengan. We found Waspada to be a very unique wet hulled coffee, lighter roasts showing impressive acidity considering process, and the typical earthy/herbal/woody notes are interspersed with atypical fruited sweetness. One of our cuppers wrote that it "tastes like wet hulled Sumatra with a little Ethiopia mixed in".
Region
Cisangkuy Valley
, Pangalengan, Bandung
Processing
Wet Hulled (Giling Basah)
Drying Method
Patio Sun-Dried
Arrival date
May 2022 Arrival
Lot size
40
Bag size
60 KG
Packaging
GrainPro Liner
Farm Gate
Yes
Cultivar Detail
Ateng, Typica
Grade
Grade 1
Appearance
.8 d/300gr, 17+ Screen
Roast Recommendations
City to Full City+
Type
Farm Gate
Recommended for Espresso
Yes
Specifications
Variety
Lini S or
Sigarautang or
Ateng Super
Wholesale Green Bean or Retail (Buyer Type)
Green Bean Wholesale Bags: (60 Kg/ 132 lbs Whole bag bulk orders) No roasting or grinding available