Sumatra Badak Rhino

About Sumatra Badak Rhino

New Sumatra arrived December 2015 in grainpro. This coffee is called Badak Rhino and comes from the villages of west of Lake Tawar near Gayo Mountain on the island of Sumatra. The coffee is grown at an altitude 4,300 to 4,600 feet and all beans are semi sun dried by the farmers before being fully dried, sorted, bagged, and then exported. Our supplier has just started carrying the coffee this year and we were impressed by the sample. The villages where this coffee is harvested only produces a total of eight lots per year, making availability very limited. The region that this coffee is grown is quite far from the well known Mandheling region of Sumatra, and the differences are notable in the cup. 

Processing methods are typical of Sumatran coffee. The beans are wet hulled which generally gives more body and earthiness to the coffee. In this process the parchment remains on the bean until it is partially dried then later stripped of the outer parchment layer leaving a pale green bean. After several days of drying on the patio outside the beans turn a deep green color. 

Cup Characteristics: Pronounced pleasant dark, bittersweet chocolate both in texture and flavor. Black pepper notes evident toward the finish. Especially clean for a Sumatra with the slightest hint of brightness remaining at the end. Long, mouth coating finish.

Roasting Notes: Even roaster for this origin. Using a Hottop we coasted for a short while around 320 then started a strong ascent toward first crack which began gradually and about 5 degrees later, around 370, kicked in strongly. We dropped the heat to a minimal setting and coasted for a full minute as the coffee developed.