Hard Lines’s new Indonesian coffee beans come all the way from the indigenous Batak tribe on the island of Sumatra, who grow their coffee in the fertile soils around the edge of Lake Toba- the largest volcanic crater lake in the world.

This coffee is the perfect example of what makes coffee from this origin so unique, utilising the Giling Basah wet-hulling method that’s unique to Indonesia. For this process, hand harvested coffee is pulped and fermented overnight in bags to loosen the mucilage, before being dried on patios where it develops a deep blue colour. This is where things diverge from an ordinary washed process, as the coffee is dried only to around 40-50% moisture (unlike the usual 10-12%) and is wet-hulled while still plump and moist before a secondary drying stage to prepare it for onward transport. This method means that producers can sell their coffee more quickly as Indonesia’s humid climate makes normal drying challenging.

Despite a reputation for a complex or earthy taste, wet-hulled coffee can have as diverse a flavour as any other processing method! This bag has mellow fruity flavour with lots of citrus acidity that makes it suitable for all brew types.