About This Coffee
Coffee has been grown in the area surrounding Gunung Tilu ("gunung" is the word for "peak" in the local language) since 1857. Tilu has been designated as a nature preserve, and the 33 smallholder farmers who contribute to this lot farm their plots amongst the rich biodiversity of the area. Working with a group leader, they sell their ripe cherry directly to the wet mill at Tenjolaya Ciwidey. From there the cherry is immediately pulped and undergoes 16 hour fermentation, followed by pulping and drying in solar dryers. Cherries are floated and only the ripest red cherries are selected to ensure high cup quality.
History of Coffee in Java
Although coffee was first planted successfully on Java around 1700, cultivation spread slowly throughout what would become the great archipelagic state of Indonesia. In fact, the green coffee of Java served as progenitor to the coffees of far off Central America and had begun its ascent to being considered, alongside Arabian Mocha, as one of the best coffees in the world, long before commercial cultivation spread to nearby islands. At the same time, it should be noted that nearly all coffee from any island in the Dutch East Indies was considered “Java” until the early 20th century, so whose to say what Java was before then.
Growing Coffee in Java
Some of the large coffee estates created by the Dutch 175 years ago can still be found on the volcanic Ijen Plateau at the eastern tip of Java, but most coffee farmers are smallholders growing coffee on an average of 1.5 hectare, many of them among a cluster of volcanoes in West Java, where coffee cultivation first began on the island. Although disease resistant Robusta became the dominant coffee crop, West Java has seen a steady increase in Arabica production in recent years. Arabica generally grows above 1200 meters and virtually all coffee is fully washed.
Country: Java, Indonesia
Region: Gambung Pangkalan, West Java
Farm: 33 smallholder farmers at the Tenjolaya Ciwidey wet mill
Elevation: 1500 MASL
Variety: Catimor, Tim Tim, Typica, Andung Sari, Gayo II
Processing: Washed
Tasting notes: Medium to heavy body, honey-like sweetness, mandarin orange, cranberry, and lime with a long finish.
Website orders are roasted and packed every Monday and picked up Tuesday by USPS for delivery. As we only roast exactly as much of each coffee as we have known orders for, please be sure and place your order no later than 10 AM (PST) on Monday for fulfillment that week. Orders that come in later than that may not be fulfilled until the following week.
Here is a quick guide to what our shipping rates are based on the quantity you order:
Orders weighing 0 - 7.99 Pounds ship for $8.00.
Orders weighing 8 Pounds or more ship for Free!
(If you live in the Seattle area and would like to know where you can find Velton's Coffee locally, check out our handy guide!)
Scroll down to see all current available coffees. To view or purchase click on the images below.