The 7 Best Indonesian Coffee Beans
The Reputation of Indonesian Coffee Beans
Indonesia is one of the top coffee producing countries in the world, and is home to several islands that are renowned for their coffee. There are a vast number of Indonesian coffee brands that represent a large number of distinguished regions. When it comes to Indonesian coffee, it can be hard to know where to start!
We've put together a list of 7 of the best Indonesian coffees available! These Indonesian beans come from several different islands spread through out this vast country. We highly recommend giving each of these a try!
Here's a quick summary of our best Indonesian coffee picks!
The Coffee | Available As... |
|---|---|
Bali Blue Moon | |
Sumatra Mandheling  | |
Java Taman Dadar | |
Sulawesi Toraja  | |
Mocha Java Blend  | |
Having trouble deciding? While we highly recommend all of these Indonesian coffee beans, if we absolutely had to pick one, it would be Bali Blue Moon. But it really comes down to personal preference!
Indonesian Coffee Taste
There is plenty of variation among Indonesian beans, but to give you a general sense, you can expect your Indonesian coffee to be something like this...
Earthy flavors are somewhat of an acquired taste, and it is for that reason that Indonesian coffees are often held in the highest of regard by more experienced coffee drinkers.
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Indonesian Coffee Growing Regions
Coffee connoisseur or not, we believe that Indonesia has a lot to offer. We have recommendations from four different islands below. If you're interested in hearing a little about each of these islands, we've got you covered. If not, you can skip to the 7 best Indonesian coffees!
Sumatra Coffee
In terms of coffee production, Sumatra is the most recognizable and highly regarded island. Sumatra coffee beans are considered to be some of the best in the world. Sumatra coffee profiles are full, heavy bodied coffees with low acidity and high earthy character. Often including sweet chocolate and spicy notes, these profiles are complex and exquisite. The best Sumatra coffees are simply sublime.
Bali Coffee
That place you’ve probably heard of from that friend you have who has vacationed on their beautiful beaches. Bali coffee also happens to be top notch! Typically grown in the central Kintamani Highlands, the profiles that Bali offers are rich and significantly less earthy than many other Indonesian coffees.
Bali beach, couldn't resist. Imagine lounging here with a cup of coffee!
Java Coffee
Java is literally used as slang for the word coffee, that’s how acclaimed it is. You’ve most likely heard of Mocha Java coffee before. Mocha Java is a classic blend of beans from Mocha, Yemen and Java, Indonesian. This blend is thought to have pioneered the concept of, well, blending coffee beans. Many quality blends now exist that use beans of similar profiles to create the highly sought after Mocha Java coffee taste. Although often overshadowed by the famous blend, Java also produces some very high quality single origin coffee beans. We have represented both types of Java coffee in our list!
Sulawesi Coffee
Another pretty well represented island when it comes to high end coffees. These profiles tend to be have exotic aroma and a rustic sweetness. Sulawesi coffees typically include notes of fruit and chocolate. While maintaining the earthy quality that is characteristic of Indonesian coffees, these varieties manage a smooth, even silky mouthfeel.
Kopi Luwak Coffee - Please Read!
A quick word on cat poop coffee. Excuse me? Yes you heard correctly, civet cat poop coffee, or Kopi Luwak coffee. You may have heard of Kopi Luwak, which is often cited and marketed as the most expensive coffee in the world (it isn’t anymore).
Kopi Luwak coffee is made from beans that have been ingested and excreted by a civet cat. The fermentation process that occurs during digestion in the stomach of the civet is said to give the excreted coffee beans desirable qualities. The high asking price of this coffee has lead to extreme animal cruelty whereby civets are caged and force-fed coffee cherries. This cruelty of this practice has become more widely recognized in recent years, but civet farming unfortunately still occurs. We recommend that you avoid Kopi Luwak coffee, as the demand for it drives the motive for civet farming.
We're pretty passionate about this issue. In fact, we have written an entire article on the topic. Check it out!
The Best Indonesian Coffee Beans
Without further adieu, here are our 7 best Indonesian coffee recommendations. We hope you find some new Indonesian coffee beans to try!
1. Sumatra Gayo Coffee
Roasted By: Volcanica Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich, earthy & spicy notes
Sumatra is the most well known coffee producing island in Indonesia, and Volcanica’s Sumatra Gayo is as good as it gets. This heavy, syrupy coffee embodies the rich, earthy nature that Indonesia is best known for and distinguishes itself with some exotic spicy character. This is one that experienced coffee drinkers are likely to relish, but if you’re not quite at connoisseur level, fear not! Gayo coffee will get better and better the more you drink it.
Drip, Espresso & French Press Grinds available.
Not available as single serve
2. Bali Blue Moon Coffee
Roasted By: Fresh Roasted Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich, notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, earth & spice
Next up is beautiful Bali. Fresh Roasted Coffee’s Bali Blue Moon coffee will show you that Bali has much more than nice beaches to offer. A vast array of flavors including dark chocolate, vanilla, earth and spice are seamlessly interwoven into a creamy, rich mouthful. The spice portion of the profile sticks around and compliments a nice smooth finish. That earthy character that we keep mentioning is toned down in this profile, seemingly traded for, you guessed it, spice! Bali coffee is a consistent bestseller because it is one of the best Indonesian coffees available! Once you try it, you’ll understand.
Coarse, Drip & Fine Grind available!
3. Sumatra Mandheling Coffee
Roasted By: Koffee Kult
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich & complex, notes of earth & Baker's chocolate
Remember Sumatra? Sumatra Mandheling is perhaps the most well known Indonesian coffee brand that is produced there. Intense notes of earth and chocolate are combined with a wonderful brown sugar-like sweetness and a low acidity to create a rich and complex profile. This cup is completed by a nice smooth finish. Sumatra Mandheling coffee is thought to be the best Indonesian coffee out there!
Not available as single serve
4. Java Taman Dadar Coffee
Roasted By: Fresh Roasted Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Balanced, rustic, cedar, nut & Baker's chocolate notes
This one is from the island of Java, exclusively. Despite the majority of people knowing about Java for the famous Mocha Java blend, there are some stellar single origins available as well. Java Taman Dadar coffee is one of them, offering a complex combination of flavors. Here you'll find a brighter acidity and less earthy character as compared to your average Indonesian coffee. This profile is primarily rustic, showcasing notes of cedar, nut and Baker’s chocolate. Everything is well balanced and no one trait overwhelms. We think that this stand-alone coffee is more than worthy of the Java name!
Coarse, Drip & Fine Grind available!
5. Sulawesi Toraja Coffee
Roasted By: Teasia
Roast: Medium-Dark
Taste: Complex, notes of fruit, dark chocolate & cinnamon
Not to be forgotten, is the island of Sulawesi, home to a number of fine coffees. Teasia’s Sulawesi Toraja coffee offers up a complex flavor profile that includes fruit, dark chocolate and cinnamon. The acidity is minimal here, and a rustic sweetness takes the forefront. Chocolate and spice can be tasted in the finish of this treat. There are a number of aspects to be enjoyed in this cup, you won’t get bored of this coffee any time soon. Highly recommended to all.
Not available as ground coffee
Not available as single serve
6. Mocha Java Blend
Roasted By: Larry's Coffee
Roast: Dark
Taste: Balanced, notes of earth, spice, caramel & chocolate
We’d like to be very upfront about this, the terms “Mocha” and “Java” are just a name in this product. The beans contained within this blend are actually from Ethiopia and Sumatra, instead of Yemen and the Indonesian island of Java. This is not meant to be a trick, as the term Mocha Java is more of a brand than a reference to two specific geographical origins at this point. Mocha and Java were simply the first two types of beans found to compliment each other in such a pleasant way.
Larry’s Blend is expertly executed to provide the sought after coffee flavor profile. Earthy spice with chocolate and a hint of caramel is seamlessly combined with a bright berry-like acidity. If you haven’t tried Mocha Java coffee yet, this is the one!
Not available as ground coffee
Not available as single serve
7. Sulawesi Kalossi Coffee
Roasted By: Coffee Bean Direct
Roast: Dark
Taste: Rich, notes of earth & berries
One last Sulawesi here to round off the list. This dark roast is another prime example of the quality and variety that comes out of Sulawesi. This coffee embodies everything Indonesia is known for, and the dark roast accentuates the notes of earth and berries in a delightful manner. This low acid coffee sports a rustic sweetness in the background before coming to a smooth finish. If you’re preferences lean toward a darker roast, you should definitely give this one a shot.
Not available as ground coffee
Not available as single serve
And there you have it, 7 of our favorite Indonesian coffees, each of which we highly recommend. If you have yet to try Indonesian coffee, one of these would be a great place to start. You have an extensive and tasty journey to look forward to! If you’re already a fan, hopefully we’ve given you something new to try!
Let us know which island provides your favorite coffee in Indonesia, and if you have any recommendations for us!
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