Ijen Plateau

The Ijen plateau sits high in the far east of Java, between the Ijen crater and the Raung volcano, on ground first planted with coffee during the colonial estate era. Today the plateau is a mix of old estates and village growers working fertile volcanic soil, cool nights and steady afternoon cloud. This lot is fully washed: cherries are pulped, fermented in tanks to loosen the fruit, rinsed in spring water and dried slowly on raised beds. Washing gives Ijen a clarity that wet-hulled Sumatran coffees do not have, so the sweetness reads as caramel and the finish is dry and tea-like. At a medium roast a warm clove spice comes through, especially as the cup cools. It is the most balanced of the seven and our pick for a daily pour-over that never gets tiring.