Sumatra Asman Gayo is an exceptional washed coffee from the renowned Aceh region of Sumatra, produced at the Asman Gayo Mill run by Cup of Excellence winner Asman Arianto. Located in the Pegasing district of Takengon, this small mill serves coffee producers within the Pantan Musara villages—communities that rebuilt their lives and farms after being displaced by natural disaster several years ago, focusing their efforts on producing high-quality specialty coffee.
Unlike the vast majority of Sumatran coffees that use wet-hulling (giling basah) processing, Asman Gayo Mill produces washed coffees that challenge preconceptions about Sumatran coffee. If you've pigeon-holed Sumatran coffees as very earthy with flat acidity, prepare to be surprised! The careful washed processing—including purchasing only fresh red cherries, 36-hour fermentation after depulping, four washes to remove mucilage, and 14-day drying in drying houses or on raised beds—creates a much cleaner, sweeter profile with a pleasant mild to medium acidity.
We taste notes of melon, apple, and milk chocolate in this exceptionally clean Sumatran coffee. The extra care taken during processing results in a cup that maintains Sumatra's characteristic heavy body and herbaceous character while adding brightness and clarity uncommon in Indonesian coffees. This innovative approach to Sumatran coffee processing demonstrates what's possible when traditional growing regions embrace alternative methods.
Sumatra Asman Gayo represents progressive specialty coffee production in Sumatra and supports communities rebuilding through coffee agriculture, making every cup contribute to meaningful economic development.