Sulawesi Tana Toraji

ROASTING IN SEPTEMBER

From the cloud-churned peaks of southern Sulawesi comes this month’s limited release dark roast. Sulawesi coffee is the stuff of legends. And in the Land of Toraja, where indigenous lore tells that the people came down from the Pleiades, each cup tastes heavenly. It’s a special coffee, so be sure to grab an extra pound or two of Sulawesi Tana Toraji. 

FOR THOSE IN THE KNOW

This little-known island in the Indonesian archipelago isn’t known by name to many, unless they’re a coffee fanatic (hi, friend). Sulawesi is unique for its high altitudes, architecture, artistry, and distinctive coffees. From the rainy mountainsides, the coffee beans are harvested, pulped, fermented, and rinsed by hand before they arrive at the mill still damp. The parchment skins release as they tumble in the hulling machines and then they’re off to be darkly roasted by our crack team at The Roastery. A complex process for a complex cup.

THE A TO Z OF DELICIOUS

A thousand descriptors could apply to this unique limited release. It’s savory with a sweet finish—spicy notes of cumin, peppercorn, and California Bay Laurel mingle with the earthy, smoky aromas of teak and applewood. It’s the type of coffee that makes your mouth water, almost makes you hungry, and definitely checks the box when it comes to satisfying, particularly thanks to its sweet finish. 

NOTES FROM THE PEET’S ROASTERY

Upon arrival at The Roastery, the beans looked like a typical Sulawesi coffee: some were dark olive green, some were lighter, and few were blue-green or even dark plum. Almost all were big, and some had a rough matte finish. We really liked the smell from the green beans: fresh and vegetal, but also sweet, the sort of combo you’d find in a treat like zucchini bread, with hints of pepper and spice. We spent a couple of minutes breathing through a handful of beans (definitely Sulawesi!), but with a lot of surprising notes in the background. All in all, a compelling batch.

The roasts went amazingly well. It was easy to keep the time consistent and hit the color we were looking for, and we were able to get a good range of roast levels in five test profiles. First crack was loud, but the popping was sporadic. It started at the same temperature during each roast and was a reliable signal to start reducing heat. Second crack was also loud, and a good cue to cut heat and finish. Color was easy to follow, but the smoothing of the bean’s surface and the appearance of oil were even better indicator that the desired roast level had been achieved. The roast aromatics were more woody than leafy, the bread-like aromatics increased—sweeter and grainier now—and the pepper was still present.

We evaluated the five profiles with six tasters, blind and randomized. While we found all of them to exhibit positive qualities; one profile hit the mark for origin character, Peetnik preference, and was the top pick for our Coffee Team based on what they’ve been cupping out of Sulawesi this season.

Near unanimously, we found the winning profile to strike a pleasing balance between roast character and origin character. This particular lot from Sulawesi had a lot of complexity and personality, so striking that balance among so many great test roasts was no easy feat! In the end, we chose the profile that had particularly stellar aromatics with notes of plum, red wine, tropical wood, and dark chocolate. In the cup many of those notes were echoed along with a pleasing caramel sweetness, full body, and mild acidity. It couples nicely with both alt and dairy milks, for those who take their coffees that way. 

-John Nicolini and Michael Madden, Roasters; Jamie Smith, R&D

 

PEET’S LIMITED RELEASE COFFEES

You might think that a monthly coffee subscription sounds amazing in and of itself, but Peet’s coffee-of-the-month takes it a step further than most. Good things come in small packages, and we only get these coffees in small batches, which is why you can only find them at peets.com and only for a month at a time. They’re special. And while you don’t have to be a Small Batch Coffee subscriber to experience these amazing coffees, their fleeting nature means they can sell out—fast. So subscribing guarantees you get to taste each one of these incredibly special lots.