Meet the King of Coffees

Sumatra Lintong Raja Batak – the King of Coffees bears a long name! The name is worth remembering though, as our latest Limited Edition coffee capsules is Indonesian coffee at its best. Curious to know why the semi-washed and hand-pulped Arabica bean from Sumatra has earned the status of a coffee star? Let us take you on a trip to the district of Lintong in North Sumatra… don’t close your eyes, but read on – you’ll feel like you’re there!

Here’s where it all started…The fruitful mountain sides of Lake Toba

Grown on the steep mountain sides of Lake Toba – a beautiful wonder of nature – Sumatra Lintong Raja Batak has been cultivated for thousands of years by the ethnic tribes known as “Batak.” The coffee actually takes its name from the mythical ancestor of the Batak- Si Raja Batak. The legend says that when Si Raja saw the Lake Toba, he immediately decided to settle there, taken aback by its beauty. We can’t blame him – would you?

We coffee lovers can only be grateful to Si Raja: the coffee plantations set up there by the Batak have given the world one of the greatest tasting coffees – in fact, the mountain sides of Lake Toba turned out to be a particularly fertile area, thanks to the volcanic character of the island.

Ok, you’ll say, but what else makes Raja Batak coffee so special?

It’s all about the… honey

Having cultivated the coffee for generations, the Batak are experts not only in taking care of the coffee, growing it without any shade or chemicals, but also use a unique method of processing the beans, called ‘honey processing’. It doesn’t have anything to do with actual honey, but refers to the way Batak treat the Arabica beans after they picked them from the trees. Honey processing means that the beans are only semi-washed and hand-pulped, which gives them a stickyness similar to the consistency of honey – as well as a naturally sweeter, intense taste.

So what do our Sumatra Lintong Raja Batak coffee capsules taste like?

You can expect a cup of balanced and smooth coffee with a medium to heavy body. Thanks to the honey processing, it has a light acidity and syrupy flavour – and you’ll notice some tones of dark chocolate and mild spices too! The earthy and complex aroma will transport you to the mountain sides of Lake Toba in just one sip. Curious to try? View our Limited Edition Sumatra coffee cups here.

Beautiful aroma matched by the beauty of our package

Inspired by the story of Batak and the amazing flavours of the coffee that grows under their loving eyes, our designer has come up with a packaging that pays tribute to the origins of our Sumatra Lintong Raja Batak. Curious about what brought her to create the design of our packaging? This is how she describes it:

“As with Jones Brothers Coffee’s previous Limited Edition boxes, we wanted to retain a similar design theme across the range keeping all the core design elements, whilst at the same time, create a new pattern that would pay homage to and be clearly identifiable as Sumatra. After some research into the textiles and crafts of Sumatra & the Batak people, I started to build a colour rich geometric pattern based on the artistic Batik technique (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik) and the intricate weavings of Songkets – a luxury hand-woven fabric in silk or cotton, usually with gold or silver threads, traditionally worn during cermonial occasions and by Sumatran royalty (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songket).

The result: a unique, visually striking and lively design that celebrates the beautiful textiles of Sumatra and the wonderful traditions of the Batak people.”

Now you know it all about the coffee goodness from Lake Toba, Lintong in Nothern Sumatra.

Want to try it? Order it here!

And once you’ve had a cup or two, do let us know what you think! You can place your review on our website – we’ll be happy to know if you liked it as much as we do.

Happy drinking!

The Bean Team