Karo Jasmine, a stunning
Indonesian specialty coffee engineered to shatter your expectations of traditional Sumatran profiles. Historically, North Sumatra is celebrated for heavy, rustic, and earthy flavors. However, this innovative microlot reimagines regional potential by marrying traditional processing with precision botanical infusion. The result is a breathtakingly clean cup that mimics the fragrance of a blooming jasmine tea garden.
🏔️ Terroir & Technical Specifications
Sourced from the misty, high-altitude volcanic soils of Merek within the Karo Regency of North Sumatra, this coffee enjoys an ideal growing environment. The cooling microclimate and mineral-rich earth slow down cherry maturation, maximizing the organic compounds and natural sugars packed within each seed.
| Attribute |
Specification |
| Origin Country |
Indonesia |
| Region |
Merek, Karo Highlands, North Sumatra |
| Species |
100% Arabica Specialty Coffee |
| Varietal Lineage |
Catimor |
| Elevation |
1,300 – 1,600 meters above sea level (masl) |
| Grade & Quality |
Grade 1 (G1) Specialty |
| Official Cupping Score |
85 / 100 |
🌸 The ‘Wet-Hulled Jasmine’ Process
The defining element of this lot is its sophisticated Wet-Hulled Jasmine Co-Fermentation framework. This technique elegantly reimagines Sumatra’s traditional Giling Basah (wet-hulling) method into a controlled aromatic vehicle.
The name directly outlines both its high-altitude geographic origin and the exact botanical infusion embedded into the green coffee matrix during post-harvest sorting:
- Hyper-Selective Floatation: Hand-picked crimson-red Catimor cherries are washed and floated to filter out any defects.
- The Jasmine Co-Fermentation: The sorted cherries are mechanical-pulped to peel away the skins. The wet coffee beans—still completely covered in sticky, sweet fruit mucilage—are loaded into sealed fermentation tanks along with fresh jasmine flowers for roughly 48 hours. As native wild yeasts break down the sugars, the porous structure of the coffee bean absorbs the natural essential oils and volatile aromatic compounds of the jasmine blossoms.
- The Wet-Hulled Finish: The beans are washed clean and laid on drying beds until the moisture drops to roughly 25%. While the seeds are still soft, they undergo immediate mechanical wet-hulling to strip away the outer parchment shells. This anchors the deep body and juicy texture Sumatran origins are known for, before a final gentle drying down to a stable 11.5%–12% moisture target
🍵Why does the coffee taste so special?
By utilizing anaerobic pressure to fuse organic flower properties into the core of the seed, the traditional herbal tones are refined into a clean canvas of pure floral sweetness. It delivers a completely natural, yet uniquely exotic taste profile:
- Breathtaking Floral Aromatics: A striking front-palette wave of perfumed jasmine blossoms, coffee blossoms, and elderflower.
- Refreshing Citrus Acidity: A clean, vibrant structural lift reminiscent of crisp orange zest and sweet yellow fruits.
- Elegant Tea-Like Texture: A soft, juicy medium body backed by a luxurious finish of sweet candy, black tea, smooth chocolate, and warm baking spices.
☕ Roasting & Extraction Parameters
To protect the fragile, volatile floral aromatics and clear citrus properties, Karo Jasmine is roasted exclusively as a Filter Roast with a Medium-Light profile.
To extract the clean, tea-like attributes of this lot, manual pour-over drippers are highly recommended:
- Brew Method: V60, Origami Dripper, or Kalita Wave.
- Recipe: 15g of medium-ground coffee to 225ml of water (1:15 ratio).
- Water Temperature: Keep your water around 91°C–94°C. A slow, steady concentric pour will let the refreshing jasmine fragrance bloom beautifully without over-extracting bitter notes. It also makes an exceptional, highly aromatic cold brew base!
