Sulawesi

Growing Regions

There are a couple dozen small islands all surrounding Sulawesi, and they all just use the Sulawesi Toraja name even though they aren't.  It is difficult to determine from the marketplace whether a Sulawesi is authentic or not, and all that really matters is the taste, but unfortunately, the outlying islands quite often grow a lower quality bean with less complexity.  If you can trace your bean back to the village it is from, you are a step ahead of the competition.

Roasting Guide

To me, it is the best of both worlds, you have the earthy full bodied Indonesian character, with undertones of orange citrus and an aftertaste of licorice. I typically recommend Indonesians be roasted dark – well into the 2nd cracks, but Sulawesi can be just as intriguing when you roast it just to the 2nd cracks, or even before it gets there.  Something about a french press or pourover method works magic on Sulawesi beans, and produces extraordinary coffee.

Manual

Sulawesi is one of my all-time favorite coffees, although it often sells poorly, and I blame it on the odd name of the country of which most people are not familiar.  Although the vast majority of Sulawesi beans are the traditional Indonesian style wet-hulled process, a few farmers have been trying a fully-washed method with a fair amount of success.  The washed coffees are much cleaner in taste and showcase a lemon-lime acidity and a nutty sweetness, while the wet-hulled beans are generally musty, earthy, and tobacco-like in character.

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