Gamelan - Organic Coffee from Indonesia - Sumatra

Gamelan is our caffeinated gem from Indonesia. The method of drying green coffee,
specific to this region of the world, it gives its profile a unique character with notes of sugar
brown, leather and red berries.

All photos in the gallery are from the Roasters United shared photo database and were taken during the "in situ" visit in August 2023.

Cafe identity:

Cooperative: Permata Gayo

Plot altitude: 1200 - 1600m

Coffee plant species: 100% Arabica

Coffee tree varieties: Bourbon, Catimore, Timtim
Drying process: Wet Hulling
Harvest: November to June
Date of foundation: 2006

Roasting: Medium to High

Perco tasting notes:

Gamelan is a coffee with notes of brown sugar, leather, and red fruits.

The human story of this cafe (according to notes from Roasters United):

The story of Permata Gayo in northern Sumatra began in 2006 shortly after the 2004 tsunami, and after the 2005 Helsinki Peace Accords between the Government of Indonesia and the "Free Aceh" organization in Aceh province.

The cooperative began with a group of 50 founding members and now has 2,000 members in 36 different villages. Located in the Bener Meriah region, Permata Gayo is one of the few cooperatives in Sumatra that practices democratic governance and fights corruption. Production quality control improves year after year, and a nursery, a composting facility, and a grain-drying area have been established. During the months between harvests, the cooperative offers social and agricultural programs to its members.

Gamelan, a musical and socially engaged identity:

Gamelan refers to a traditional instrumental ensemble from Indonesia and pays homage to the oral and musical traditions of this part of Southeast Asia.

This name was inspired by reading Alain Damasio's "Les Furtifs" where the narrator, Saskia Larsen, fervently describes the trance induced by seeing and listening to the musical performance:

"As night fell, I saw them removing the covers from the stage to prepare to play... That's when I discovered the gamelan! [...]

The dancing began, but I confess I didn't watch, I was so hypnotized, or rather, so captivated by the sound of the gamelan. What a sound! [...]

Musically, you have to listen closely to understand it because it's so fast: the Balinese musicians reach dizzying tempos at times by sharing the melodic line among the instrumentalists, whose parts decouple and intertwine. [...]

The gamelan is playing and I rediscover that miracle of sharing, this time occurring within humanity. It makes me want to cry."

The Stealthies, Alain Damasio, Folio SF, p.241-245.