Indonesian coffee and its distinctively earthy flavour is renowned all over the world. The South-East Asian equatorial archipelago consistently makes the list of top ten green coffee exporters each year, and the coffee sector is one of the nation’s top job providers. Some 1.7 million Indonesian workers make their livelihoods in coffee production, and, moreover, Indonesia leads in domestic coffee consumption relative to other coffee-producing nations. You can be sure that Indonesian coffee producers know their product inside out.

This particular Indonesian coffee comes from the island of Java, a coffee-producing region so famous that its own name is used synonymously with coffee – you’ve definitely heard the term “cup of Java” somewhere before. Java was one of the first places other than Ethiopia and Yemen where coffee was grown commercially, and the island’s farmers have literal centuries of experience to leverage for growing delicious coffee. This and Java’s tropical climate, fertile volcanic soil, and high altitudes make the island the perfect place for growing high-quality specialty coffee. 

We’ve tasted plenty of coffee from this particular coffee estate, Frinsa, before; Rosetta makes it a regular offering, and it’s something we look forward to every year. Frinsa Estate was founded in 2012 by partners Wildan Mustofa and Atieq Mustikaningtyas, who were initially motivated out of concern for the deteriorating environmental condition of their homeland, largely as a result of unsustainable agricultural practices that caused erosion, landslides, and flooding. They concluded that coffee plants, with their extensive root networks and natural canopy-forming tendency, would help to counteract this decline and reinvigorate the area. Frinsa’s emphasis on sustainability extends to its workers too; by maintaining the conditions necessary for coffee production, Frinsa provides greater job security for its farmers. 

This particular Frinsa Estate iteration is unique even among other Indonesian coffees because it eschews Indonesia’s traditional form of coffee processing, Giling Bisah, otherwise known as a semi-washed or wet-hulled process. This processing technique plays a large role in developing the uniquely earthy flavour Indonesian coffee is known for. Instead, this coffee has been through a more typical washed process, and so should have a lighter body than most Indonesian coffees, as well as a more balanced flavour profile and a bright acidity. 

Rosetta Roastery's notes

Roast style: Classic
Flavour profile: Bold & full, stewed rhubarb, lemongrass

“Wildan’s coffees have long challenged the perception of Indonesian cup profiles. His innovative approach to processing consistently pushes boundaries, and this estate lot is no exception. After the initial soak time during the roast, we push development and prolong caramelisation. With striking clarity and notes of sweet cooked rhubarb, this Frinsa lot delivers a balanced and refined brewing experience.”

Coffee details from Rosetta

• Altitude: 1400 masl
• Processing: Washed
• Varieties: Various
• Harvest: 2024/25
• Country: Indonesia
• Region: Weninggalih, West Java
• Farm: Frinsa Estate
• Producers: Wildan Mustofa and Atieq Mustikaningtyas