Back during the coffee "crisis" of the 1990s when farmers were being paid less for their coffee than it cost to produce, farmers on Bali actually cut down a lot of their coffee trees and planted orange and tangerine trees. Even if the farmer kept his coffee trees, most of them planted orange and tangerines between the coffee tree rows to subsidize their income. The coffee seems to benefit from the proximity of the citrus picking up a little sweetness and a bit more acidity than we normally find in Indonesian coffee. It is a semi wet process coffee (like a Sulawesi), and leaving the fruit attached to the seed while drying adds complexity and a wild sweetness.

This is a coffee that changes quite a bit with the roast profile you choose. In lighter roasts (just short of the second crack), it has really nice milk chocolate tones and a wine-toned crispness. The finish is very long and pleasing with reminices of chocolate, vanilla and spices. Maybe a little nuttiness, too. As you go darker, the chocolate notes become more bitter-sweet and the crispness is muted. At the same time it's Indonesian heritage begins to show and the earthiness comes out while the body develops more.

Bali Blue Moon may look a bit lighter during the roast than it's true roast level. Judge your roast by the cracks and the smell until you get used to the way it looks. Not hard to do, just something to be aware of.

All in all, this is a unique Indonesian coffee that will appeal to a wide audience. It stands well on it's own, and as you sip a cup, let your imagination consider it in various blends. A little Colombian, perhaps? Maybe a Chiapas?

Arrival Date: August 31, 2010

Attributes: Moderate to full body. Very crisp for an Indonesian coffee.

Bean Size: Slightly small

Chaff Content: Medium

Dominant Cup Characteristic: Milk chocolate tones.

Environmental Factors: Shade grown, organic

Flavor Traits: Milk chocolate dominates. You may notice hints of berries.

Growing Conditions: Shade grown, hand picked sun dried

Hardness of the Bean: Hard, though not as dense as high grown Central American coffee

Roasting: Start with a Full City (Medium Dark), or just barely short the second crack. If you can't hear the cracks, then roast until the beans are smooth and medium dark brown with just the first hint of sheen as the oil emerges. This coffee roasts unevenly, and will appear light for it's degree of roast. Try this, and then if you prefer, feel free to carry it darker in subsequent roasts.

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