Muhtar is one of the members of Ketiara who contributes to our Bies Penantan single origin offering. On a sourcing visit in 2014, we tried Muhtar’s coffee on its own and jumped at the opportunity to offer it as a single-producer microlot.

Like many Ketiara members, Muhtar produces coffee organically on a small farm in the Gayo Highlands near the city of Takengon. Muhtar takes a holistic approach to farm management. In his words, every tree has different needs, and therefore he has to get to know them all individually. Muhtar is out on his farm every day, often singing to his coffee, and makes sure to visit each tree twice a week. He prunes the coffee trees to allow for maximum airflow and sunlight distribution to each part of the plant, and adjusts the regimen to maintain a balanced production throughout the harvest cycles – since plants pruned most recently will produce less in the short-term.

After the coffee is harvested, Muhtar processes his lots using a method called wet-hulling, which is traditional to the region. Cherry is depulped, fermented, washed, and partially dried. At this point, it is transported to the cooperative facility for final processing. When the coffee is still wet – at 30% - 45% moisture – the outer skin, or parchment, is removed mechanically. After drying is completed on patios, the green coffee is sorted by size and density, and finally hand-sorted before export.This process helps contribute to the heavy body and distinct profile of coffees from Sumatra.