Did you know that Indonesia is the world’s third-largest coffee producer, according to data from 2013, after Brazil and Vietnam? In Indonesia, coffee is generally characterized by a distinct flavor. As a result, Indonesia is ranked among the top 5 major special coffee growers in the world, with an estimated 95% coverage. Our comprehensive guide will show you the best Sumatra coffee brands to introduce you to the world-famous taste.
We’ve looked at 21 different options choosing the 10 best ones, and in our opinion, the Volcanica Coffee Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Beans, Medium Roast is the best. There are several vital features that make Sumatra coffee so special, including the environmental conditions since Sumatra’s volcanic soil, which is beneficial to coffee growth, and wet-hulling technology, a processing method that is predominantly used in Indonesia.
More features: Fair Trade certified
The first, and in our opinion, the best Sumatran brand of coffee is this Volcanica Coffee. This are our absolute favorites for several reasons. If you are looking for the best Sumatra Madheling coffee, then this the best place to begin your journey.
The brand comes with a full body taste, with low acidity, and notes that will open up and delight your taste buds to no end.
This particular brand is one of the more expensive options on this roundup, but it is certainly worth the cost, The beans are medium roasted and boast of the distinctive earthy and herbal flavor that Sumatra coffee is known for. The coffee comes with certifications as well. It is Fair Trade, shade-grown, and certified by Rainforest Alliance.
More features: Fair Trade certified, USDA Organic
Up next is this excellent brand that offers one of the best offerings in terms of price, packaging, and of course, taste.
If you hate grinding your beans, then this brand is the option for you. You don’t have to waste time with grinding the beans and getting the blend you want. Everything is already made with this package. It comes in an affordable pack of three 12-ounce bags as well.
It also comes with certifications. This option is Fair Trade and Organic certified, therefore you can be sure about the overall quality of the blend. One of the best things we love about this option is that it comes with a special chocolatey flavor that is distinctive to the brand. As with all other Sumatran brands, it offers low acidity and is medium ground.
More features: sourced from several small farms in the Balak Highlands in Indonesia
This coffee brand is widely considered to be one of the best coffee brands from the region. This Arabica coffee in mountain grown and is known for the low acidity and the strong taste and body. When brewed, it offers you a smooth, complex and earthy flavor.
The beans of this brand are from the Balak Highlands. Although slightly costlier than average, it is worth the price. The coffee comes in a simple package that you will likely find useful. The resealable bags are sturdy and offer you a wonderful packaging.
More features: single origin, organic
This is a 100% Arabica coffee brand that offers impressive taste and aroma. It is certainly one of our favorite options on the market. It comes in a 5-pound bag which is easy to use and will ensure that the coffee remains fresh. Coming in this size, you have a coffee brand that has a really impressive flavor that many have remarked to be earthy and spicy.
These large-batch Sumatran coffee beans are certified as fresh and are also organic. You will enjoy the smokey aroma. From our testing, we observed a tobacco, cherry, and cedar note. While it isn’t the cheapest on the market, it is very satisfying.
More features: single-origin coffee
This is a pretty solid coffee that we tasted. It comes at a good price, which isn’t surprising since it is a Starbuck’s offering. The pricing is reasonable and you will have a good time with this option. It is more economical to get it in a bulk purchase as it works out being cheaper than several other brands.
Away from the cost, this coffee offers you a combination taste. It manages to taste both spicy and earthy, which is quite unique. If you enjoy dark roasts, then chances are pretty high that you will love this option as much as we did. The notes are really nice and will not offend most people. When properly brewed, you have a coffee that is smooth and generally enjoyable by all.
More features: 96- and 72-count available; Fair Trade certified organic; recyclable pods; kosher; compatible with all Keurig K-Cup coffee makers
If you are a coffee lover, then you likely know about this brand. It offers some of the best types of coffee that you can think off, and this particular option is one of the best available.
While it is not as interesting as our number one pick, it is certainly and excellent offering that comes at a great price. It offers a brown sugar and warm spicy flavor, which many people really enjoy. It is a certified option as well as it is Fair Trade certified.
Brewing it is very simple as it works well with most of the coffee makers on the market. The beans are low in acid.
More features: single origin; Fair Trade and USDA Organic certified
These beans come from the Aceh province of Sumatra. This region has the perfect conditions to grow high quality, 100% Arabica coffee beans. The high quality of this brand is evident all through, from the packaging to the taste. The flavor profile is excellent. From our testing, it offers dark chocolate notes which many people really enjoy. While it doesn’t come with all the notes that are found in some more expensive brands, it is still an excellent option.
It is a single origin brand. Therefore it tastes really great and better than several blended brands. Additionally, it is Fair Trade and Organic certified.
More features: Kosher certified; USDA Organic certified; Fair Trade certified; sourced from Central Aceh, Northern Sumatra
While this does not rank high on our list, it is still one of the best Sumatra coffee that you can buy right now. It is much better than most of the others on the market right now.
The brand is available at a very affordable price. Despite the low price, it is a good option and introduction to Sumatran coffee. Nevertheless, it is slightly more expensive than your typical coffee. This is a medium roast coffee that has a really nice taste.
However, the taste isn’t distinctive, especially when compared with other Sumatran coffee brands. It comes from the Lintong region of Sumatra. The elevation of 4000 feet means it is a good place for Arabica coffee like this.
When brewed, it is smooth, offers little acidity and has a chocolate flavor.
More features: decaffeinated; kosher certified; non-GMO verified
If you are thinking of upgrading your coffee beans, then the Allegro brand is an excellent brand. This is an alternative to many other types of brands on the market right now. It is a USDA Organic and NON-GMO certified option. Therefore, you can drink it every morning with peace of mind, knowing that sustainable steps were taken to produce the coffee you drink.
The flavor is the favorite of many drinkers. It boasts of a herbal, fragrant and earthy flavor that you might enjoy as much as we did. It comes in bags that weigh 12 ounces.
One of the best things about it, especially if you aren’t big on caffeine, is that this is a decaffeinated option.
More features: USDA organic and kosher certified; single-origin and sourced from Aceh, Northern Sumatra
This 100% Arabica coffee offers a lovely taste and several options to choose from to have the best grind for you. This particular offering is a whole bean option. The benefits are clear. Due to the whole bean nature, you can always have a fresh cup of coffee when you desire it. You enjoy the whole coffee experience with a full-body, flavored option. The flavor is one of our favorite things about the coffee. It boasts of notes of cherry, chocolate, and cinnamon spice.
Additionally, this is a USDA organic and kosher certified alternative. As a single-origin, medium light coffee, you will certainly enjoy drinking this coffee.
In the review section above, we considered 10 of the best Sumatra coffee that you can buy right now. This lovely type of coffee is available in several brands, and the ten that we considered have helped to narrow down your choices. In this buying guide section, we consider some of the important features to note before making a buying decision. There are also plenty of information to consider before you make a buying choice.
If you are just new to drinking coffee, you might have heard several people refer to Sumatra coffee with such reverence in their voice. Well, what makes this coffee so special? In this section, we consider all of the things that makes this one of the best coffee blends that you could ever enjoy.
The first thing that makes Sumatra coffee so special is the environmental condition. Although coffee isn’t a native Indonesian plant, Sumatra is a wonderful place where coffee grow in such quantities and splendor. Arabica coffee thrives here because of Sumatra’s location. Apart from the location, Sumatra also lies om volcanic soil. Therefore, it is ideal for plant growth.
Although there is a variety of weather conditions, the combination of the weather means that you have the perfect growing environment for coffee. The altitude also results in some of the best Arabica coffee in the world.
Another thing that makes Sumatra coffee special is the processing. While several factors come into play to determine the final taste of your coffee, the processing before roasting the coffee beans is one of the most important factors that ultimately determine the taste.
Well, this is no different in the case of Sumatran coffee. What differentiates this coffee from the regular coffee is the processing. The Sumatran blend is usually processed via wet hulling. Well, what is this?
Wet hulling is what makes your Sumatra coffee taste so herbal and earthy. Here are the steps involved in wet hulling:
But isn’t this what happens with other coffee beans? Well, not really. In the case of other types of coffee, the beans are dried first before the processing. However with wet hulling, the beans stay moist for a longer time which will enhance the flavor.
Choosing the best Sumatran coffee can be hard ask if you do not know the things to look out for. Well, in this section, we consider some of the important factors to consider before you make a buying choice. This will help you with making the correct buying choice.
There are different types of coffee. Knowing the different types and their characteristics will help you to choose rightly.
The two main types are the Arabica and the Robusta. Sumatra is an Arabic coffee.
Arabica coffee is the most popular type and accounts for about 60% of all the coffee in the world.
Robusta coffee is the other type of coffee. One important difference between the two is that Robusta coffee comes with almost twice as much caffeine as Arabica coffee.
There are differences between buying pre-ground and whole bean coffee. The difference often is evident in the flavor, scent, and freshness.
Pre-ground coffee is also much easier to use. With this type of coffee, you don’t have to do any grinding. Examples of this type are AmazonFresh Organic Fair Trade Sumatra Ground Coffee and Allegro Coffee.
However, bean coffee is more original and will give you more freshness and that authentic coffee flavor and appeal. With the bean coffee, you will always have the freshest cup of coffee available. Examples of this type of coffee are 1st in Coffee Sumatra Mandheling Whole Bean, Copper Moon Sumatra, Java Planet, and Volcanica Coffee Sumatra Mandheling.
As the name implies, this factor refers to the origins of the coffee. The single origin type comes from one source, and that is what most of the brands that we have considered offer. Examples are Copper Moon Sumatra, Starbucks Sumatra, and Java Planet Sumatra.
The Blend type is coffee that is made of coffee beans of several origins. This gives a flavor of different beans.
When choosing the brand of Sumatra coffee, it is important that you consider the weight and packaging. This will affect how easy you will find it to take the coffee and how long it will last. If you have a large family, then it would be better to have a bigger coffee package.
Volcanica Coffee Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Beans is our top choice. This coffee is grown at more than 3000 feet altitude. It comes fresh and is one of the best Sumatran coffee that you can ever taste. The best ground coffee is the AmazonFresh Sumatra coffee. This is a ground coffee brand that comes fresh and aromatic. If you are looking for pre-ground beans, then this is the one for you. 1st in Coffee Sumatra Mandheling Whole Beans. This mountain grown coffee is the value pick. It comes in 12-ounce bags which are resealable. The blended format offers you a taste of coffee beans from different regions. These and the other seven are the best Sumatra coffee you can buy right now.
