Flores

Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Flores (or Flower) Island is 360 miles long island in Indonesia located about 200 miles to the east of Bali. Once a colony of the Portuguese, Flores’ name derives from the colorful coral reefs that surround the island.

The terrain is rugged and the island is replete with both active and inactive volcanoes which have created especially fertile soils ideal for organic coffee production.

Coffee Production in Flores

The coffee industry in Flores was not known for quality prior to 2005. A typical coffee farm in Flores is characterized by minimal inputs of both capital and labour, with an almost total absence of synthetic fertilisers and farm chemicals.

Today, the Flores coffee industry is undergoing rapid change, with commercial traders introducing a diversity of coffee processing and trade systems.

Among the major changes that have taken place in recent years are the harvesting of only fully ripe cherries, and, implementation of wet hull processing. Drying now also takes place on raised African beds here to prevent contact and contamination with soil.

Characteristics

True to its name, coffee from Flores is known for hint of floral with a base of chocolate and woody notes. Its wet hull processing also gives it a smooth and rich body and a background smokiness that makes for a distinctive cup.

Sources:

1. “The Influence of Primary Processing Methods on the Cup Taste of Arabica Coffee from the Indonesian Island of Flores. Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Coffee Science, Bali, October 3–8, 2010”; Marsh, A., Yusianto, Mawardi, S.; 2010