Bali Blue Coffee: Where It Grows and Why It Tastes Like It Does
Our Bali Blue is a coffee from the Kintamani highlands of northeastern Bali, processed by wet-hulling. That process gives the green bean its bluish tint and tends to give the cup a heavy body and low acidity. Here's where it grows and why it tastes the way it does.
Kintamani: Bali's Main Coffee Region
You may know Bali for its temples and beaches, so start with the map. The Kintamani region, on the island's northeastern side, is Bali's main growing area. According to green-coffee importer Atlas Coffee Importers, its soil is enriched by eruptions from the nearby Gunung Agung volcano.
Bali grows coffee in much smaller volumes than its fellow Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.
Our Bali Blue comes from smallholder farmers in Kintamani who grow Bourbon, Typica and Catimor at 1,200–1,600 m in volcanic loam. The cherries are hand picked, wet-hulled and dried on raised beds.
Small Farms, Organised Together: the Subak Abian
The farms are small, but the farmers don't work alone. Atlas counts over 3,000 small-scale farmers in Bali's coffee production, most of them organised into about 60 traditional groups called subak abian.
A subak abian works a lot like a cooperative. Each group sets standards for how its members grow and process coffee, written into a "Book of Requirements" that every member receives. The groups rest on Tri Hita Karana, a Balinese Hindu philosophy built on three good relationships: with the gods, with other people and with the environment.
In the Kintamani zone, coffee usually grows under shade trees, mainly citrus, banana and legume trees, and citrus is another major cash crop for farmers.
Indonesia's First Protected Coffee Name
The region also has a protected name. On 5 December 2008, "Kopi Arabika Kintamani Bali" became the first product protected by Indonesia's Geographical Indication (GI) system.
The rules behind that name are specific. Farmers hand-pick ripe red cherries, and the GI specification sets a minimum of 95 percent red cherries. And the protection itself, according to an FAO case study of the GI, covers coffee from fully washed Kintamani arabica grown above 900 metres.
Atlas describes Balinese coffee in general as able to show citrus, brown sugar and mild fruit, with a bright acidity and a soft body.
Our Bali Blue comes from the same highlands, but it is wet-hulled rather than fully washed, so it falls outside the GI.
Wet-Hulling: Where the Blue Comes From
Wet-hulling is easiest to understand next to the usual way. In standard washed processing, the bean dries inside its papery parchment layer, and the parchment comes off only once the bean is dry. Wet-hulling does the opposite: the parchment is stripped off while the bean is still wet.
The gap is large. As green-coffee importer Cafe Imports explains, wet-hulled coffee is typically hulled at 35–50% moisture, against the 10–12% at which most coffees are hulled.
The bare bean then finishes drying in the open, and that is where the colour appears. As green-coffee supplier Burman Coffee explains, its Bali Blue Moon is named for the bluish hue that wet-hulling, called Giling Basah in Indonesian, gives the bean.
The method is almost unique to Indonesia, and it is most closely tied to Sumatra, where it began and where it is still most common. There, damp weather and cloud cover can make other drying methods difficult, and wet-hulled coffee dries quickly once the parchment is off.
It isn't risk-free. Cafe Imports notes that removing the parchment early creates these regions' distinct flavour, but it also leaves the bean exposed to swings in humidity and to dirt and debris.
What Wet-Hulling Does to the Cup
All of that shows up when you drink it. Wet-hulled coffees are known for heavy body, very low acidity and an earthy, savoury depth.
Not every wet-hulled coffee tastes the same, though. Burman Coffee, which sells a green Bali Blue Moon, calls it a cousin to Sumatra or Sulawesi coffee that is a bit smoother, without as much peaty earthiness.
Our Bali Blue is roasted medium-dark, and in the cup you can expect dark chocolate, molasses and brown sugar. Wet-hulled coffees as a group handle darker roasting well and work particularly well as espresso. If you pull shots at home, ours is worth a try.
Washed Kintamani vs Bali Blue at a Glance
Here are the two styles from the same highlands side by side.
| Washed Kintamani (GI) | Wet-hulled (Bali Blue style) | |
|---|---|---|
| When the parchment comes off | After the bean dries | While the bean is still wet |
| Moisture at hulling | Dry (most coffees: around 10–12%) | Around 35–50% |
| Protected by the 2008 GI | Yes | No |
If You Like Bali Blue, Try These Next
Once you know what wet-hulling does, it's easier to explore the coffees around it. For a fully washed coffee to taste against it, try our Papua New Guinea: a medium roast from small cooperatives in Chimbu Province, fully washed and sun-dried, with caramel, honey and fruit.
If heavy body is what you're after in a blend, our Asian Plateau Blend brings together Southeast Asian coffees in a medium roast with herbal notes and a heavy body.
Curious how other processing methods compare? For the sun-dried approach, read What Is Natural Process Coffee?
Is Bali Blue Right for You?
If you like dark chocolate, molasses and brown sugar in your cup, Bali Blue is a good place to start. It's coffee from an island that grows far less than Sumatra, Java or Sulawesi, made with a method that is almost unique to Indonesia.
Ready to taste it for yourself? Try Bali Blue and see what wet-hulling brings to your morning cup.
FAQ
Why is it called Bali Blue?
One explanation comes from green-coffee supplier Burman Coffee, which says its Bali Blue Moon is named for the bluish tint that wet-hulling gives the bean.
Is Bali Blue coffee low in acidity?
Wet-hulled coffees are generally known for low acidity and heavy body. Ours is roasted medium-dark, with dark chocolate, molasses and brown sugar notes.
Is Bali Blue the same as GI-protected Kintamani coffee?
No. Both come from the Kintamani highlands, but the Geographical Indication covers fully washed Kintamani arabica. Our Bali Blue is wet-hulled.
How does Bali Blue compare to Sumatra coffee?
Sumatra is where wet-hulling began and where it is still most common, and our Bali Blue uses the same method. Burman Coffee, which sells a green Bali Blue Moon, calls it a cousin to Sumatra or Sulawesi coffee that is a bit smoother, without as much peaty earthiness.
