Wahana Coffee Farm
WAHANA COFFEE ESTATE, INDONESIAN COFFEE
We uncovered the hidden gem that is Wahana Estate back in 2012 and have loved roasting their fantastic ethical coffees ever since.
Wahana Estate has contributed beans to some of our best-selling natural and washed coffees. This independent coffee even starred as the primary flavours behind Unkle Funka in 2012 and 2015.
INDONESIAN SPECIALITY COFFEE
The meaning of the word Wahana is 'Vessels for Great Success'. Fittingly, Wahana is the first single varietal and speciality estate located in Sumatra, Indonesia and has been since 2005. It's a large plantation, covering an area of 468 hectares in one of the best regions for coffee, 250 of which are dedicated to growing speciality coffee. A further 30 hectares are used as a nursery.
With a high altitude, Wahana is 1200- 1320m above sea level and annual rainfall of 1,450 mm/year. It has optimum conditions for growing speciality arabica coffee.
On the cupping table, Wahana Estate always blows us away. North Sumatran smallholders really know how to coax out the flavour in coffee, and in Wahana's case it's the bright floral and fruity notes that shine through.
Shade-grown, Eco-friendly coffee
Coffee growers on the Wahana Estate smallholders have developed sustainable coffee farming practices, using only organic fertilisers – manure and composted cherry pulp – and planting canopy trees to provide shade for coffee plants.
In addition, the ethical coffee estate has excellent corporate social responsibility initiatives for employees and their families. Wahana provides free housing, water and electricity to the 1,000 workers it employs. There is also a free healthcare centre on-site, a kindergarten, and a nursery for the workers' children.
Innovation in coffee varietals
Wahana initially concentrated on the Rasuna and Longberry varietals, but, more recently, Wahana has diversified the varietals it grows to include local Indonesian coffee varietals Andong Sari, Jember, and Jantung, as well as more recognisable coffee varietals such as Villa Sarchi, Colombia, and Catuai.
The different coffee varietals are all separated throughout the process, which means Wahana is able to produce these as individual microlots. This gives us the opportunity to sharing the unique flavours of each single coffee varietal with you.
The Wahana mill has created a streamlined and uniformed process, with rigorous quality controls to bring consistency across all of the coffees they produce.
We're thrilled to be a part of a farming culture that's always pushing the boundaries with how good coffee should taste – you can taste the effects of the extra production steps in the incredible flavours present in the cup.
COFFEE FARM FACTS: WAHANA ESTATE
| Farm: | Wahana Estate |
| Varietals: | Rasuna |
| Processes: | Natural |
| Altitude: | 1200m above sea level |
| Region: | Sumatra |
| Country: | Indonesia |
| Working with Extract since: | 2012 |