What is the Aceh District in coffee?

Aceh is a province at the northern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia, and one of the country's most significant coffee-producing regions. The main growing area centres on Takengon - a highland town at around 1,200 metres above sea level, beside Lake Tawar in the Gayo Highlands. That name, Gayo, is how most of this coffee reaches international buyers.

The coffees here are processed using Giling Basah - the wet-hulling method unique to Indonesia - which produces the characteristic full body, low acidity, and earthy complexity that defines Sumatran coffee. Ateng (Catimor) is the dominant variety, though older Typica-derived plants survive on some farms and produce notably different results.

One small thing worth knowing if you're ever discussing the region with producers or exporters: Aceh is pronounced "Ah-Chay," not how it reads phonetically in English. Getting it right is a small detail that tends to be noticed.