Timor-Leste
Our Roastery Manager, Ben Miller, talks below about our June Roaster's Choice exclusive offering, a honey processed coffee from Timor-Leste!
"This is a special coffee for me, as I spent a year living in Timor working for a coffee exporting company. During my time there, I met and became friends with Peter Dougan, who has been working in Timor since 2009 to get the best coffee out. This month, through our exclusive online subscription program, we are bringing Peter’s Laclo Honey, which is also Temple’s first Timorese coffee!
Timor is the second youngest country in the world, having achieved independence in 2002. A tiny nation, covering only half an island in the Indonesian archipelago. The coffee on the island, estimated to be grown and providing a source of income to 1/3rd of native households, was originally planted during the Portuguese colonial era, which stretched from the 1700s until 1975. In the subsequent Indonesian occupation, lasting until 1999, the coffee trees were largely neglected. Once they achieved independence, coffee became a focal point for exporting.
Currently, while there is excellent quality coffee in Timor, the concern is more on the quantity and infrastructure needed to produce enough. During the Indonesian period, the trees were neglected, resulting in smaller yields per hectare. Additionally, Timor lacks such basics as paved roads, making getting the coffee out of the mountains and down to port for export.
This is where Peter came in and the area in which he saw value that he could add. With a background in agronomy, he identified regions with some of the highest quality coffee, sought out local partners to work with and began training them. He trained them in the techniques to grow and care for the trees, proper harvesting techniques, as well as the methods to dry the coffee at the source. With a lack of paved roads, a rain storm can mean washed out routes that prevent trucks carrying thousands of pounds of coffee down the mountain for processing. These delays, with still freshly picked cherries, runs a risk of unintentional fermentation or other damage to the coffee. By establishing drying fields, utilizing raised beds, in close proximity to these farms, he is able to mitigate this danger.
With a focus emphasizing quality rather than quantity, Peter and the hard working farmers and processing team are able to bring out the best that Timor has to offer. It is my exceptionally great pleasure to bring this wonderful coffee to a wider audience. By sharing this coffee with you, I am thrilled to bring a little more recognition to this smaller, burgeoning origin. I hope you enjoy this great coffee!"
Our exclusive Roaster's Choice offering, Timor-Leste Peter Dougan, is a special limited release that we anticipate will only last a couple of weeks. Make sure to grab a bag while you can!
