Muhtar
Muhtar grows standout coffee on his family farm that is some of the best we’ve tasted from this region.
Partnered with Stumptown
2014
Location
Aceh Tengah Province
Elevation
1200 - 1600 Meters
Varietal
Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Catimor
Processing Technique
Semi-Washed (Wet-hulled)
On Our Menu
The Producer
Muhtar is one of the original contributing farmers to Stumptown’s Indonesia Bies Penantan. Since 2014, he’s separated out his delicious coffee so we can offer it as a single producer microlot. His farm is located in the small city of Takengon, within the Aceh Tengah province on the island of Sumatra.
The Place
Muhtar tells us every tree is different and therefore has different needs, you have to get to know them all individually. He is out on his farm every day, usually singing, visiting each tree at least twice a week. The health of his plants is paramount. He carefully digs a trench around each coffee tree for fertilizer which he makes out of spent coffee cherry, citrus peel, and water. His coffee plants are well integrated with other crops, which he says helps maintain healthy soil. Muhtar’s love for his work shines through in his infectious smile, as well as in the cup.
The Process
On a recent trip in 2017 he explained to our team how he prunes his trees with a “wind hole” at the base, towards the trunk, so the plant gets better air circulation. This is a pruning technique common to the area, but not often seen elsewhere, and provides consistent distribution of sunshine to all branches on the plant. Muhtar alternates his pruning regimen to maintain balanced production, since plants pruned most recently will produce less in the short term.