Bener Meriah

Mansur is a collector not so different from many others buying parchment from North Sumatra. But our staff in Sumatra took to him based on his history of consistent quality deliveries and focus on only buying from farmers who are serious to help him achieve Grade 1 again and again. He does not operate an army of trucks, but instead focuses around 3 communities: Pante Raya, Lampahan, and Permata. All are just slightly north of Lake Takengon, in Aceh. The roughly 300 farmers that sell to Mansur get paid cash directly upon delivery to avoid the common problems of credit buying and loan sharking which can be quite common in Sumatra. The larger region of Bener Meriah produces about 60% of Aceh's total volume. It is blessed by high altitude and a more diverse list of planted tree varieties. Most coffee from here is naturally organic, as the land includes a lot of large shade trees. This reduces the need for heavy vegetable intercropping, which often results in more pesticides being used on a farm. Coffee from Bener Meriah are often larger in size with a bluish gray color. They are characterized by a thick body and dark chocolate in the cup.