Timor

Timor is an organically grown single-origin from East Timor — grown on the mountainous interior of one of the world’s youngest nations. Earthy, chocolatey, smooth, low-acid — Indonesian-adjacent in character but with a distinct quiet depth of its own. A full pound per bag, hand-roasted in 25-lb small batches by master roasters with 20 years at the drum.

Tasting notes: Dark chocolate, earth, cedar, brown sugar, smooth medium-heavy body, low acidity.

At a glance

• Origin: Timor-Leste (East Timor) · Ermera or Maubisse · smallholder cooperative
• Altitude: 1,200–1,700 meters above sea level
• Varietal: Hibrido de Timor (HdT), Typica, Catimor
• Process: Washed (fully washed, sun-dried)
• Roast: Medium
• Bag: 1 lb (16 oz) — about 33% more coffee than the 12 oz specialty-coffee standard
• Brew: Drip, French press, pour-over
• Best for: drinkers seeking depth without heaviness; organically grown coffee buyers

The farm story: East Timor became an independent nation in 2002 after centuries of Portuguese and then Indonesian rule. Coffee is one of its most important exports, grown by smallholder farmers on the volcanic slopes of the island’s interior. Farmed using organic methods (grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, though not certified organic) — the majority of Timor’s coffee is still farmed traditionally because industrial inputs never reached most of the island.

Brew recommendation: Drip at a 1:16 ratio, medium grind. Also excellent in a French press for fuller body.

A hidden detail: The Hibrido de Timor (HdT) varietal was discovered growing wild on this very island in the 1920s — a spontaneous cross between Arabica and Robusta that combined the flavor of one with the disease resistance of the other. It has saved the global specialty coffee industry from coffee leaf rust multiple times.

The Art & Science of Coffee. Hand-roasted in 25-lb small batches by master roasters — twenty years behind the drum. A full pound per bag, because 12 ounces was never enough.