Portola Coffee Lab
Sumatra Sinambela

Roaster Location: Flag of United States Costa Mesa, California

5.00(1)

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Roast Level: Light Medium
Bean Source Country: Indonesia
Bean Source Region: Sumatra
Process: Washed

From the roaster: This Tano Batak coffee has a 16 and up screen size and comes from the Lintong and Dolok Sanggul regions near South Lake Toba in Sumatra. At 1,400 to 1,550 masl, this region has the highest coffee growing altitudes in North Sumatra. Coffee is purchased from small farmers and in weekly village markets by Olam Specialty. The collectors wet hull the coffee at 28-32% moisture and then dry it in green houses. Once around 11-12% moisture, they run the coffee over densametric tables before sending it to Olam in Medan for hand sorting. Given the exceptional quality of these coffees, they process each lot separately as microlots, this being one of them.

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Traits: vanilla black cherry tropical mulling spice

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Reviews(1)

5.00(1)

1 rating
Ratings here are based on aggregated user reviews of individual roasts from Portola Coffee Lab.
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Latest Reviews and Tasting Notes

  • Avatar
    Theo Chan, Managing Editor

    1347 roasts rated, avg score of 4.29

    5.00 - Average

    4.50 - Aroma

    5.00 - Finish

    5.00 - Flavor

    4.50 - Acidity

    4.50 - Balance

    This is an incredibly complex and delicious Sumatran. I usually find Sumatrans enjoyable and versatile, but more straightforward.

    I think it's juicy black cherry forward, with some interesting notes. This includes some wintergreen and cinnamon spice for me. I recently had a Cup of Excellence coffee from a well-known roaster that promised similar characteristics.

    Second very impressive coffee from Portola I've had in the last couple of months!

    Cupping Method:Hario v60 Pourover, Angel's Cup Blind Tasting

    Traits: cinnamon maraschino cherry wintergreen
    1 year ago · See more from Theo

More Details

Roast Level: Light Medium
A Light Medium Roast coffee, sometimes referred to as a "City Roast" or "American Roast," lies between a light and medium roast. This roast level strikes a balance by preserving the coffee bean's unique characteristics while allowing for a moderate development of body and flavor. The beans have a medium brown color, exhibiting a slight sheen of oils, providing a more balanced and nuanced flavor profile. A Light Medium Roast typically highlights the coffee's inherent fruity, floral, or citrus notes, while also providing some of the deeper, richer flavors associated with medium roasts.
Bean Source Country: Indonesia
Known for their earthy, full-bodied, and low-acid characteristics, Indonesian coffees from Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Java are unique due to their wet-hulling processing method. Beans like Mandheling, Lintong, and Toraja showcase the distinct flavors and bold profiles that attract coffee lovers worldwide.
Bean Source Region: Sumatra
Sumatran coffee, hailing from the Sunda Islands of Indonesia, is renowned for its distinct flavor profile and full-bodied richness. These beans are typically processed using a method known as wet-hulling, which imparts a unique earthy, spicy character to the coffee, often with notes of dark chocolate, cedar, and sometimes a hint of ripe fruit. The coffee is marked by its low acidity, which complements the robust flavors and contributes to a smooth, lingering finish. Sumatran coffee, with its bold, complex flavors and pronounced mouthfeel, offers a unique coffee-drinking experience that sets it apart on the global stage.

Best Rated Roasts of Portola Coffee Lab

Portola Coffee Lab is a coffee roaster from Costa Mesa, CA United States. We have 2 cataloged roasts with 3 total reviews with a score of 5.00.

International Rank: #91 out of 1028
Ranking is based on a combination of reviews and popularity on CoffeeRoast.com

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