Garut Komajang

Seven hours east of Jakarta. The road climbs high into the rolling hills overlooking Mount Papandayan — an active volcano still exhaling ash plumes over surrounding villages. These volcanic deposits continue to feed the soil of Garut, and the sixty farmers we’re partnering with at Wilde. At 1,500 metres, the paved road ends. It’s all on foot or a bumpy truck drive up into a forest reserve where Arabica grows in the wilderness.

Stretching across 362 hectares, with another 400 tucked deeper into the mountains, coffee thrives under the shade of native trees. Sumatran pine trees dot across the forest, and all across Java, as part of a government reforestation programme during the 1980s. The forest stays intact, and the coffee grows with it.

Weaving between timber and pine, coffee shrubs anchor their roots in the soil, intertwined between cabbages, chillies and potatoes. No chemicals touch the forest. Instead, natural fertilisers come from sheep manure, chicken droppings, fallen leaves, and tree cuttings. Everything goes back into the same soil that gives them life.

Garut Arabica coffee suits various brewing methods, especially for black coffee lovers and espresso-based drinkers. It works well for pour-over, espresso, drip, and French press. Expect a full body and notes of dark chocolate with an herbal twist — the perfect for those who love bold flavours balanced with medium acidity.