Source Analysis by Royal Coffee
Tradition runs deep in the province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra, renowned for cup profiles and the classic Indonesian style of coffee cultivation and processing. Coffee is cultivated and harvested from farms that average less than three hectares in size.
The village this coffee comes from is the source of many stories in the Gayo region, as it was the original home of one of the founding members of the Free Aceh Movement, or Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, a group fighting for independence from 1976 until 2005. These 28 years left an indelible mark on the place as a center of trouble and conflict, and even after the negotiations that resulted in peace and reconciliation, many people in the coffee industry avoided doing business with this area due to its reputation.
Adena Coffee set out to rehabilitate the reputation of this area through outreach and coffee industry. Through their work, they were able to bring in higher profits for coffee producers, invest in coffee production infrastructure, and revitalize the area into its current lively market status.
Following the devastating landslides and floods of late 2025, this area required an immense amount of repairs, especially as the main road from Takengon to the coffee production area of Jagong Jeget to the south was completely cut off. Further, some of Adena’s facilities were damaged in one of the areas largest landslides. Fortunately, they were able to get support from the community, and also from employees of Royal Coffee, who were able to donate directly to the cause of rebuilding the area.
What’s more, one of Adena’s producing partners in the area recently achieved #9 placement at the 2026 Indonesia Cup of Excellence. Even now, Kenawat is the site of revitalization and building new stories for a formerly maligned village.
Processing Details
Each producer delivers harvested cherries to the mill in Kenawat where they are carefully sorted and dried slowly over a period of 30 to 40 days to gently reduce the moisture to 11 percent.
With Indonesian coffees, half the battle is overcoming logistical challenges like rugged roads and unpredictable torrents of rain. Adena Coffee, an export company, takes on an important role of organizing local warehouses and transportation so farmers can overcome these challenges. Adena Coffee also coordinates the dry mill process to swiftly bring the coffee to the international market, ensuring greater earnings for producers.
