Frinsa Lactic Honey

Producer: Fikri Raihan Hakim - Frinsa Estate Origin: Pangalengan, Garut, West Java, Indonesia Elevation: 1350-1700 MASL Variety: Field Blend Process: Lactic Fermentation -> Honey Process Roast Level: Light Importer: Across Indonesian Seas Flavor Notes: Honeydew, Meyer Lemon, Apple Yes yes yes! We got another first for Enjoy in 2026 with our first ever drop from Indonesia! Massive thanks to Owen of Across Indonesian Seas for reaching out and making this all happen. We've selected two awesome coffees for our debuting offers from Indonesia - one more traditional via the wet hulled process and one more on the experimental side, being this lactic honey lot from the Frinsa Estate. Indonesian coffees are a bit of a rare bird in the specialty circles these days, but with the right approach and detailed process, there are complexities and cup profiles that we find in Indonesia that are completely unique to their own. These two lots from Frinsa represent these types of cups in our eyes... hope you dig these special profiles. Let's dig in. As told by Across Indonesian Seas: Although Indonesia is one of the oldest coffee-producing countries, producers there are in the middle of developing its own specialty coffee industry within the country, which is different from the development of the specialty coffee industry in Africa and Latin America. The low elevation of the land and the traditional processing methods of Sumatran style are not exactly the best environment to produce clean cup coffee with fruity acidity that is the standard of specialty coffee. Having said that, Indonesian coffees have a certain remarkable charm. They are earthy, herbal, rich, and sweet. Java Frinsa Estate is operated by Fikri Raihan Hakim who is 25 years old and is the second generation owner of the company. Fikri states, My grandfather was a farmer growing potatoes and other crops. He sold them to supermarkets. My father started a coffee business in 2010 when I was a high school student. The name ‘Frinsa’ comes from the first letters of the name of my siblings: F for Fikri, R for Rifda, N for Nadia, and S for Salsa. The four coffee cherries and coffee leaves are the design of our logo. My parents wanted to nurture this business like they have nurtured their children. When it comes to Frinsa's processing methods, Fikri states The most important point is how to better create a farm. We grow coffees in the forest while leaving the surrounding plants and trees in their original state as much as possible. We use organic fertilizers and clean water to maintain the health of the coffee trees. We only use the minimum amount of pesticides when it is absolutely necessary. The second point is the processing method. We use four main processing methods: washed process, wet-hulled process also known as Sumatra-style process, honey process, and natural process, and we are particular about the fermentation of each processing. For washed process and natural process, we add lactic acid bacteria (lactobacillus) during the fermentation process. For honey process, we have lots that have added lactobacillus but also lots fermented by adding ‘tempeh bacteria’ which is a bacteria from tempeh, a traditional Indonesian fermented soybean food, and ‘saccharic acid’ an ingredient found in a fermented tea such as kombucha. These are the new approaches. The last point is varieties of coffee. Our farm produces only a single variety while our partner farms produce both single variety and mixed varieties. Most of the varieties we grow are indigenous to Indonesia and we grow seven varieties: P88, Borbor, Lini S, Andung Sari, TimTim, Ateng Super, and Sigarar Utang. We try to harvest only one variety per day to avoid the risk of mixing varieties. Most of the specialty coffees we produce score above 85 points and we value the uniqueness of our coffee in Indonesia. We have been able to win several awards overseas because we were praised for its uniqueness. The lot we have here is one of the lactobacillus honey processed coffees. This one really jumped out on the cupping table for its pointed acidity and complexity. When brewed, aromas of stone fruits and subtly spicy qualities emerge. As you sip you immediately understand how special and unique this coffee is given its 'stats'. A super pronounced meyer lemon-like acidity hits you right out of the gate. This citric quality is balanced out by a honeydew melon sweetness and baked apples and cinnamon in the finish. This is a gem for sure. Snag a bag and stay tuned for our second Indonesian release this fall!