Spotlight: Indonesia

Evan Gilman's connection to Indonesia began through gamelan music rather than coffee. As a child, he was fascinated by the layered sounds nurtured by his parents' record collection and live concerts. During college, while working as a barista and studying music, he deepened this connection by learning from a visiting Balinese composer at the University of Washington, studying Bahasa Indonesia, and eventually receiving a scholarship from the Indonesian Consulate for his first visit.

Through multiple returns to Indonesia, Gilman discovered the country's remarkable complexity. The archipelago spans more than 17,000 islands with nearly 700 living languages and diverse climates. He notes that "Sumatra alone, from tip to tip, spans the same distance as Seattle to San Diego." Indonesia's 1.5 million producers account for roughly 5% of global coffee supply.

Indonesian coffee reflects this diversity. During Dutch colonial rule, most coffee used washed or semi-washed processing. After independence, producers developed the wet hulling or giling basah method, which proved more efficient and created "the earthy, herbal, and spiced flavors that remain a hallmark of Indonesian coffee."

The contemporary Indonesian coffee scene showcases experimentation: fully washed coffees with clean profiles, fruit-fermented lots with tropical brightness, and bold anaerobics challenging conventional expectations. These experimental lots increasingly reach international markets, reshaping perceptions of Indonesian coffee's potential.

Gilman encourages trying something new from Indonesia, noting the country constantly offers exceptions and new discoveries at every turn.