Kintamani Coffee: What the GI Means and Where to Drink It

Kintamani is Bali's best-known coffee origin, and unlike most "single origin" labels, it has a legal definition. This guide explains what that means, what the coffee tastes like, and where to drink it on the crater rim.

What the geographical indication is

In December 2008, Indonesia's Directorate General of Intellectual Property issued a geographical indication (GI) certificate for Kopi Arabika Kintamani Bali, the first GI-protected product in Indonesia. The Jakarta Post reported at the time that roughly 2,400 farmers in 24 groups were involved and that production had to follow a written book of requirements with regular quality checks. In practice, a GI means the name can only be used for arabica grown and processed under those rules in the defined highland area.

How it tastes

A paper presented at a WIPO geographical-indications symposium describes Kintamani arabica as medium to high in acidity, with a fruity, often lemony, note, medium body and a clean cup. Your own cup will vary with roast and brewing method. Ask the café which processing (washed, natural) they are serving.

Where to drink it on the rim

• Montana Del Cafe: a white, glass-fronted café at Penelokan with views over Mount Batur and the lake. Its listing mentions locally grown Kintamani arabica on the menu.
• Paperhills: a café and lounge on the Penelokan ridge with terraces facing the caldera and an outdoor dipping pool; it serves specialty local coffee.
• Warung Baling Baling: a simple warung on Jalan Raya Penelokan whose Google Maps menu highlights Bali coffee and grilled fish with sambal matah.

Make a morning of it

Lake Batur is the caldera lake below the rim, and Batur Natural Hot Spring at Toya Bungkah is a common stop afterwards. See the Kintamani area page. If you are doing a sunrise volcano hike, coffee is a natural second stop.

Buying beans

• Look for "Kintamani" together with a producer or cooperative name, not just a tourist-shop bag.
• Check the roast date. Fresh roast tastes better than a bag that has sat on a shelf.
• Ask for whole beans if you have a grinder.

Sources: The Jakarta Post, "Kintamani coffee gets certification" (13 December 2008); Mawardi et al., on Kintamani Bali arabica origin protection, presented at the WIPO symposium on geographical indications (2009). Place details come from Pinlora's listings.