Indonesia Origin Trip 2026: Java Frinsa Estate

I'm Takuya, Head Roaster at Kurasu. In early July 2026, I visited the island of Java, Indonesia, for the first time in a year. This time, in addition to revisiting Java Frinsa Estate in Bandung, which handles coffee production, processing, and export, I also visited two of their partner farms for the first time: Tujuhenam Estate in Garut and Kopi Bunar in Tasik, both of which export their coffee through Frinsa.

From Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, it took about 30 minutes on the Whoosh high-speed train, followed by another two hours by car, to reach Frinsa Estate's warehouse. It was already late at night when we arrived, so we stayed at a nearby villa.

The next morning, when I headed to the villa's communal area, I was greeted with a warm breakfast by Fikri, who leads Frinsa Estate, his father and founder Wildan, and the rest of the Frinsa team. Fikri seemed even more lively and energetic on the farm than when I see him in Japan. After breakfast, we headed straight to Riung Gunung, one of their farms.

As a side note, the name "Frinsa" comes from the names of founder Wildan Mustofa's four children: Fikri, Rifda, Nadia, and Salsa.

This year's total production at Frinsa Estate was approximately 30% lower than last year. Coffee trees, like many other fruit-bearing trees, tend to have fewer flowers in the year following a particularly abundant harvest, as their nutrient reserves become depleted. This phenomenon, known as "biennial bearing" or "alternate bearing," causes trees to alternate between high-yield and low-yield years. According to the team, this year happened to be a low-yield year.

In addition, sporadic rainfall during last year's dry season caused the trees to flower at different times, resulting in uneven cherry ripening. This made harvesting and sorting more difficult and further affected production volumes. On the other hand, this year's dry season has brought consistently sunny weather, giving the team a positive outlook for next year's production.

Frinsa Estate grows a wide range of coffee varieties on its own farms, including Lini S, P88, Andungsari, Sigarar Utang, Ateng Super, and Borbor. Many of these varieties have been developed through crossbreeding and selection to improve disease resistance and productivity.

Their origins are equally diverse. Sigarar Utang and Ateng Super originate from Sumatra, Andungsari from Java, and Borbor from Timor. Meanwhile, varieties such as Lini S and P88 were developed overseas before spreading through research institutions and farms across Indonesia.

Indonesia's western islands, including Sumatra, have humid climates, while eastern islands such as Timor are relatively dry. Java, situated between these regions, is said to offer conditions that make it relatively easy to cultivate varieties originating from different climate zones.

Their farms also employ a high-density planting method known as the "population system," in which coffee trees are planted closer together. By increasing the number of trees per unit of land, they can achieve more efficient yields from limited farmland. This approach is also a practical response to the region's need to protect its forests, which prevents the unrestricted expansion of agricultural land.

At Riung Gunung, eucalyptus trees were planted to provide shade for the coffee trees. These tall trees help soften intense sunlight and protect the coffee plants from wind. Their root systems are also expected to help stabilize the soil on steep slopes, reducing erosion and the risk of landslides.

Eucalyptus trees absorb large amounts of water, which means they can potentially compete with coffee trees for moisture under certain conditions. However, given the high rainfall in this area, the team believes eucalyptus is a suitable choice for shade trees, even when taking this characteristic into account.

At Weninggalih, which we visited the following day, coffee was being grown beneath an existing pine forest. Pine trees are not necessarily ideal shade trees for coffee, as they can compete for water and nutrients and may limit the amount of sunlight reaching the coffee plants.

Nevertheless, rather than clearing the forest to expand farmland, the team makes use of the forest floor for coffee cultivation while preserving the pine trees. Pine resin is also harvested from the trunks, allowing multiple products to be obtained while maintaining the forest. It was a fascinating example of agroforestry adapted to the local environment.

After visiting the farms, we returned to Frinsa's office to cup the new crop with the team. Alongside lots from their own farms, the table included Frinsa Collective, made from cherries collected from neighboring farmers and processed by Frinsa, as well as lots from Tujuhenam Estate in Garut and Kopi Bunar in Tasik, both of which are exported through Frinsa.

There were also small quantities of washed, single-variety lots of Ateng Super and Lini S, which had been produced following a conversation I had with Fikri last year.

Some of the lots had only recently finished processing, so their flavors had not yet fully opened up. Nevertheless, the overall quality was consistent. It looks like we can confidently purchase their coffees again this season and share them with you all!

After the cupping, we also visited an experimental field operated in collaboration with World Coffee Research (WCR) and the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI).

The field is being used to trial Komasti, an Indonesian Arabica variety expected to offer strong disease resistance and high yields. With support in the form of seedlings, fertilizers, and cultivation methods, the team continuously records the plants' growth and shares the findings in reports.

This time, as part of a project with TYPICA, the coffee importer accompanying us on the trip, I also planted a eucalyptus seedling in the field. Eucalyptus grows extremely quickly, with some species capable of growing around two to four meters per year, depending on the variety and environmental conditions.

The small seedling I planted is expected to grow into a shade tree over the next few years, eventually protecting the coffee plants from sunlight and wind.

After spending two days at Frinsa Estate, our next destination was Tujuhenam Estate, one of their partner farms in Garut. (To be continued in Part 2.)