Flavour & aroma notes of fig, roasted nuts, marzipan, cinnamon & black treacle...
with the addition of redcurrant & new leather as the coffee cools.
 
Country: Timor-Leste
Region: Remagoa, Letefoho
Process: Fully Washed
Varietals: Typica & Timor Hybrid
Altitude: 1800-1900 metres above sea level
 
High in the remote mountains of Letefoho, the small community of Remagoa is producing something remarkable that highlights both the quality of the region’s coffee and the dedication of the farmers who produce it. This fully washed coffee is crisp, clean, and vibrant, with a clarity that reflects the precision behind every step of its processing.
Cherries are selectively picked from the coffee forests, floated to remove defects, then de-pulped and fermented for 40–44 hours. After thorough washing, up to eight times, the beans dry on raised beds for 7–10 days before resting for six weeks. Once ready, they are transported to Timor’s capital city, Dili, for final grading and sorting.

Perched at 1,850 metres above sea level in the most easterly part of Letefoho, the village of Remagoa has no direct road access. Reaching the nearest dirt track requires a 2km hike through dense forest, a journey that once made selling coffee a major challenge. Before their partnership with *Karst Organics, farmers harvested coffee cherries daily, carrying them through the forest to wait by the roadside for passing trucks. Buyers offered the lowest commercial rates, often just £0.25 per kilo, leaving growers with little reward for their efforts. In 2022, Maritu de Deus approached Karst Organics on behalf of his father-in-law, Fernando (now the lead farmer in Remagoa) to explore their coffee buying model. It was an opportunity they were eager to support.
Processing coffee beans in individual households has transformed the way Remagoa’s farmers work. While harvesting remains a labour-intensive process, processing at home eliminates the daily trek to find a buyer. With a small investment from Karst Organics in materials and training, the community has embraced speciality processing, improving both quality and income. Three years on, eight dedicated farmers are thriving, and trust between Karst and the community is firmly established. Even now, coffee beans must be transported on horseback through the forest at the end of the harvest, but this happens once a year, and is therefore no longer part of the daily grind.
 
*Karst Organics is a relationship-driven green bean exporter and importer, dedicated to bridging the gap between the coffee farmers of Timor-Leste and specialty roasters.
 
Many thanks to the coffee farmers of Remagoa, Karst Organics, and Omwani for allowing me to use their excellent images