Location: Sakoko in Ermera
Farmers: Railaco Processing Station
Processing: Natural
Varietal: Hybrid of Timor, Catimor, Caturra & Typica
Elevation: 1400-1800 masl
About the coffee | Timor-Leste’s coffee story began in the 1920s with the discovery of the Hybrid of Timor, a natural cross between Arabica and Robusta that later contributed to the Catimor group. Although exports were disrupted by decades of conflict, independence in 2002 marked a turning point. Since then, renewed
investment has helped re-establish coffee as the country’s most important crop, now accounting for around 90% of its merchandise exports. Coffee in Timor-Leste is grown using traditional methods without chemical fertilisers or pesticides.
We’ve partnered with Timor Global for over six years, working closely with their Railaco mill in Ermera. Coffee cultivation is centred in the mountainous western regions, including Ermera, Aileu, Ainaro and Liquiçá, where smallholder farmers grow coffee without synthetic inputs, helping preserve soil health and biodiversity.
Operating since 2008, the Railaco mill sources coffee from around 800 farmers, supported by a network of 25 local agents. It employs over 230 people, includes eight washing tanks, and provides meals, accommodation and superannuation to workers. Organic waste from processing is returned to contributing producers as fertiliser.
This micro-lot comes from Sakoko, a village in Ermera. A blend of Hybrid of Timor, Catimor, Caturra and Typica, it’s grown organically under shade.
Processing: Natural
This lot was harvested with a strict focus on ripeness, with over 98% red cherry selected from key growing areas. After harvest, cherries are sorted in water tanks to remove floaters (defective or low-density fruit), then packed into polypropylene bags for an anaerobic fermentation lasting 48–72 hours. This controlled, oxygen-limited stage enhances flavour complexity. Post-fermentation, cherries are dried in large 30 × 6 m greenhouse cocoons, covered with thick plastic sheeting to protect against the weather. Drying takes around 15 days to reach a stable moisture level of 10–12%. Final preparation included hulling, destoning, screen sizing, air density separation, electronic colour sorting and meticulous hand sorting to ensure premium quality before export.
DOSE: 20G
YIELD: 40G
TIME: 25-30Sec
