Influence of Cultivars and Cultivation Land Slope on Sensory Quality of Gayo Arabica Coffee

Abstract

All processes involved influence the quality of brewed coffee. One factor that has not been explored well is the influence of environmental conditions, such as cultivation land slopes. This research examines the influence of cultivation area position on the taste quality of coffee from three local cultivars commonly cultivated in the Gayo Highlands. This research used a factorial randomized block design consisting of 2 factors: cultivar (V) and land area (H). The cultivars (V) observed were V1 = Timtim, V2= Borbor, V3 = Ateng Super, and V4 = multi variety. The expanse of coffee cultivation land (H) consists of M1 = flat expanse of land and M2 = sloping expanse of land with a slope of 25%-35%. The experiment was carried out with three replications. The results showed that the coffee brew from Ateng Super had higher acidity (low pH value, 4.90) than the other two cultivars. Cupping test results show that sloping land tends to produce better-tasting coffee brews. Borbor planted on sloping land produces coffee with the highest cupping score. The total cupping score for all treatments ranged from 80,04 – 85,08 with mean value 83,89, which shows that the coffee in this study meets the category of specialty coffee based on the standards of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).