There is nowhere in the world that high-quality, organic
Robusta coffee beans are grown in a magnificent all-villa resort & spa
retreat... Except in Central
Java - at a resort called MesaStila!
Naturally dried in the seasonal sunshine amid the hills
of Central Java, this full-bodied Robusta Coffee is used in a variety of ways
at MesaStila: in the delicious home-made coffee ice-cream; as the main
ingredient in the revitalizing coffee-scrubs at the Hammam-Spa; as an aroma to
revive and inspire arriving guests at the main reception, and of course as a
stimulating beverage – made “the way you like” by MesaStila’s local baristas.
The coffee in MesaStila comes from a
species of coffee plant called Coffea Canephora
or Coffea Robusta; which un-pruned
can reach over 30 feet high. Accounting for over one-third of world coffee
production, these species tolerate lower altitudes, hotter climate, and are more
disease and pest resistant than other coffee species; they also have a higher
yield of berries.
While many people favor the taste of Arabica
coffee, the Robusta Coffee at MesaStila offers a more full-bodied, bitter-sweet
taste that has been described as having a complex
espresso-tasting bitterness* - combined with a toasty flavor and the essence of
cacao-nibs. While these beans are smaller than Arabica they contain as much
as 50% more caffeine, and in scientific studies have been shown to be an
excellent antioxidant!
As the popularity of coffee grows, so the consumers’ taste in coffee is growing
increasingly sophisticated. This is why the Robusta Coffee, at MesaStila, undergoes
a special process of ageing that allows the Robusta beans to lose a fair amount
of the natural bitterness – yet retain the, already described, full-flavor for
those who love their coffee strong.
The process of ageing is not a recent phenomenon; it is
known as “monsooning” and harks back to the days of sailing ships; where
transported coffee had to pass through the warm, moist region of the equator
and through the colder, dryer latitudes of the southern trade-routes. This change
in climate altered the essence of the beans being shipped.
A good portion
of the MesaStila estate coffee is aged for up to three years. During this time,
the coffee is exposed to warm, moist air during the rainy season and cooler
dryer air in the dry season. The ageing coffee-beans turn color from green to
light brown, and the flavor gains strength while losing acidity. This aged
coffee is called Old Brown or Old Java coffee – it is the essence of
the MesaStila taste and why coffee drinkers are consistently delighted with the
mix of bitter-sweet flavors that they encounter in the MesaStila coffee-experience;
something that perhaps the skin luxuriates in, during a Hammam coffee-scrub!?
While the functioning coffee plantation and charming coffee production
process is a major attraction at MesaStila, even more of the property’s magnificence
can be found in its amazing Hammam Spa, healthy cuisine and fun & active
experiences – such as trekking, circuit training, cleansing retreats or endurance
cycling camps.
Most recently MesaStila has won a number of awards for its achievements in luxury standards, to its devotion to innovation,
ecological awareness, and in exceeding the hospitality industry benchmark in
its cuisine, spa and overall “retreat” product.
