Ririn Marlisa

"Ririn Marlisa operates as both a farmer and processor managing her lot in Bukit Sama Village, Kebayakan Sub district, Central Aceh Regency. Situated at an extraordinary elevation in the Gayo Highlands, her farm benefits from one of the highest coffee-growing terroirs. As a micro-smallholder cultivating 0.38 hectares, Ririn cares for her farm with a deeply personal approach. Operating under moderate agroforestry shade without the use of agrochemicals, her trees aged 5 to 10 years thrive naturally within the high-altitude ecosystem.
The farm thrives on loose, volcanic soil that remains rich with earthworms. To keep the land healthy, Ririn avoids excessive agrochemicals, relying instead on livestock manure and composted coffee cherry husks. Rather than growing under harsh direct sunlight, her coffee trees mature inside a shaded, forest-like environment beneath a canopy of citrus, avocado, and andaliman trees, where wild birds still sing throughout the day.
Their collective dedication was tested during a harsh harvest season when severe rains, flooding, and landslides struck Aceh, blocking farm roads and knocking cherries from trees. With no sunlight to dry the picked harvest, Ririn, along with her team and fellow farmers, refused to give up. They constructed raised drying beds inside a dry house, installed fans to lower ambient moisture, and manually turned the coffee every single hour until it achieved perfect, uniform dryness. For Cup of Excellence 2026, Ririn prepared a Natural lot where, the cherries undergo strict selective red-cherry harvesting and controlled sun-drying, allowing the inherent sweetness and fruit complexity of Bukit Sama.
Her harvest proves that diligent care on a small highland plot can produce coffee with exceptional depth and character for international buyers."

“If we are honest with nature and true to the coffee, the coffee will be honest with us in return revealing its finest flavor.”