Populace Coffee Co.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call the Tana Toraja region of Sulawesi one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The landscape is dominated by breathtaking mountains swathed in lush vegetation, set against tranquil valleys dotted with rice paddies. The Toraja people have a strong cultural history that percolates through modern society, which you can see in their elaborate funeral rites and ornate boat-shaped houses called tongkonan. They even follow customs when it comes to coffee processing, embracing the traditional “wet-hulled” method in which the outer protective layer of the coffee bean is removed while the bean still has a high level of moisture. This method produces coffees with a rich body and round acidity, giving it a comforting character that many people look for in their morning cup. Our selection this month from Populace Coffee reflects the region’s dynamic contrast, with tropical flavors that soar high above a smooth, sweet base. Populace, hailing from Bay City, Michigan, is a fresh face on the artisan coffee scene, as well as a Craft Coffee rookie. Founder Andrew Heppner took a leap of faith when he founded the company in 2010, but it wasn’t long before Populace was turning heads and lighting up taste buds. And with coffees as balanced and clean as this one, we’d say they have an awfully bright future ahead of them.