There is a clay flavor that is highly prized among connoisseurs of Sumatran coffees that often shows up as a heavy clay middle with a bright top. This Bali coffee has that clay middle strongly, wonderfully, but without the brightness of a Sumatran coffee. It is earthy, heavy in the body, and complex with a lingering sharpness on the tip of the tongue that shows up mysteriously as the coffee develops. There are bitter chocolate, sweet tobacco, and hints of woody and nutty qualities that are just present enough to make the cup vibrant. This coffee is produced using a semi-washed method that allows for some raw, wild flavor, but keeps the cup refined, like Tarzan in a tuxedo appreciating Chopin.
Bali is a volcanic island, so the clay origins are clear, and this coffee is raised on the upper slopes in the mountainous highlands. It takes a long time to finally start to develop, but do not waste time by cutting the roast short. This coffee needs a full city or more to really develop. Though, I would avoid French roast since there are no bright notes to carry it that far.