World of Coffee Jakarta just wrapped up, and while the World Brewers Cup was undoubtedly the highlight, there were plenty of other moments worth writing home about—from the coolest new product launches to the vibrant scenes at Producer Village and Roaster Village.
This article marks the final installment in our World of Coffee Jakarta series. Here, we take a closer look at standout moments from both Producer and Roaster Village. You’ll notice that most of the featured roasters are based in Asia, which makes sense, considering this was World of Coffee Asia, and Jakarta was logistically more accessible for many regional brands to attend and set up shop. As Asia continues to position itself as the fastest-growing specialty coffee market in the world, and with recent prestigious auctions like the Cup of Excellence and Best of Panama showing the majority of top bidders coming from Asian countries, we believe it’s well past time to shine a brighter spotlight on Asian coffee roasters.
Producer Village
The highlight of the entire show—and arguably what impressed us the most—was the Producer Village dome. Tucked between the buzzing roaster and brewer booths stood a long, immersive dome lined with raised drying beds. For anyone who lives in a producing country or has visited a coffee farm, the setup was instantly familiar: It resembled a coffee drying house—and in essence, it was one. But it offered even more.
Walking under the dome, visitors were taken through the entire lifespan of a coffee plant. From seed to cotyledon (those first two baby leaves), to a one-year-old sapling, and finally to a mature tree.
While I didn’t get to see fresh coffee cherries, since the harvest season in Indonesia had already passed, I did get to observe and touch beans undergoing various processing methods: washed, honey, and natural, all laid out to dry on raised beds. It was an exact replica of what producers do on the ground.
For those who’ve never spent time at origin, this was something truly thoughtful, meaningful, and spectacular. It’s an opportunity for coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike to connect with the upstream and narrow the often-felt gap between producer and consumer. I hope to see more of these articulate, immersive setups at future World of Coffee events.
Coffee Design at Roaster Village
At Sprudge, we’re big fans of coffee design. Among a myriad of booths at an exhilarating global expo, the way you showcase your coffee bags really matters—and yes, it’s backed by science. Here are some snapshots I took of colorful, creative coffee packaging and eye-catching info cards that stood out at the show.
One Half Coffee, home to multiple Malaysian Barista and Brewers Cup champions, made a striking appearance at World of Coffee Jakarta, showcasing a curated selection of rare and exquisite coffees sourced through their sister brand, Tri Up Coffee. These were auction-level coffees from boutique producers whose names echoed throughout the three-day World Brewers Cup: think Mount Totumas, Finca Nuguo, and El Pergamino from Panama, or Alo Coffee from Ethiopia. Given the exclusivity, and price, of these coffees, buying a full bag might be hard to justify. So One Half made a clever move: offering them in charming 15-gram aluminum tubes. With their sleek, minimalist design, the tubes felt more like something from a perfumery or apothecary than a roastery. Yet, they sparked curiosity and carried a quiet elegance that suited the coffees inside perfectly.
While some might raise an eyebrow at the cost of aluminum packaging, it’s worth noting that these coffees are already premium-priced—and aluminum is highly recyclable. In this context, the packaging feels less like excess and more like intention.
Moonshine Coffee Roasters from Taiwan came to World of Coffee with, once again, some of the finest coffees in the world, names that will be familiar to Sprudge readers: Café Granja La Esperanza, Janson Family, and standout Taiwanese-grown coffees from Zhuo Wu and Alishan Mountain. All were impeccably roasted on the first-ever Loring S7 Nighthawk produced globally.
Recently, Moonshine introduced a new packaging design, a striking two-toned blue and pink bag. According to the team, the soft blue hue is inspired by their shop’s signature neon sign, “no worries, be coffee,” evoking a calm, dreamy ambiance. The vertical pink blush that slices through the blue symbolizes the sweetness of the coffee inside.
Each bag also includes a coffee information card, adding a thoughtful touch that weaves design and traceability. The result is a product that feels not just curated, but deeply connected, where aesthetic detail meets origin transparency. And importantly, their packaging isn’t just pretty—it’s also practical and sustainable. Made from EVOH-PE, the bag is fully recyclable, unlike many standard coffee bags that require removing one-way valves before disposal.
Blackup Coffee from Busan, South Korea, takes a modern and artistic approach to coffee packaging, with 8-bit-inspired designs that resemble minimalist digital artworks, almost like canvases hanging on a white gallery wall.
I loved it. Each bag feels like a small piece of art, where color and pixelation are carefully curated. But these colorful patches—like those you see in the photos above in shades of purple, gold, red, brown, and teal—aren’t just decorative. They act as visual cues for flavor notes.
For example, purple hints at dark fruits like blueberries, red might suggest raspberry or pomegranate, and brown evokes chocolate. A red and yellow combo might indicate a coffee with bright, upfront acidity. It’s a playful yet thoughtful design that communicates flavor through visuals, inviting you to engage with the coffee before you’ve even brewed it.
Booths and Takeovers at Roaster Village
Throughout the expo, we spoKed some new, along with familiar faces making appearances at various booths. There were so many pop-ups and takeovers, and between our limited caffeine intake and the tight World Brewers Cup schedule, we couldn’t catch them all—but here are a few standout moments we managed to capture.
Panda Bear Express
One of my favorite booths at the Roaster Village—and the one I found myself returning to again and again—belonged to the Chinese green coffee sourcing company, Panda Bear Express. Though only established in February of last year, they’ve quickly earned trust and respect within the industry, thanks to their impressive lineup of what I’d confidently call some of the best green coffees on the market right now.
The lineup of brands and brewers popping up at their booth over the three days of WOC Jakarta was a testament to their growing influence, with names from national Brewers Cup champions like Ply Pasarj (Canada) and Mariam Erin (UAE), to esteemed producers like Janson Coffee and Mount Totumas.
Pictured here is a pop-up featuring Tong Zhang, 3rd place at the France Brewers Cup, who has since returned to China to open Goût & Co, a Chengdu-based roastery known for its aromatic, articulate light roasts. Joining him was Jun Lim, a multiple-time finalist in the Malaysian Brewers Cup, founder of Sun San Bake, and a respected figure in Malaysia’s specialty coffee scene.
Now, I have yet another reason to visit Chengdu, and a good excuse to return to Kuala Lumpur for more coffee from these incredibly talented professionals.
Carmo Coffee
Ask any Brazilian coffee professional about specialty coffee, and Carmo Coffee is likely the first name that comes up. If you’ve attended enough major coffee events, you’ve probably noticed their presence everywhere. When I spoke with Brayan Cunha of Carmo Coffee at WOC Jakarta, he mentioned he’s been traveling nonstop since the beginning of the year—just one sign of how active and engaged Carmo Coffee is on the global stage.
Founded by Luiz Paulo Pereira, a fourth-generation coffee grower, Carmo Coffee is more than just a coffee exporter. Since its inception, the company has supported hundreds of producers in the Carmo de Minas region, championing sustainable practices, full traceability, and better access to international markets. Their influence has helped shape Brazil’s reputation in the specialty coffee world.
At the expo, I had the chance to taste two natural-process coffees from Fazenda Santuário Sul, Carmo Coffee’s newest project aimed at pushing the boundaries of traditional Brazilian profiles. The first was Starmaya, the world’s first F1 hybrid that can be propagated by seed; the second was a fresh-crop Gesha. Both were outstanding, and a clear signal that innovation and quality are at the heart of Carmo’s mission.
Ratnagiri Estate
What Ratnagiri Estate is to India feels quite similar to what Carmo Coffee is to Brazil—both are pioneers in elevating their country’s coffee to the global stage, driven by a vision to gain international recognition for the quality and potential of their origins.
Founded in 1927, Ratnagiri has a long legacy, but it was in 1989 that Ashok Patre took over the farm and began implementing biodynamic farming practices to restore soil fertility. Since 2015, the estate has been steadily transitioning to focus exclusively on specialty coffee production.
When we spoke at the expo, Patre shared that the heart of Ratnagiri’s innovation lies in its coffee processing. He recently upgraded his wet mill with the latest technology, allowing for automation and precise control of fermentation, including a focus on yeast inoculation. Producing high-quality Arabica in India, he explained, is particularly challenging: the country lacks the ideal altitude and government-supported breeding programs. Most of Ratnagiri is planted with Catuaí, a high-yielding variety with decent cup quality, but not typically known for high scores.
That’s precisely why Patre has turned to processing as the game-changer. Through carefully designed fermentation methods, he’s able to substantially elevate cup scores and draw out unexpected flavor profiles—floral, stone fruit, tropical fruit—all of which were clear and vibrant in the cup I tasted.
Cloud Catcher Asia
Another buzzing booth at WOC Jakarta belonged to Cloud Catcher Asia, a Malaysian roastery and green coffee supplier. Throughout the weekend, it became something of a magnet for coffee professionals. I spoKed some familiar and respected faces popping up here—Jibbi Littles, 2022 World AeroPress Champion and 2019 Australian Latte Art Champion, as well as Shaun Liew, two-time Malaysia Brewers Cup Champion. And there were more.
There were also several other notable pop-ups: Charity Cheung, who placed 5th at the 2024 World Brewers Cup, made an appearance at the Hario booth, while Mikael Jasin held court at his own CATUR Coffee Company booth.
Tung Nguyen is the founder of Citric Meets Malic and a Sprudge contributor based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Read more Tung Nguyen for Sprudge.
