Sumatran vs Tanzanian coffee: taste, roast and which one to buy

Buy Sumatran No. 3 Position if you make espresso or moka, or you add milk or ice. Buy Tanzanian No. 9 Optimism if you drink black coffee from a pour-over or Aeropress and want something bright and tea-like. Both are $28 for 12 oz, ship free in the US, and come whole bean or ground.

How do they compare on the label?

Everything below is printed on our bags or in the roaster's notes. Temecula Coffee Roasters in Temecula, California, does not declare a roast level for Position, so we do not state one.

Why do they taste so different?

Process explains most of it. Wet-hulled (giling basah) means the parchment is removed while the bean is still wet, a method tied to Indonesian coffee. A fully washed coffee has the fruit taken off before the beans are dried, here on raised beds. The notes follow: Position reads dark and earthy, Optimism reads fruity and floral.

Roast is the part we can only half compare. Optimism is medium-light, which fits its bright notes. For Position, the roaster gives no level, so we will not guess. What we can say is what is on the label and what the roaster suggests for brewing.

Which one should you buy?

Pick by how you drink coffee, not by country.

• You pull espresso or use a moka pot: Position. The roaster suggests espresso at 1:2 in 28 seconds, and says it holds its shape under milk and under ice.
• You drink coffee black and hot, from a pour-over or an Aeropress: Optimism. The roaster calls it bright and tea-like, and says to drink it while it is hot because it flattens faster than the others.
• You want iced coffee: either works, and our page on Tanzanian vs Kenyan for iced coffee covers Optimism in detail.
• You like chocolate and low fuss: Position. You like fruit and flowers: Optimism.

How do you brew each one?

We already wrote the full recipe for Optimism, so start with the No. 9 Optimism brewing guide. For ratios on a pour-over, the pour-over ratio cheat sheet has grams, water and time. For Position, the espresso dose is covered in how many grams of coffee for a shot of espresso, and the moka pot in how much coffee for a moka pot.

If you want the single-bag view of each, read our Aceh wet-hulled bag and our Mbeya bag.

Can you try both without guessing?

Yes. Because the price is the same, the only risk is picking the wrong taste. Order one, and if you like it, the subscription is 11% off, and you can skip or cancel in one click. The other eight are on the page for all ten coffees.

What changes with milk or ice?

Milk and ice both dilute a cup, so a bold coffee holds up better than a delicate one. That is the reason the roaster points Position at milk and iced drinks. Optimism is the opposite case: its pear and jasmine notes are quiet, and milk would cover them. If you take milk in every cup, Position is the safer buy. If you rarely do, Optimism will show you more.

What does the label not tell us?

It does not give a cup score, a grade or a roast level for Position, so there is no ranking here. This is a comparison of taste and use, not of quality. Both are fine coffees that suit different mornings.

Pick the cup you drink most often, and buy the bag that fits it.