Our History

Java Original® Coffee has a long history. In 1840, during the Dutch colonial era of Indonesia, Peter William Hofland purchased the Pamanoekan and Tjiasem Lands (also known as P & T Lands) near Subang (West Java) from Charles Forbes, the owner of Forbes & Co of Bombay (British India). The Pamanoekan and Tjiasem Lands, one of the most extensive freehold properties in Indonesia, were given special autonomy rights to manage and establish its own independent government.

Hofland was born on September 2, 1802 in Jagannadhapuram (Daatijeroon) (Cocanada) Godavery, Madras (British India). Compelled by the British colonial government, he moved to Java, where, in 1833, he received a lucrative contract from the Dutch colonial government to cultivate sugar in Surabaya (East Java). In the early 1840s Hofland, with the help of his older brother, Thomas Benjamin Hofland (1795  - 1858), purchased the Pamanoekan and Tjiasem Lands.

Hofland was considered a charitable landowner who provided generous wages to indigenous people who wanted to work on plantations (traditionally called 'coffee gardens') owned by Pamanoekan and Tjiasem Lands.

Being the owner of the freehold property, Hofland also greatly benefited the local residents by refusing to implement the forced cultivation system (known as 'cultuurstelsel'), a revenue system that forced farmers to pay revenue to the treasury of the Dutch colonial government in the form of export crops or compulsory labor, introduced in 1830.

Hofland, who was a recipient of the Order of the Dutch Lion (Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw), one of the oldest and highest Dutch civil orders established by King William I on September 29, 1815, died on February 5, 1872 in Subang (West Java).

Our unique history remains our driving force, creating a line of artisan roasted coffees while maintaining our family’s history & values.

Curated to Offer Something for Everyone 

Today, while we cherish our unique history, we source our coffees from all over the world, including Java, Sumatra, Western New Guinea (also known as Papua or Indonesian New Guinea), Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Brazil and other regions. Our seasonal whole bean coffee menu is curated to offer something for everyone.

Each coffee with a unique but approachable flavor focus. With our year-round blends, we try to achieve that throughout the different seasons flavors remain the same. Although the coffees themselves will change with our menu, based on our unique artisan blending and roasting philosophy, the basic flavor profiles will be as close as we can achieve.

Throughout the year we source a variety of coffees from single regions or farms. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to experience different and unique flavors based on the origin and processing method.

Our roasting style is emblematic of our interest in developing and expressing each coffee’s inherent flavor, without imparting any roast or smoke notes (except for Nocturnal of course). Unique and approachable It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to put a smile on someones face.

For us it’s that first time when someone realizes they can drink black coffee. It’s as if their eyes were opened to something totally new and exciting. That’s been the goal all along, to provide you with unique but approachable coffees that are delicious in their own special way. Coffee that is sweet, well balanced and full of a unique flavor.

With a our legacy, we have something unique to offer, something, we believe, you want to enjoy and then to come back to for more...