To send sample bags of Kintamani coffee to roasters, pack 200–350 g of each process — washed, natural, honey — in labeled GrainPro-lined pouches, add a one-page spec sheet with the lot code, then ship by express courier (DHL or FedEx) with a commercial invoice, phytosanitary certificate and the green-coffee HS code to the EU or US.
Sampling is where a specialty deal is won or lost. A roaster in Berlin or Portland decides on your Kintamani Arabica — grown in the Kintamani Highlands of Bangli Regency, north-east Bali — by cupping 200 grams on their own table. Get the sample workflow right and you turn one box into a season of container orders.
Why do roasters ask for sample bags before they buy?
A green buyer never commits to a full bag, let alone a container, on a photo. They cup. They want to score the lot on their own equipment, roast a test batch, and confirm the cup matches your claims — Kintamani’s signature bright citrus among them.
Sending a matched set of processes in one box also does your selling for you. When a roaster tastes washed next to natural next to honey from the same harvest window, they see the range and usually pick two. A representative Kintamani coffee samples set — one pouch per process, each traceable to a real lot — is the single most persuasive thing you can put in a buyer’s hands.
Remember what scores can and cannot say: a cupping number belongs to the specific lot it was drawn from. Never attach an 86 to a farm or cooperative name as a permanent fact. The sample bag and its cupping report travel together, or the number means nothing.
How much coffee should each sample bag contain?
For pre-shipment approval, roasters need enough to roast and cup at least twice. The working standard for specialty green:
| Sample type | Weight per bag | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Standard evaluation | 200–350 g | Roast and cup twice |
| Pre-shipment approval (PSS) | 350 g | Match against the contracted lot |
| Type sample (offer stage) | 100–200 g | Quick first screen |
Draw the sample from the actual lot, not a hand-picked handful. If you offer washed Grade 1 (screen 16+), natural and honey from the current crop, send all three so the buyer compares like-for-like. Green coffee holds well, but ship soon after processing — flavour drifts as beans age.
How should you label and pack a Kintamani sample set?
Each pouch needs a label a stranger can read six weeks later. Line the pouch with GrainPro (or a barrier bag) inside a kraft or foil sachet; this is the miniature of how the full lot moves in GrainPro-lined jute.
Put these on every bag:
- Origin: Kintamani, Bangli Regency, Bali Province, Indonesia
- Process: washed / natural / honey / semi-washed
- Lot code and harvest window (main harvest runs May–October)
- Grade and screen: e.g. Grade 1, screen 16+, high retention on screen 17–18
- Moisture (max 13%) and defect count (max 11)
- Altitude band (reported 1,100–1,600 m a.s.l. depending on the lot)
- Village or subak where known — Ulian, Catur — plus the Subak Abian group
Inside the box, add a printed spec sheet repeating the same data plus your FOB indication. Keep the price honest and dated: as of 2026, washed Grade 1 specialty (SCA ~82–84) indicates around USD 8–11/kg FOB, while microlot and natural (SCA 84–87+) sit at USD 10–15+/kg, with firm figures confirmed on grade, score, lot and MOQ.
Which documents travel with an international coffee sample?
Even a 1-kg box of green coffee is an agricultural import. Undeclared, it gets held or destroyed. Prepare the paperwork as if it were a small commercial shipment:
| Document | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Declares a low sample value; customs still needs a figure |
| Packing list | Lists each pouch, process and weight |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Green coffee is a plant product; many destinations require it |
| Certificate of origin | Confirms Indonesian / Bali origin |
| HS code for green coffee | Classifies the goods (unroasted, not decaffeinated) |
Mark the invoice clearly as a commercial sample of no resale value, but still assign a realistic customs figure — writing “USD 0” invites delays. For small courier samples some phytosanitary requirements are relaxed, but confirm the destination country’s rules before you seal the box. The freight itself is arranged via vetted licensed partners, and while we help you get EUDR-ready, we never sell certainty on any customs or EUDR outcome.
Which courier should you use and how long does it take?
Skip sea freight for samples. Use express air:
- DHL Express or FedEx International Priority from Denpasar (Bali) or Surabaya
- Transit: roughly 3–7 working days to most EU and US cities
- Weight: a three-process set at 300 g each plus packaging usually lands under 1.5 kg
- Cost: budget for standard express international rates plus a documentation fee; the phytosanitary certificate carries its own government charge
Ship early in the week so the box does not sit in a weekend hub, and send the tracking number with a scan of the invoice the moment it leaves.
How do you keep samples EUDR-ready and traceable?
Coffee is in-scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation, so EU roasters increasingly want plot-level proof from the first sample onward. Tie each pouch to geolocation data and a due-diligence file — Bangli Regency, the GI-protected Kintamani designation, and the named subak group. Kintamani Arabica was among the first Indonesian coffees to earn Geographical Indication protection through Indonesia’s intellectual-property directorate, a status sources compare to the EU’s PDO. Never invent a GI or certificate number; cite only what the paperwork shows.
Build this discipline into your first sample and the eventual container clears with far less friction. The desk that handles these shipments is Juara Holding Group, part of Juara Holding Group — an Indonesian group operating from Bali across Indonesia since 2015 — working to a 24 working-hour reply standard on grade, score and MOQ questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a phytosanitary certificate for a small coffee sample?
Often yes. Green coffee is an unprocessed plant product, so many EU and US entry points ask for a phytosanitary certificate even on a 1-kg courier sample. Some low-value shipments are treated more leniently, but rules vary by country. Confirm the destination’s requirement before shipping, and budget for the certificate’s government fee.
How should I mark the invoice value on a coffee sample?
Declare it as a commercial sample of no resale value, but still write a realistic customs figure, usually a nominal amount reflecting the green-coffee price. Never enter “USD 0”; blank or zero values trigger customs questions and delays. Include the HS code for unroasted coffee and a short description matching your packing list.
How many grams should a roaster sample bag hold?
Send 200–350 g per process. That gives a roaster enough to roast and cup at least twice, which is what they need before approving a lot. Offer-stage type samples can be smaller, around 100–200 g. For pre-shipment approval against a contracted lot, 350 g is the safe standard so the buyer can verify the match.