In contrast with Mandailing, Lintong has a medium body but retains notes of dark chocolate and fresh earth. High-quality Lintong differentiates itself from other Sumatran coffees in its clean mouthfeel and moderate acidity. Notes of chocolate are evident in the finish.
They may bring some of their coffee to sell to the coffee suppliers at the weekly market in Lintong. Each of the small farmers produces coffee on less than a hectare of land. The coffee is grown without shade, but also without chemicals of any kind, and almost entirely by smallholders.
Small plots of coffee are scattered over a high, undulating plateau of fern-covered clay. Lintong accurately describes only coffees grown in a relatively small region just southwest of Lake Toba in the district of Lintong Nihuta.