How Mandheling Coffee is Processed: Indonesian Golden Mandheling and Natural Process Mandheling Coffee

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FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Mandheling is produced from Mandheling coffee beans acquired in Indonesia by a company called Pwani Coffee Company (PWN), while Gold Mandheling is actually a trademark registered by this PWN company! Simply put, FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Mandheling may not necessarily show unique flavor characteristics, but FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans have a relatively rich flavor with distinct herbal notes. However, through the same company's four rounds of manual selection, the green beans are larger and more uniform, resulting in cleaner flavors and more consistent appearance.

Origin of Mandheling Coffee

Indonesia first started growing coffee under Dutch colonial rule, gradually developing its unique special coffee flavor, with the most famous being Sumatra's Mandheling coffee. Mandheling was originally a tribal name, but when Japanese people were promoting it, they mistakenly thought it was the coffee name and thus it spread under this name by coincidence. Now Mandheling has many categories, such as Gold Mandheling, Tiger Mandheling, Aged Mandheling, Lintong Mandheling, etc. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will focus on introducing the story of Gold Mandheling.

The "Battle" for Gold Mandheling

We all know that Japanese people love to refine and specialize, especially in the food category. Since Mandheling was promoted by the Japanese, they naturally had an advantage in securing high-quality resources. To improve the characteristic high defect rate of Mandheling beans, they established strict screening standards. After processing, the green beans undergo density and color sorting, followed by four rounds of manual bean selection before presenting FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Mandheling with uniform color and consistent bean shape. After strict screening, FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Mandheling not only eliminates the characteristic earthy impurities of regular Mandheling but also tastes cleaner and brighter, with more intense sweetness.

Interestingly, Gold Mandheling has been registered as a trademark, but the registrant is not a Japanese company - an Indonesian company, PWN (Pwani Coffee Company), registered it first. Japanese companies were then forced to change to "Gold Top Mandheling," which is Top Gold Mandheling.

Special Processing Method

Due to the local weather being predominantly rainy with constant typhoons, it's impossible to achieve the good weather required for sun-drying. Moreover, the local economy is not good, making it equally impossible to use the more expensive washed method. For these various reasons, the locally distinctive wet-hulling method was developed. Wet-hulling is a rapid method for processing coffee beans that involves removing the coffee cherry's skin and pulp, brief fermentation, then drying, followed by removal of the mucilage and parchment layer, continuing the final drying until the moisture content reaches 12%. Mandheling coffee beans processed by wet-hulling clearly show varying degrees of compression cracks. FrontStreet Coffee believes this phenomenon does not indicate defective beans but rather represents an inherent characteristic of Mandheling coffee beans.

This year, FrontStreet Coffee obtained a batch of natural-processed Mandheling beans. Due to Mandheling's local weather conditions, natural processing is relatively difficult for local people. The natural processing method eliminates the fermentation process, directly drying to 12% moisture content before removing the skin and pulp, resulting in mature fruit flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesian PWN Gold Mandheling and Natural Mandheling

FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Gold Mandheling

Company: PWN

Region: Sumatra

Altitude: 1100-1600m

Variety: Ateng

Processing: Wet-hulled

Roasting Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Mandheling belongs to green beans with higher moisture content, showing significant deviation from natural-processed beans in moisture levels. Therefore, special attention must be paid during dehydration. FrontStreet Coffee suggests closing the air damper immediately after adding the beans, steaming for 30 seconds, then opening the air damper to level 3 until the beans turn light green or white. Then open the air damper to level 4, and after first crack, open to maximum.

Machine: Yangjia 800N, 550g green beans

Entry temperature: 200℃

Yellowing point: 5'40", 148℃

First crack: 9'54", 191.2℃

Development after first crack: 3'30", discharged at 204.5℃

Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: Kono dripper

Water temperature: 86℃

Dose: 15 grams

Ratio: 1:15

Grind size: Medium hand-pour grind (EK43s setting 11)

Reason for choosing Kono dripper: The Kono dripper has few ribs located at the bottom, causing the filter paper to stick closely to the dripper, which restricts airflow and increases contact time between water and coffee grounds, allowing for full extraction and enhancing the rich body.

Brewing method: Segmental extraction

Use 30g of water for bloom for 30 seconds. With small water flow, pour in circles to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time is 2'00" (starting from bloom timing).

Flavor Description

Multi-layered, rich and clean, with high balance. Strong nutty and chocolate flavors, rich spice and caramel aromas, with fruity notes and persistent finish.

FrontStreet Coffee's Wahana Estate Natural Mandheling

Coffee region: Lake Toba

Altitude: 1000 to 1700 meters

Soil: Volcanic soil

Coffee varieties: Bourbon, Typica

Processing method: Natural processing

Harvest year: 2020

Grade: G1

Roasting Recommendations

Machine: Yangjia 800N, 550g green beans

Entry temperature: 200℃

Yellowing point: 5'50", 154℃

First crack: 9'39", 183.6℃

Development after first crack: 2'30", discharged at 195℃

Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60 dripper

Water temperature: 90℃

Dose: 15 grams

Ratio: 1:15

Grind size: Medium-fine grind (BG#6S)

Segmental extraction: Use 30g of water for bloom for 30 seconds. With small water flow, pour in circles to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time is 2'00" (starting from bloom timing).

Flavor Description

Tropical fruits, fermented notes, moderate acidity, smooth mouthfeel, obvious sweetness

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473