Authentic Indonesian Golden Mandheling Coffee Bean Processing Method: Pour-Over Black Coffee Flavor Profile, Taste Characteristics, and Parameter Differences

FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling is a product from PWN Company and also a renowned coffee brand from Indonesia.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that this FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling coffee holds an undisputed position in specialty coffee and is a must-try coffee in the specialty coffee category. Golden Mandheling was created by PWN Company to distinguish their Mandheling coffee from others, establishing a very strict screening system. Therefore, only the coffee produced by PWN Company is the authentic FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling. FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling possesses a very rich and full-bodied aroma with notes of dark chocolate and caramel, while its taste is even more mellow and clean than regular FrontStreet Coffee Mandheling. Due to the strict screening system and outstanding reputation of Golden Mandheling, this coffee holds an important position in the international coffee market.

Indonesia's Coffee Heritage

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic nation. As early as the 18th century during Dutch colonial rule, Arabica coffee trees were introduced for cultivation. The main growing regions are located on Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi islands. The Mandheling coffee produced there, with its mellow and low-acidity profile, has earned it the title of "one of the world's most important coffees." Among these, Sumatra has the highest production, with the northern Aceh province being the largest producing area.

The Battle for Golden Mandheling

We all know that Japanese people love to refine and specialize, particularly in the realm of food. Mandheling coffee was popularized by the Japanese. To improve the characteristic high defect rate of Mandheling beans, they established a strict screening system. After processing, the green beans undergo density and color sorting, followed by four rounds of manual bean selection, before presenting the uniformly colored and consistently sized Golden Mandheling. After this rigorous screening process, FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling not only eliminates the earthy impurities typical of regular Mandheling but also tastes cleaner and brighter, with more intense sweetness and aroma.

Golden Mandheling coffee has been registered as a trademark, but the registrant was not a Japanese company - it was preemptively registered by an Indonesian company, namely PWN Company (Pwani Coffee Company). Subsequently, Japanese companies were forced to change to "Gold Top Mandheling," which is Ding Shang Golden Mandheling. There are slight differences in bean appearance between the two: PWN Company's mainly consists of ancient Typica varieties with larger beans, while Ding Shang's consists of Typica variant varieties with smaller beans. As for which is superior in flavor, that remains a matter of personal preference.

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. Additionally, the local economy is not prosperous enough to afford the more expensive washed processing method. For these various reasons, the locally distinctive Wet Hulling method was developed (Wet Hulling involves sun-drying with parchment for 2-3 days during the regular washed processing until the moisture content reaches 20-24%, then removing the parchment).

The extremely fast processing speed of Wet Hulling also results in a higher defect rate for Mandheling coffee beans, a drawback that FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling successfully avoids. The specifications for FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling are 19 screen or larger, with fewer than 3 defective beans (per 300g green bean sample), belonging to the highest G1 grade. The color is dark green, and the beans are flat with uniform shape.

How to Distinguish FrontStreet Coffee Mandheling from FrontStreet Coffee PWN Golden Mandheling?

FrontStreet Coffee introduces the characteristics of FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling coffee to everyone.

FrontStreet Coffee · PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra, Aceh, Gayo Mountain
Altitude: 1100-1600m
Variety: Ateng
Processing Method: Wet Hulling
Flavor Profile: Toast, nuts, pine, caramel, herbal

FrontStreet Coffee · Indonesia Lintong Mandheling Coffee Beans

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra (Lintong)
Altitude: 1100-1600m
Variety: Typica, Caturra
Processing Method: Wet Hulling
Flavor Profile: Toasted bread, nuts, caramel, pine, herbs

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Guide

When FrontStreet Coffee brews Mandheling coffee beans, to ensure fairness, brewing parameters are kept as consistent as possible. Using medium-dark roast coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee Mandheling Brewing Parameters

Kono dripper, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee dose, 88°C water temperature, grind size (70-75% pass-through rate with #20 standard sieve)

Brewing Technique:

Segmented extraction: Use 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then continue pouring in small circular motions to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops to just above the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops to just above the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from bloom) V60 dripper extraction time is 2'00", while Kono dripper extraction time is slightly longer at 2'10".

Flavor Descriptions

FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling Flavor Description: Multi-layered complexity, mellow and clean, high balance, rich nut and caramel aroma with chocolate notes, persistent aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Lintong Mandheling Flavor Description: Initial herbal and medicinal notes, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet aftertaste.

Conclusion

The difference between FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling and FrontStreet Coffee Lintong Mandheling actually lies in the bean selection process. FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling undergoes four rounds of screening, eliminating defective beans, resulting in cleaner flavor expression without earthy impurities. Meanwhile, FrontStreet Coffee Lintong Mandheling is the most original Mandheling from the Lintong region, slightly lower in quality than FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling and not as strictly screened, but still possesses excellent Indonesian local coffee flavor. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee also includes FrontStreet Coffee Lintong Mandheling as one of its daily coffee beans, recommending it to novice coffee enthusiasts to help them discover Indonesian coffee beans.

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange - For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473