Which Region Has the Best Coffee in Indonesia: A Flavor Comparison Between West Java Coffee and Mandheling Coffee

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When people think of Indonesian coffee, two varieties typically come to mind—Mandheling coffee and Java coffee. FrontStreet Coffee currently offers 5 types of Mandheling coffee beans, and some might wonder, "Aren't all Mandheling coffees the same? Why does FrontStreet Coffee carry 5 different types?" Before FrontStreet Coffee introduces any new bean, we conduct extensive research—from regional information and roast curve adjustments to cupping and brewing evaluations—gaining comprehensive understanding of each coffee bean. The most crucial factor for listing a bean is whether its regional flavor characteristics are distinct and noteworthy. Indeed, Mandheling coffee has its regional flavor profile—intense herbal notes with high sweetness and body. FrontStreet Coffee's 5 Mandheling coffee beans not only possess these signature regional flavors but also develop them further, resulting in each coffee bean having both common characteristics and unique personality.

Indonesian Coffee Development History

Indonesia, located in Southeast Asia, has a coffee history dating back to 1696 when the Dutch introduced coffee beans to the country. After successful trial cultivation, Java Island was established as the primary location for large-scale coffee planting. However, in 1877, nearly all coffee trees in Indonesia were infected with leaf rust disease (a bacterial infection), and Arabica coffee beans couldn't resist this disease, resulting in devastating losses.

Later, Indonesia had to import Robusta coffee beans from Africa. Robusta beans' strong disease resistance helped Indonesia's coffee economy recover. Today, Indonesia is the world's primary producer of Robusta coffee beans, while Arabica beans only account for 6-10% of Indonesia's total coffee production, including the well-known Mandheling coffee beans. Robusta beans are mainly cultivated in southern Sumatra, while Arabica beans are grown in northern Sumatra.

Indonesian Coffee Growing Environment

Indonesia has a typical tropical rainforest climate with average annual temperatures of 25-27°C, no distinct seasons, and annual precipitation of 1600-2200mm. Located in the volcanic belt, Indonesia's soil is fertile and rich in minerals, which is beneficial for coffee cultivation. The elevation in Indonesia ranges from 900-2100 meters, with main coffee growing areas concentrated around 1200 meters.

Indonesian coffee beans have two main harvest seasons: the primary harvest season from September to October and a secondary harvest season from May to June.

Currently, Indonesia's coffee cultivation area exceeds 1 million hectares, accounting for 24% of the total arable land. The average coffee plantation size in Indonesia is 1.7 hectares, with approximately 2.7 billion coffee trees, of which 66% are grown using modern cultivation methods on plantations, while the remaining coffee beans are cultivated on traditionally managed small farms.

Indonesian Coffee Bean Varieties

Indonesian coffee beans fall into three main categories: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Among these, there are over 20 major varieties, with common ones including Catuai, Catimor, Timor, Typica, S288, S795, Sidikalong, and others.

Indonesian Coffee Bean Processing Methods

The main processing methods for Indonesian coffee beans are: natural (dry) processing, washed processing, and wet-hulling. Due to the humid climate with frequent rainfall, washed processing and wet-hulling are often preferred for more efficient drying.

Indonesia's most famous coffee bean processing methods are wet-hulling and civet digestion fermentation. These two methods produce coffee beans with special flavors that are sought after and loved by people worldwide.

Sumatran Mandheling primarily uses the wet-hulling method. Wet-hulling has two main stages. In the first stage, a wooden de-pulper removes the fruit skin and pulp, followed by 3 hours of fermentation and drying to reduce moisture content to semi-dry/wet levels of 30-50%. In the second stage, the mucilage and parchment layer are removed, and drying continues for 2-4 days until moisture content reaches 12-13%.

In addition to regular wet-hulling, there's also aged wet-hulling. Coffee beans first undergo standard wet-hulling processing, then are sealed in warehouses for 2-3 years. During this time, the acidity of the coffee beans gradually diminishes and converts to sugars. Mandheling coffee beans processed this way are also known as aged Mandheling coffee beans.

Sumatran Mandheling Coffee Beans

When Sumatran coffee beans are mentioned, it inevitably refers to Mandheling coffee beans. Mandheling coffee beans are mainly produced in the Lake Toba region of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Common varieties of Mandheling coffee beans include Golden Mandheling, Lintong Mandheling, and Aged Mandheling.

The differences between these three Mandheling varieties are: Lintong Mandheling represents the most authentic Mandheling flavor with strong herbal notes. Golden Mandheling is a premium grade selection of Mandheling, with uniform bean sizes all above 18 mesh and manually sorted more than 4 times. Its flavor is clean and bright, yet with excellent body. Aged Mandheling, as mentioned earlier, uses different wet-hulling processing methods that bring out richer flavors that may not be accepted by everyone.

FrontStreet Coffee Indonesian Lintong Mandheling

Origin: Sumatra, Lintong
Altitude: 1100-1600 meters
Variety: Typica, Catuai
Processing: Wet-hulled
Flavor: Toasted bread, nuts, caramel, pine, herbs

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameters: Kono dripper, water temperature 88°C, coffee dose 15g, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, grind size (BG#6W, 70-75% pass-through rate on #20 standard sieve)

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

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction: 30g of water for bloom for 30 seconds, then small water flow injection to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Extraction time (starting from bloom) is 2'00".

Java Coffee Beans

Java coffee beans have delicate aromatic flavors, relatively low acidity, fine mouthfeel, and good balance. Java coffee beans' aroma and acidity are superior to those from Sumatra Island. Java has a tropical rainforest climate, hot and humid year-round. The plains along the northern coast have the highest temperatures, while mountainous areas are much cooler. High humidity often creates debilitating climate conditions. Because it's located in the volcanic zone, Java's soil is very fertile.

Higher-quality coffee from Java Island is mostly located in West Java Province in the western region. As a first-level administrative division of Indonesia, these coffees typically come from state-owned and private estates. State-owned estates, with government support, more easily sell to European and American markets and thus have greater reputation. Plantations are basically all above 1400 meters elevation, complemented by local typical volcanic soil, creating unique flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee West Java Malabar Mountain

Origin: West Java, Indonesia
Altitude: 1400-1800 meters
Processing: Natural
Grade: G1
Variety: TIM TIM, Bourbon
Flavor: Berries, plum, citrus, cream, hazelnut, cane sugar, chocolate, oolong tea

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameters: V60 dripper, water temperature 90°C, coffee dose 15g, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, grind size (BG#6S, 70-75% pass-through rate on #20 standard sieve)

Perhaps sharp-eyed readers will notice that FrontStreet Coffee's grinding parameters for this Kenyan coffee bean differ from those of another bean mentioned earlier. Each coffee bean requires different grind settings due to factors like variety, altitude, processing method, and roast level. Therefore, when FrontStreet Coffee receives a newly roasted bean, we first sieve it to determine the appropriate hand-pour grind size.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction: 30g of water for bloom for 30 seconds, then small water flow injection to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Extraction time (starting from bloom) is 2'00".

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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