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How Much Does Blue Mountain Coffee and Kopi Luwak Cost Per Cup? What Grade Does Mandheling Coffee Belong To?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style) In 1945, Japanese soldiers stationed locally drank locally produced coffee on Sumatra island and found it extremely delicious, so they asked the vendor about the name of the coffee. The story goes as follows: Japanese soldier: Umai! Kore doko kara? (Delicious! Where is this from?)

Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

The Origin Story of Mandheling Coffee

In 1945, Japanese soldiers stationed in Sumatra tasted local coffee and found it exceptionally delicious. They asked the vendor about the name of the coffee.

The story goes as follows:

Japanese Soldier: Umai! Kore doko kara? (Delicious! Where is this from?)

(The vendor thought he was asked where he was from)

Vendor: Sahaja? Dari Mandailing, Tuan... (Sir, I am from Mandailing)

Japanese Soldier: E? Nani? Mandeeringgu? (Huh? What? Mandailing?)

Vendor: Ya tuan. Mandailing tuan. (Yes sir, from Mandailing)

Japanese Soldier: Ah, sou... (while nodding)

Due to the language barrier, the Mandailing vendor misunderstood and thought he was being asked where he was from, so he answered "Mandailing."

Several years later, a Japanese veteran traveled to Sumatra to inquire about the feasibility of exporting local "Mandheling coffee" to Japan. Pawani Company became the first company to export 15 tons of Sumatra green coffee beans to Japan. Because of this beautiful misunderstanding, "Mandheling" became synonymous with coffee from Sumatra Island.

Golden Mandheling Coffee

Golden Mandheling is produced by Indonesia's finest coffee company P.W.N. PWN is the abbreviation of Indonesia's Pawani Company. Golden Mandheling produced by P.W.N. comes in 30-kilogram bags, each with a certificate of guarantee.

The English name "Golden Mandheling" has now been registered by Pawani Company in Indonesia.

*The image above shows the burlap bags of Golden Mandheling produced by PWN Company*

Variety Characteristics

Golden Mandheling is harvested entirely by hand, using sophisticated agricultural processing techniques, and undergoes manual selection. Through four screenings and four selections to eliminate defective beans, high-quality coffee beans are produced. Generally, Mandheling from Sumatra has an earthy flavor with a strong grassy aftertaste, and deep roasting can bring bitterness. However, the carefully selected Golden Mandheling beans are full and uniform, offering rich aroma and a more intense, rounded, and mellow taste compared to regular Mandheling. It leaves a slightly sweet aftertaste, making it the best choice for those who enjoy adding milk! Golden Mandheling can be said to hold the undefeated title in the world of straight coffee.

Origin

Sumatra is most famous for Arabica Mandheling, with northern areas having many Robusta growing regions. The best traditional Arabica coffee produced in northern Sumatra is marketed under the names Lintong and Mandheling.

Lintong refers to coffee grown in a small area in the southwest part of Toba Lake, located in the Lintong administrative region. The small coffee growing areas are scattered across a high, undulating clay plateau covered with ferns.

At FrontStreet Coffee, there are four types of Mandheling: Lintong Mandheling, Golden Mandheling, Aged Mandheling, and Tiger Mandheling. So what are the differences between these four Mandheling coffees? FrontStreet Coffee compares the four Mandheling varieties in their shop:

Lintong Mandheling: Herbal, chocolate, caramel, overall well-balanced

Golden Mandheling: Nuts, spices, herbal plants, licorice, chocolate, caramel, clean and gentle flavor

Tiger Mandheling: Nuts, cream, dark chocolate, caramel, traditional Chinese medicine, noticeable sweetness, relatively clean and clear flavor

Aged Mandheling: Ripe Pu-erh tea, caramel, herbal, chocolate, lower acidity

At FrontStreet Coffee, the most popular choice among customers is undoubtedly P.W.N.'s Golden Mandheling. Its unique, rich, and mellow aroma makes it the perfect choice for cappuccino and latte lovers. Golden Mandheling is the highest quality and best among all Mandheling varieties.

Brewing Recommendations

So how does FrontStreet Coffee recommend brewing Mandheling coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Filter: KONO dripper

Water temperature: 86-88℃

Grind size: Medium grind, similar to sugar granules

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:13-1:14

Extraction time: About 1 minute 50 seconds

Extraction technique: Segmented extraction

17g of coffee grounds, first bloom with twice the weight of water (34g water) for about 30 seconds. When the coffee bed begins to dry, the bloom is complete. Use a large water flow to gently pour in circles to 120-130g water, then pause. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to about 221g to finish. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter.

Comparison with Other Premium Coffees

So what are the characteristics of Blue Mountain and Kopi Luwak coffees, which are also known for their rich, aromatic profiles? FrontStreet Coffee will share with everyone~

Blue Mountain coffee is wet-processed Typica, and only coffee grown above 666 meters in Jamaica's Blue Mountains can be called Blue Mountain coffee! FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee comes from Jamaica's Blue Mountain Clifton Farm No. 1 Blue Mountain coffee. FrontStreet Coffee chooses medium-dark roasting to highlight the rich body of these beans. Blue Mountain coffee offers balanced acidity, sweetness, and bitterness, with even a subtle floral aroma and rich mouthfeel.

Kopi Luwak, also known as civet coffee, is made when civets eat coffee fruits and excrete the digested coffee fruits. Coffee farmers carefully extract the coffee beans from the shells one by one, naturally dry them in the sun, and then prepare them for sale. Its quality is considered incomparable to any other coffee. It has rich flavors similar to caramel or chocolate, with a syrupy texture that is very smooth without needing milk or sugar. This coffee offers natural sweetness, unique flavor, and aroma.

Because this coffee combines with the civet's digestive enzymes, the resulting civet coffee is unique and cannot be compared to any other coffee product. Due to its special production process, rare yield, and expensive price, civet coffee is considered one of the world's top-tier coffees, along with Indonesian civet coffee.