Starbucks Sumatra Coffee Pattern Meaning: What Are the Characteristics and Stories of Sumatra Coffee Beans

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The Unique Charm of Mandheling Coffee

Mandheling coffee possesses a captivating charm. Unlike the fruity sweetness of Ethiopian coffee or the floral and fruity aroma of Geisha, its distinctive flavor has captured the hearts of many coffee enthusiasts. Mandheling coffee is incredibly mellow and was once considered the world's fullest-bodied coffee, with mellow, rich flavors and a slightly syrupy taste, with low acidity. The main export markets for this coffee are Germany and Japan, which indirectly reflects the excellent quality and superior flavor profile of Mandheling coffee.

Wet-Hulling Processing Method

Wet-hulling is a rapid method for processing coffee beans. The process involves removing the cherry skin and pulp from the coffee beans, followed by brief fermentation and drying, then removing the mucilage and parchment layer, continuing with the final drying stage until the moisture content drops to 12%. Mandheling coffee beans processed by wet-hulling clearly show varying degrees of compression cracks, and the bean color tends to be dark bluish-green.

Two Premium Mandheling Varieties

FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu features two Mandheling varieties, both from the two most renowned coffee-producing regions in Sumatra: one is the "Golden Mandheling" from the Aceh region in northern Sumatra near Lake Tawar, and the other is the "Lintong Mandheling" cultivated and harvested around Lake Toba in the south, which locals call "Two Lakes, Twin Mandhelings." Due to the many small-scale farmers using their unique semi-washed processing methods and iron-deficient soil, coffee beans from this region display a distinctive bluish color in their fresh green bean stage.

Lintong Mandheling: The Traditional Choice

Lintong Mandheling refers to Arabica coffee from the mountainous areas around Lake Toba in North Sumatra Province. This lake is located north of Medan, the capital of Sumatra Island, and is a high-altitude freshwater lake with an average elevation of approximately 900 meters above sea level. Lintong Mandheling represents traditional Mandheling and belongs to the regular version of Mandheling coffee. Processed using the wet-hulling method, it presents Mandheling's unique herbal, earthy aroma. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee has added Lintong Mandheling to its daily bean series, allowing curious coffee lovers to experience the distinctive aroma of Indonesian coffee.

Golden Mandheling: PWN's Exclusive Signature

Golden Mandheling coffee is the exclusive signature product of PWN company. Since they registered the "Golden Mandheling" trademark early on, only Mandheling produced by PWN company can be called "Golden Mandheling." The characteristic of Golden Mandheling coffee lies in its multiple screenings of green beans, resulting in extremely high overall quality. PWN procures Mandheling green beans of 18 mesh or larger, with fewer than 3 defective beans per 300g sample, achieving G1 grade—the highest grade for Indonesian green beans. Subsequently, they strictly follow standards with one machine selection plus three manual defect selections, ensuring uniform color, shape, and size of Mandheling coffee beans. Therefore, PWN Golden Mandheling tastes cleaner and brighter, with more pronounced body and sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee has tested countless Mandheling varieties, including PWN Golden Mandheling, Lintong Mandheling, Tiger Mandheling, Aged Mandheling, and even Natural Process Mandheling. Among all these Mandheling coffees, FrontStreet Coffee pays the most attention to PWN Golden Mandheling.

PWN Golden Mandheling Profile

FrontStreet Coffee: Indonesia PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans

Region: Sumatra, Indonesia
Grade: G1, Triple Hand-Sorted
Altitude: 1100m - 1600m
Variety: Ateng
Processing Method: Wet-Hulled

It's important to note that "Golden Mandheling" has long been registered as a trademark by Indonesia's PWN company. In other words, only Golden Mandheling coffee beans produced by PWN company are truly Golden Mandheling in the authentic sense. FrontStreet Coffee has noticed that many Golden Mandheling coffee beans are sold on the market. Some merchants, to sell coffee beans at higher prices, select 18 mesh or larger green beans from G1 grade Mandheling coffee beans and perform three manual hand selections to make them appear as similar as possible to PWN Golden Mandheling.

FrontStreet Coffee has also acquired several "Golden Mandheling" varieties and conducted cupping tests. FrontStreet Coffee's baristas could clearly distinguish PWN Golden Mandheling among them. This is because, beyond the expected herbal notes and nutty characteristics of Mandheling, genuine PWN Golden Mandheling offers a clean taste with more prominent caramel sweetness that other "Golden Mandheling" varieties cannot match.

The PWN Golden Mandheling that FrontStreet Coffee acquired is harvested exclusively through manual single-cherry picking of fully ripe fruits, ensuring initial bean selection quality. The coffee cherries are processed using the SEMI-WASHED method, naturally sun-dried, and after hulling, undergo another drying refinement process, two green bean cleaning procedures, and three manual selection processes. First, it meets G1 grade requirements, then 18 mesh or larger size, and finally, three manual hand selections ensure all defective beans are removed, guaranteeing a clean taste. Therefore, it can be said to be a strictly selected premium Golden Mandheling coffee bean.

When FrontStreet Coffee's baristas conducted cupping evaluations of PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans, they tasted its high-quality herbal notes, caramel aftertaste, and mellow, rich chocolate flavor. It can be said to be the top choice for coffee connoisseurs.

As shown in the image above, the "PWN" marked Golden Mandheling is the abbreviation of Indonesia's Pawani company. Their PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans are all registered in Indonesia. Some friends worry that their carefully selected Golden Mandheling might not be the one they want. Actually, you can verify with the seller by requesting to see the PWN Golden Mandheling green bean sacks and relevant certificates for verification. The walls of FrontStreet Coffee's storefront display PWN Golden Mandheling green bean sacks along with related certificates.

Brewing Recommendations

Many people have the impression that Mandheling is "bitter," so they often ask FrontStreet Coffee's baristas how to brew Golden Mandheling to make it taste good. Actually, bitterness can be divided into good and bad bitterness. Good bitterness dissipates shortly after entering the mouth, leaving a lasting aroma. Additionally, since Mandheling coffee is synonymous with full body, it is roasted to a darker degree.

To highlight the high body characteristics of Golden Mandheling, FrontStreet Coffee uses the Kono dripper for serving. The reason for choosing Kono is its unique conical design ensures even water distribution and allows dripping at a stable speed throughout the filter. The grooves on the lower half of the cone fit tightly with the filter, thereby reducing sediment and improving airflow, ultimately resulting in a cup of coffee with concentrated flavor and greater body.

Optimal Brewing Parameters

For water temperature, FrontStreet Coffee chooses to use 88°C hot water to brew Mandheling coffee. If you brew coffee at home, you'll certainly discover that under the same conditions, higher water temperature results in a more bitter coffee taste. Water temperature is crucial for coffee extraction because it affects the extraction speed. "Extraction" refers to the process of flavor compounds from coffee beans being dissolved into your cup. Higher water temperature speeds up the extraction of oils, acids, and caffeine from the coffee. This can lead to over-extraction, making the coffee bitter. Through FrontStreet Coffee's testing, 88°C water temperature is best for brewing Golden Mandheling.

Medium-dark roasted coffee is not suitable for large water-to-coffee ratios, as this will make the overall taste thinner. FrontStreet Coffee suggests starting with 1:15, then adjusting according to your taste preferences.

Brewing Recipe

Dripper: KONO Dripper
Water Temperature: 88°C
Coffee Amount: 15 grams
Water-to-Coffee Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 70% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve

Brewing Technique

Segmented extraction: Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. When the water level reaches 125g, create a segment. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the bloom) V60 dripper extraction time is 2'00", while Kono dripper extraction time is slightly longer at 2'10".

For more premium coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat official account: FrontStreet Coffee

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473