Definition of Mamba Coffee_Is Mamba Coffee Considered Specialty Coffee_Mamba Coffee Brand Recommendations

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The Definition of Mamba Coffee

As the name suggests, it's Indonesian Mandheling coffee + Brazilian coffee.

As for which region of Mandheling? Which grade? Which Brazilian estate? Which processing method? There are no regulations. In fact, it could be said that during the era when drinking Mamba was popular, it was a time of large-batch, non-specialty coffee.

However, the roasting depth and formula ratio are generally roasted to dark roast, with an approximate ratio of 1:1. Of course, each shop has different formulas, but we can generally understand its outline.

If you want to find traditional Mamba... you should probably be able to find it at traditional cafes like Fengda, South America, Old Tree, etc.

The Flavor of Mamba Coffee (Traditional Blend Coffee Beans)

If you're accustomed to drinking dark roast coffee from traditional cafes, you know that the flavors they pursue mainly include: intense aroma, rich body, bitter-sweet aftertaste, and smooth mouthfeel.

Skilled old establishments can also avoid astringency and off-flavors, making it actually quite flavorful to drink. Many people consider this to be fragrant, rich, and delicious coffee.

Large-batch Mandheling has a very heavy body. When dark roasted, sweetness and bitterness coexist, with almost no acidity. Drinking it alone provides a strong but harsh mouthfeel that can be somewhat stimulating.

As for Brazilian coffee, it has a moderate body. When dark roasted, there's slight acidity and insufficient sweetness. If consumed alone, the mouthfeel is thin and偏向酸味, not particularly appealing. However, compared to Mandheling, at least the bitterness is less pronounced, and the aftertaste is more pleasant.

Mamba Coffee from Old Coffee Shops

Therefore, combining the two to create Mamba blend beans compensates for their shortcomings. Given the conditions of roasting technology, green bean quality, and pursuit of coffee flavors at that time, it must be said that this was quite a sensible combination.

Mamba coffee has above-medium body, distinct bitter-sweet flavors, complemented by a small amount of acidity to increase complexity while reducing the stimulating sensation in the mouth. The aftertaste has a lingering sweetness.

It truly aligns with what traditional cafes pursue: intense aroma, rich body, bitter-sweet aftertaste, and smooth mouthfeel. This explains why many people consider Mamba coffee to be the best combination.

(Of course, under the premise of pursuing such flavors, it's still different from the exquisite mouthfeel, special flavors, diverse layers, and regional characteristics advocated by current specialty coffee.)

Thinking About Mamba Coffee from a Specialty Coffee Perspective

Traditional Mamba coffee cannot meet specialty coffee standards due to uncontrollable green bean quality. The relatively unitary flavor expression and coarser texture would likely result in low cupping scores.

Therefore, traditional Mamba coffee indeed cannot be classified in the specialty coffee category. However, this is an issue with the green beans themselves, absolutely not a problem with the formula or roast degree.

In other words, even with similar roast degrees + the same Mamba ratio (here assuming respect for traditional Mamba formula as the basis), when using higher-quality green coffee beans for combination, if the flavor expression is also good, then this Mamba coffee completely conforms to the definition of specialty coffee.

Mamba Coffee

Moreover, recently many Mandheling and Brazilian estates each have their own characteristics. Let's hypothesize: If using FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling + Brazil Queen Estate Natural Yellow Bourbon to make a specialty Mamba formula, what wonderful flavors might be presented?

It might feature citrus and herbal plant aromas from the Yellow Bourbon in the front, followed by thick caramel sweetness + spices in the middle, with a thick, smooth body, and an aftertaste of Brazilian cocoa and nut aromas (haven't roasted it, just hypothesizing).

Would you still think Mamba is worthless with this kind of Mamba?

If you want to vindicate traditional Mamba, why not try roasting new specialty coffee beans? Perhaps it can allow nostalgic drinkers to reach new realms, or even make those who dislike Mamba fall in love with it again.

Mamba Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

Mamba coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee - Mandheling coffee beans and Brazilian coffee beans both have full guarantees in terms of brand and quality. More importantly, the cost-performance ratio is extremely high. One half-pound (227g) package costs only about 80-90 yuan. Calculating based on 10g of powder per single espresso shot, one package can make 22 cups of coffee, with each SOE coffee costing only about 3-4 yuan. Compared to the dozens of yuan per cup sold in cafes, this offers excellent value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A Guangzhou-based roastery with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. Online services are also available. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473