How to Brew Manlaojiang Coffee - Manlaojiang Estate Nagi Peaberry and Manwan Mountain Coffee Brewing Guide

Coffee Review

Coffee Review is an international professional coffee evaluation organization. Coffee roasting manufacturers from around the world send samples of roasted coffee beans for evaluation, and every winner and loser is disclosed to consumers. This has made Coffee Review one of the most authoritative and fair coffee evaluation organizations today. Beans that earn excellent results almost always spark a buying frenzy in the market, making it a true coffee buying guide. Two of Manlao Coffee's Coffee Review 90+ beans both come from the Manlao Coffee Estate.

Nagi Peaberry

Premium sun-dried garden beans from Nagi Estate, China's first 90+ point coffee, allowing Yunnan coffee to compete with world specialty coffees on the same stage.

Man Wan Shan

In 2016, Manlao Coffee's head roaster Arire used Manzhongtian Man Wan Shan micro-batch coffee beans and broke his own year-long record of China's first 90-point coffee, once again setting a new record for Chinese coffee with a Coffee Review score of 93 points.

Siphon Pot

Siphon pots, French presses, moka pots, and drip pots all belong to the family of coffee brewing methods. Among them, the siphon pot, commonly known as a vacuum pot or siphon method, is a simple yet effective brewing method and one of the most popular in cafes. The special brewing principle of the siphon produces a coffee whose aroma and richness machine-brewed ground coffee cannot match.

Medium Grind

Medium Grind: grind size is tied to the machine and equipment used for brewing. A French press, for example, is best ground coarser because the extraction time is longer; moka pots and semi-automatic machines should be ground finer, though not to a powdery consistency, presenting fine granular particles; for electric drip brewers you can decide by taste, finer for stronger coffee and coarser for milder. For manual brewing and siphon pots, a medium grind fineness is recommended.

Water-to-Coffee Ratio

Water-to-Coffee Ratio: this refers to the ratio of coffee grounds to water, where the water amount refers to the volume of unheated water. The concept was also proposed by the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America). Depending on the different flavors of coffee beans and different brewing methods, the water-to-coffee ratio will also vary. Generally the ratio is 1:12-16, and the optimal ratio for a siphon pot is 1:12.

Water Temperature

Water Temperature: water temperature is very important to a cup of coffee. Generally speaking, for medium-light to light roast coffee, water at 88°-94°C is suitable, while for dark to medium-dark roast coffee, water at 82°-87°C is appropriate. Assuming the same beans and the same extraction time, the higher the water temperature, the more pronounced the bitterness. Too low a temperature causes insufficient extraction, resulting in a lack of flavor and more prominent acidity.

From this perspective, those who truly understand coffee can taste the sweetness within its bitterness. Many people have only learned to drink coffee without ever learning to appreciate it.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yunnan is where this Manlao story begins, and a siphon is a lovely way to taste what the region does best. FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Baoshan Small Bean is an excellent entry point to Chinese Arabica: a washed, medium roasted coffee from the Baoshan region, roasted to bring out caramel while keeping some acidity, so it shows soft notes of nuts, chocolate, and a light plum-like tartness with the terroir of Yunnan. Brew it in a siphon at a 1:12 ratio with water around 88°C and a medium grind to draw out its gentle sweetness.

If you want a clearer expression of the region, FrontStreet Coffee's 2013 Yunnan Natural Typica is the natural next step. Typica is one of the oldest and purest Arabica varieties, and FrontStreet Coffee's estate processes it by the traditional natural method, then roasts it medium for a fuller body and brighter sweet-and-sour balance, with citrus, berry, caramel sweetness, and a creamy finish. Both coffees carry the flavor of Yunnan, and both suit the siphon beautifully.