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The Difference Between Mandheling and Blue Mountain, The Origin of Mandheling Coffee, and Its Flavor Characteristics

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, For professional coffee knowledge and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). The island of Sumatra in Indonesia produces the famous Mandheling Coffee, which is a very important coffee variety in Asia. Before the discovery of Blue Mountain coffee, Mandheling was once

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

When speaking of rich, full-bodied coffee, people often think of Mandheling and Blue Mountain. These two varieties have become synonymous with rich coffee. However, FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling and Blue Mountain coffees exhibit completely different styles - one is rich and aromatic, while the other is balanced and sweet. Let FrontStreet Coffee explain their other differences.

However, not all Blue Mountain coffees are genuine Blue Mountain. The Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, making it impossible for all coffees labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee from Clifton Manor is Jamaica's oldest coffee estate, and only Clifton Farm in Jamaica carries the "Rainforest Alliance (RFA)" certification.

Geographical Differences

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee: Jamaica is an island located in the Caribbean Sea, and the famous Blue Mountains are situated in Jamaica. The highest point of the Blue Mountains reaches 2,400 meters, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean.

This area is located in the coffee belt with fertile new volcanic soil, fresh air free from pollution, year-round rainfall, high humidity, and significant temperature differences between day and night. The soil here is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, very suitable for coffee growth. The fertile volcanic soil, regular rainfall, and the island's misty clouds that protect it from harsh sunlight all combine to create Blue Mountain coffee.

Indonesian Gold Mandheling

Indonesia is a country composed of many large and small islands centered around the equator. It ranks third globally in coffee production, mostly of the Robusta variety. Arabica varieties are also grown on Java, Sulawesi, and Sumatra islands. Particularly, Mandheling coffee from Sumatra can be said to represent Indonesian coffee, with GRADE 1 being the highest quality with the fewest defective beans.

Speaking of "Gold Mandheling," we must first mention PWN. This abbreviation is often mixed with Mandheling coffee names, but it actually stands for Pwani Coffee Company.

This company is a very famous local Indonesian coffee purchasing company, mainly acquiring Mandheling coffee. Almost all the best-producing areas in Indonesia are sourced by them, so most beans from PWN company are unique specialty coffees. Gold Mandheling is a product produced by this company. After purchasing the green beans, they undergo multiple manual selections to pick out full, flawless beans. Only these excellent beans that have undergone层层筛选 like talent shows can be classified as Gold Mandheling.

Differences in Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Washed Process Blue Mountain Coffee

Blue Mountain coffee is processed using the washed method. After harvesting, the fruits must first undergo floating water screening, then the washed method is used to remove the peel and mucilage, revealing the coffee beans inside, which are sent to processing plants for centralized processing. The washing and fermentation methods are used to remove peel, pulp, and mucilage. Farms using the washed method must build washing pools and be able to introduce a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the peel and pulp are first removed, allowing fermentation for 12-18 hours, then the fermented beans are placed in pools and moved back and forth, using the friction of the beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until they are smooth and clean.

Wet-Hulled Gold Mandheling

The wet-hulled method, also known as Wet Hulling, is called Giling Basah in the local language and is a traditional Indonesian coffee processing method. Judging by name alone, wet-hulling seems similar to wet processing (washed processing), however, the cupping flavors of these two processing methods are completely different. Coffee processed by wet-hulling is typically rich and strong with a very distinct personality.

Green Bean Comparison

Jamaica Blue Mountain

The variety of Blue Mountain coffee is Typica, an ancient coffee variety. The basic standard for NO.1 Blue Mountain green beans includes beans above 17 screen size, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, etc. They appear as beautiful, full blue-green green beans.

Gold Mandheling

The coffee variety of Gold Mandheling is also Typica. The green beans are basically above 19 screen size,偏向深绿色呈工整的平豆. They appear to have more elephant beans, but this is not a defect. This is because when wet-hulling removes the parchment, the coffee moisture content is still as high as 20-24%, while in general processing methods, coffee moisture content drops to 10-12% before hulling. In the "semi-dry" state, the parchment tends to adhere to the surface of the green beans, making dehulling more difficult than when "fully dry," requiring greater friction during the hulling process.

FrontStreet Coffee Gold Mandheling Coffee Beans

But on the other hand, "semi-dry" green coffee beans are very fragile at this time, with hardness far less than "fully dry" green beans, so the beans are more easily crushed and form small cracks. This is what we often call horse hoof or elephant beans (locally called kuku kambing).

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Flavor Differences

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Cupping Characteristics

A perfect and subtle balance of acidity, body, and aroma. Its acidity is bright and delicate. Its body is as smooth as velvet. Its aroma has a slight penetrating quality, accompanied by floral, spicy, and citric acid tones. After tasting, there is a hint of cocoa aftertaste. The flavor is very clean, complex, very mild, with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. The taste is rich and mellow, with perfect balance of coffee's sweet, sour, and bitter notes. Completely without bitterness, with only moderate and perfect acidity, and a persistent fruity finish.

Dry aroma: roasted peanut, hazelnut, melon, chocolate-like

Wet aroma: oolong tea, caramel, honey, black chocolate, almond skins, silky mouthfeel, brightness

Aroma: medium freshness: no sweetness: medium acidity: slight richness: strong bitterness: average aftertaste: medium when cooled: medium

Gold Mandheling Coffee Beans

Multi-layered, clean, balanced, with persistent caramel sweetness in the aftertaste. High sweetness, rich and full-bodied. Flavor: toasted bread, pine, caramel, cocoa, with slight earthy notes.

Aroma: no freshness: medium sweetness: medium acidity: no richness: strong bitterness: medium aftertaste: strong when cooled: no

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Comparison

Let's compare the differences between Gold Mandheling and Blue Mountain coffee using pour-over method, both using KONO dripper with the same brewing parameters.

Dripper: KONO dripper

Coffee amount: 15g

Water temperature: 88°C

Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15

Grind size: EK43s setting 11

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Technique Sharing

30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s, first pour to 125g then stop; vertical water flow, small flow slow circular motion; second pour to 225g.

Jamaica Blue Mountain Flavor

Very clean, complex, very mild, with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. Rich and mellow taste, with perfect balance of coffee's sweet, sour, and bitter notes. Completely without bitterness, with only moderate and perfect acidity, and a persistent fruity finish.