Single-Origin Coffee: Indonesia Mantenga Pour-Over Process Steps & Authentic PWN Golden Mantenga Coffee Key Features

Today, as more people actively step into coffee shops to understand the stories behind many single-origin coffee beans and the reasons for their unique aromas, this not only allows people to gain knowledge but also makes the atmosphere of the entire industry increasingly vibrant.

For example, the Mandheling coffee introduced by FrontStreet Coffee today possesses a captivating charm. Unlike the fruity sweetness of Ethiopian coffee or the floral and fruity aromas of Geisha, its unique flavor has captured the hearts of many coffee enthusiasts. Mandheling coffee is incredibly mellow and was once considered the coffee with the highest body in the world. It features a mellow, rich taste with a slight syrupy flavor and low acidity. The main export markets for this coffee are Germany and Japan, which indirectly reflects the excellent quality and superior flavor profile of this Mandheling coffee.

Wet Hulling Process

Wet hulling is a rapid method for processing coffee beans. It involves removing the fruit skin and pulp from the coffee beans, followed by brief fermentation and drying. Then, the pectin and parchment layers are removed, and the beans continue through the final drying stage until the moisture content drops to 12%. Mandheling coffee beans processed using the wet hulling method clearly show varying degrees of compression cracks, and the bean color tends toward dark greenish-blue.

FrontStreet Coffee's menu features two types of Mandheling, which coincidentally come from the two most famous coffee-producing regions in Sumatra: one is the "Golden Mandheling" from the Aceh region near Lake Tawar in northern Sumatra, and the other is the "Lintong Mandheling" grown and harvested around Lake Toba in the south, which locals call "Two Lakes, Double Mandheling." Due to many small-scale producers using their unique semi-washed processing method and iron-deficient soil, coffee beans from this region exhibit a distinctive bluish color in their fresh green bean stage.

Lintong vs. Golden Mandheling

Lintong Mandheling refers to Arabica coffee from the mountainous area around Lake Toba in North Sumatra Province. This lake is geographically 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 the traditional Mandheling, belonging to the regular version of Mandheling coffee. Through wet hulling processing, it presents the unique herbal, muffled aroma characteristic of Mandheling. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee has included Lintong Mandheling in its daily coffee bean series, allowing curious coffee lovers to experience the distinctive aroma of Indonesian coffee.

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 the multiple screening of green beans, resulting in consistently high overall quality. PWN purchases Mandheling green beans of 18 mesh or above, with defect bean counts fewer than 3 in 300g samples, qualifying as G1 grade—the highest grade for Indonesian green beans. Subsequently, they strictly follow standards for 1 machine selection + 3 manual defect bean selections, ensuring uniform color, shape, and size of the Mandheling coffee beans. Therefore, PWN Golden Mandheling offers a cleaner and brighter taste, with more pronounced body and sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee's Focus on PWN Golden Mandheling

FrontStreet Coffee has tested countless Mandheling varieties behind the scenes, including PWN Golden Mandheling, Lintong Mandheling, Tiger Mandheling, Aged Mandheling, and even Natural Process Mandheling. Among all these Mandheling coffees, FrontStreet Coffee focuses most closely on PWN Golden Mandheling.

FrontStreet Coffee: Indonesian PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans
Region: Sumatra, Indonesia
Grade: G1, Triple Hand-sorted
Altitude: 1100m-1600m
Variety: Ateng
Processing Method: Wet Hulling

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 genuine sense. FrontStreet Coffee has noticed many Golden Mandheling coffee beans sold on the market. Some merchants, to sell coffee beans at higher prices, select green beans of 18 mesh or above from G1-grade Mandheling coffee beans and apply three manual hand-sortings to make their appearance closely resemble 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 pronounced caramel sweetness that other "Golden Mandheling" varieties cannot compare to.

The PWN Golden Mandheling acquired by FrontStreet Coffee uses exclusively manual single-cherry harvesting 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 along with two green bean cleaning steps and three manual selection processes. First qualifying as G1 grade, then meeting 18+ mesh size requirements, and finally three manual hand-sortings ensure all defect beans are removed, thus 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 excellent herbal notes, caramel aftertaste, and mellow, rich chocolate flavor. It can be said to be the ideal choice for coffee connoisseurs.

As shown in the picture above, the "PWN" marking on Golden Mandheling is the abbreviation for Indonesia's Pawani company. All PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans produced by their company are registered in Indonesia. Some friends worry that their carefully selected Golden Mandheling might not be the specific variety they want. Actually, you can verify with the seller by requesting to see the PWN Golden Mandheling green bean bags and relevant certificates. On the walls of FrontStreet Coffee's store, there hang PWN Golden Mandheling green bean bags along with related certificates.

Brewing Recommendations

Many people's impression of 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 types. Good bitterness dissipates shortly after entering the mouth, leaving a long-lasting aroma. Additionally, since Mandheling coffee is synonymous with body, it is roasted to a relatively dark degree.

To highlight the high body characteristics of Golden Mandheling, FrontStreet Coffee uses a Kono dripper for brewing. The reason for choosing Kono is its unique conical design ensures even water distribution and dripping at a stable rate throughout the filter. The grooves on the lower part 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.

Regarding water temperature, FrontStreet Coffee chooses to use 88°C hot water for brewing Mandheling coffee. If you brew coffee at home, you've likely discovered that under the same conditions, higher water temperature results in a more bitter coffee taste. Water temperature is crucial for coffee extraction as it affects the extraction speed. "Extraction" refers to the process where flavor compounds from coffee beans are dissolved into your cup. Higher water temperatures accelerate the extraction of oils, acids, and caffeine from coffee. This may 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 it will make the overall taste thinner. FrontStreet Coffee suggests starting with 1:15 and then adjusting according to your taste preferences.

Brewing Parameters:

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

Brewing Method:

Segmented extraction: Use 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then continue pouring with small circular motion to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop until it's about to expose the coffee bed, then 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".

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473