Sumatra Golden Mandheling Washed Processing Method - Golden Mandheling Brewing Guide

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FrontStreet Coffee — Golden Mandheling Brewing Data Sharing

Mandheling

Mandheling is produced in Sumatra, Asia, Indonesia, and is also known as "Sumatra coffee." Its flavor profile emphasizes richness, with slight herbal notes and a touch of sweetness. It is typically medium to dark roasted, resulting in a solid, mellow mouthfeel. If you don't enjoy overly acidic single-origin coffees and prefer bold flavors, Mandheling is an excellent choice.

Sumatra Coffee Growing Environment

Sumatra coffee captivates with its charming cedar and herbal notes and unique spice flavors. But do you know the actual growing environment of this one-of-a-kind coffee on the coffee map? Sumatra Island is located on the equator, with most of the island covered by tropical rainforest. The humidity ranges from 70% to 90% year-round, with annual rainfall of 2000 millimeters. Although the volcanic ash soil allows coffee trees to grow vigorously, this humid climate can easily cause coffee cherries to mold and rot.

Processing Challenges

Due to the high humidity throughout the year, using normal washed processing methods would require double the drying time compared to standard processing. If coffee beans are not dried promptly, they can easily over-ferment or develop mold. Each variation affects the coffee's flavor. Therefore, how to process coffee cherries and preserve coffee beans has become the biggest challenge for Sumatra's coffee production.

Brewing Techniques for Dark Roast Mandheling

For most people, brewing dark roast Mandheling by pour-over is quite challenging - one wrong move and you'll taste the bitter consequences. Dark roast beans are indeed difficult. My approach is to first lower the water temperature to about 85 degrees, as high water temperatures release more bitter compounds. Adjust the grind slightly finer, and choose a water-to-coffee ratio of 1:10. Don't worry about it becoming more concentrated and bitter.

Typically, our thinking is that if something is bitter, we dilute it with water, increasing the ratio to reduce its bitterness. But have you noticed that the bitterness doesn't decrease just because you add more water? It's like when you stir-fry bitter melon with eggs, the bitter melon flavor becomes more prominent, but when you put the same bitter melon in braised pork, you can barely taste its bitterness. By reducing the water-to-coffee ratio, we increase Mandheling's body and highlight its sweetness, thereby reducing the proportion of bitter taste. Otherwise, we might end up with coffee that is both weak and bitter.

The intense and wild character of FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling is its charm, but it needs restraint to avoid being overwhelming. Therefore, when brewing, the water pouring must be as gentle as possible. The entire process should focus on balance - gentle, gentle, and more gentle.

Brewing Parameters

Equipment: KONO dripper
Coffee amount: 16 grams
Grind size: Medium grind (BG 7D: 47% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)
Water temperature: 88°C
Ratio: 1:14 (coffee to water)

Brewing Method

Use 32 grams of water for bloom for 40 seconds. Continue brewing with small circular pours until reaching 225 grams total water. Remove the dripper just before the water level exposes the coffee bed. (Extraction time from bloom start: 2'04").

Flavor Profile

The entry reveals flavors of chocolate, cream, and caramel, with honey aroma. The mouthfeel is relatively light, with an overall sweet and clean sensation.

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