Is Golden Mandheling Coffee Delicious? What Makes Japanese Drip Pour-Over Coffee Special

FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling Japanese Drip Brewing Guide

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Today, Indonesia is a major coffee-producing country. Coffee cultivation is mainly concentrated in Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, with Robusta varieties accounting for 90% of total production. However, Sumatran Mandheling is a rare Arabica variety. These trees are grown on hillside slopes at altitudes between 750 and 1,500 meters. The mysterious and unique Sumatra has endowed Mandheling coffee with rich aromas, full-bodied texture, and intense flavors. Even more distinctive, it carries subtle notes of chocolate and syrup.

Mandheling is categorized into various regional types, such as Lintong Mandheling and Golden Mandheling. So what exactly are the differences between these Mandhelings? Locally, coffee beans widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesian islands are almost all called Mandheling. These names are used to distinguish Mandhelings from different regions based on the specific area and green bean supplier.

Golden Mandheling is meticulously hand-selected, featuring plump beans with a lustrous appearance, making it a true beauty among coffees. When top-grade Mandheling is roasted by professional roasters, the resulting flavors are truly remarkable. This creates a deep yet clean Mandheling coffee experience.

The sweetness and clarity of Golden Mandheling, along with its rich, wild spice notes, are slightly superior to regular Mandheling. This is one reason why Golden Mandheling commands a significantly higher price.

Taste Profile: Golden Mandheling tastes cleaner than regular Mandheling. The original herbal, earthy, and woody flavors of Mandheling are nearly absent, while the caramel sweetness is more intense, and the fruit acidity is brighter and more elegant.

FrontStreet Coffee has previously shared segmented pour-over techniques, so today let's explore what flavors emerge when using the Japanese drip method to brew Golden Mandheling.

The drip method, also known as essence extraction, uses a gentler water flow to minimize disturbance of the coffee grounds, reduce convection, and increase steeping time. Coffee made with this Japanese technique features high body, high sweetness, rich smoothness, and distinct texture.

Since the pour-over kettle needs to drip water drop by drop, it's best to choose a flat-topped wide-mouth kettle or a wide-mouth crane-neck kettle. The advantage of these kettles is the high controllability of water flow thickness, making them more suitable for the drip method. When paired with a conical filter cup whose ribs stop at less than half the cup's height, this design allows the filter paper to adhere closely to the cup wall after absorbing water, greatly restricting exhaust space. This method is particularly suitable for medium-roasted or darker coffee beans.

This technique can achieve a solid aftertaste and rich body. The less favorable aspects are that it's time-consuming, and controlling the water flow requires refined and stable technique. Initially, your hands might tremble uncontrollably, and controlling the water flow can be challenging.

Brewing Parameter Recommendations: Water Temperature: 88°C | Grind Size: BG-6W | Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 24g coffee, extracting 240g in the bottom chamber (1:10) | Brewing Time: 5-10 minutes

Flavor Profile: Herbal, caramel, chocolate notes, with high body, high sweetness, rich smoothness, and distinct texture.

Knowledge Extension: The texture of coffee made with this Japanese technique can highlight the sweetness of coffee beans while avoiding sourness, astringency, and bitter impurities. It requires very stable kettle-holding technique and patience.

Important Notice :

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