Which Brand of Indonesian Mandheling Coffee is Best? Is Golden Mandheling Coffee Expensive?

Introduction to Golden Mandheling Coffee

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When coffee first entered the mainland market, Mandheling was among the earliest single-origin black coffees available in the industry. Initially, Mandheling left an impression of intense bitter notes with relatively dark roasts. As the coffee market developed and more people began studying coffee, access to premium coffees expanded, and preferences shifted toward lighter roasts. Consequently, the popularity of Mandheling diminished.

However, with the passage of time—or rather, through the adjustments made by skilled roasters in their roasting methods and degrees—Mandheling can transform people's deeply ingrained impressions. Mandheling can now exhibit bright fruit acidity, where the bitterness is no longer scorched but leans toward the sweet bitterness of dark chocolate, complemented by a delightful creamy mouthfeel. Today, we're pleased to recommend this Golden Mandheling, featuring distinct licorice notes, a creamy aftertaste, and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste that leaves an endless impression.

Established in 1957, N.V. Pawani Medan (PWN) specializes in exporting Indonesian products including coffee, rubber, cinnamon, cloves, and patchouli oil. It was the first company in Indonesia to export coffee from North Sumatra and the first to make "Mandheling Coffee" famous in Japan. Since 1977, the company has focused on exporting premium Sumatran Arabica coffee Mandheling Grade 1 and Robusta coffee AP-I Grade 2, primarily to Japan, Taiwan, and the United States, with exports to Japan and Taiwan accounting for over 95%. In Japan and Taiwan, "PWN" has become synonymous with "quality assurance." Pawani Coffee Company holds the "Golden Mandheling" trademark, while Japanese companies had to register the separate "Gold Top Mandheling" trademark.

Sumatra is the main production area for Indonesian specialty coffee, with a relatively complex coffee system that can be briefly summarized into four types:

(1) Mandheling: Refers to semi-dry or natural processed beans from the Lindong mountainous area at elevations of 900-1200 meters around Lake Toba in north-central Sumatra, along its southwestern shore.

(2) Golden Mandheling: Undergoes four rounds of manual sorting, making it superior to regular Mandheling with larger beans.

(3) Tawar Coffee: Refers to washed, semi-washed,or natural processed beans (less common) from elevations of 800-1600 meters in the Gayo Mountain region near Tawar Lake in the Aceh region at the northernmost tip of Sumatra. This area benefits from semi-washed processing techniques taught by the renowned Costa Rican La Minita estate, and the famous Dutch coffee group primarily produces Gayo Mountain washed beans here.

(4) Aged Mandheling and Old Brown Java.

As Indonesia's most renowned coffee brand, Golden Mandheling is undoubtedly the most recommended choice from every perspective.

Knowledge Extension

"Mandheling" is neither a place name, a production region name, a port name, nor a variety name. It is actually a phonetic error of "Mandailing," the ethnic group residing on the island of Sumatra.

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a dedicated coffee research establishment, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our sharing is completely unreserved, simply to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee promotion events with significant discounts because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

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