Does Aged Sumatra Improve with Age Like Wine? A Different Experience with Aged Sumatra Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Aged Sumatra

Sumatra Mandheling is a rare Arabica variety in Indonesia, grown at altitudes of 700-1500 meters. It is said that the name Mandheling coffee originated from a mispronunciation of the local "Mandheling" ethnic group. Today, the Mandheling in the central and northern mountainous regions of Sumatra is grown by the Batak people, who are descendants of the Mandheling tribe. The local people who grow Mandheling coffee beans are not the Mandheling tribe but the Batak people.

Sumatra's humid climate makes it prone to mold growth. Some poor mold development can result in smoky and musty flavors, requiring manual sorting and removal. Mandheling coffee beans have a twisted appearance that is not very attractive, making it difficult to select good-looking beans. However, some people say that the uglier the bean, the better the taste.

In the humid climate of Sumatra, beneficial bacteria were discovered in the beans. These beneficial bacteria enhance the mellow flavor of the beans. Therefore, some people specifically age and cellar them for up to three years in cool, ventilated cellars. The beneficial bacteria transform astringent components into sugars, reducing acidity and harsh flavors while adding rich spice and walnut notes.

Aged Mandheling is also known as Monsoon Mandheling. Its beans are not green but white, requiring additional sorting to remove defective beans before becoming a small quantity of aged cellar stock.

Mandheling Character

Arabica Mandheling grows on high mountain slopes at medium to high altitudes. The higher the altitude, the stronger the sweetness. Compared to low-altitude grown, disease-resistant Robusta with its bitter and alcoholic taste, Arabica Mandheling coffee is spicy and pungent, rich and full-bodied. The creamy, silky texture emerges from the chocolate bitterness, leaving a light sweet and sour taste mixed with rich aromas in the mouth. Mandheling has a masculine character, exhilarating and satisfying, like the thrill of roaming freely.

Knowledge point: Ethiopia holds the ancestral position in the coffee world as the birthplace of Arabica beans and is currently Africa's largest Arabica-producing country. The Kaffa Forest in Ethiopia is known as the "coffee gene bank."

In Summary

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