Mandheling vs Espresso: Which is More Aromatic and Their Differences in Brewing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Mandheling Coffee

Mandheling is also known as "Sumatra coffee." The main producing areas are Java, Sulawesi and Sumatra, with 90% of the crop being Robusta. Among these, the Mandheling grown on Sumatra is the most renowned.

Mandheling is a premium bean grown in plateau mountain areas at altitudes of 750-1,500 meters. After roasting the beans become quite large, with raw beans appearing brown or dark green. It has a special caramel-like aroma and a fragrant, rich taste: sweet fragrance, pure bitterness and mellow richness, with a hint of sweetness and slight acidity, leaving a long aftertaste.

Mandheling is considered one of the world's most mellow coffees, with a rich, solid texture and pleasant acidity. It has a fragrant aroma, moderate acidity and an intriguingly rich sweetness, and it suits a deep roast that releases a full fragrance. That aroma carries a masculine quality, and drinking it brings a feeling of unrestrained satisfaction, symbolizing a spirit of tenacity and courage. The coffee also has a faint earthy aroma, which some describe as the fragrance of herbal plants.

The blended coffees we usually drink also use Brazilian or Colombian beans as a base, adding other varieties in different proportions and roast depths. If you are particular, you can find a ratio that suits your taste: for a rounder cup, add light-roasted Santos; for a richer one, add deep-roasted Mandheling.

Single-origin coffee can be used for espresso, and making espresso from single-origin beans is a growing trend. Coffee made from single-origin beans by the espresso method is still espresso; and if the resulting shot comes from a single-origin bean such as Brazilian, Colombian or Mandheling, that espresso can reasonably be called single-origin coffee as well.

Mandheling works both as a single origin and as an espresso bean. Relatively speaking, Mandheling used for espresso has richer oils and a more mellow, intense flavor, carrying caramel, nut and dark chocolate notes. Which is more fragrant and which tastes better comes down to personal preference.

Knowledge point: high-quality coffee fruit is generally grown with good shade. Tree shade blocks the high midday sun, reducing the coffee tree's metabolic rate, which helps the development of nutrients, fruit acids and aromatic compounds.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For espresso made from Mandheling, FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling is the top of the line. PWN selects beans of 18 mesh and above and requires fewer than 3 defective beans per 300 g sample to meet the highest G1 grade, then hand-sorts three times to remove defects entirely, which raises the cup's cleanliness and sweetness. After a medium-dark roast the beans are even and full with a low defect rate and a rich roasted aroma, and the brewed black coffee has a clean body and a full, thick mouthfeel, ideal for anyone who dislikes acidic coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Lintong Mandheling, from the Lintong area around Lake Toba in North Sumatra, is a more affordable everyday Mandheling with the same wet-hulled character: clove-like spice, woody aroma and a persistent thick sweetness over low acidity. For an espresso blend, FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend adds medium-dark Mandheling to a creamy, nutty Brazilian base, bringing butter, roasted chestnut and caramel notes while raising the overall body, plus sandalwood, herbal and spice accents; a small amount of Robusta is added to boost crema, so latte art and layered Dirty drinks are easy to pour.

To brew Golden Mandheling as a pour-over, FrontStreet Coffee suggests 15 g of coffee at a coarse-sugar grind, 87-88°C water and a 1:15 ratio, poured in three stages to bring out the body and caramel sweetness. Pour 30 ml to wet all the grounds and let them degas, then 100 ml to lift the bed and release the golden foam, and finally a gentle 95 ml center pour, which rounds out the caramel, chocolate and nut flavors.