Indonesian Mandheling Coffee Bean Varieties: Can Aged Coffee Beans Be Consumed? Monsoon Processing Method

When most people hear about Indonesian coffee, Mandheling immediately comes to mind. But did you know that Mandheling coffee actually encompasses many different varieties? At FrontStreet Coffee, we offer several types of Mandheling including Golden Mandheling, Tiger Mandheling, and Aged Mandheling. Let me introduce each of these to you!

Aged Mandheling

First, let me introduce Aged Mandheling. It's often also translated as "Old Sumatra" - a rich and complex "spice box" with intense wine-like aromas and distinct, subtle notes that engage the senses.

Aged Mandheling originated from European trade. Merchants frequently exported coffee from Africa, and later from India and Indonesia. As early as the 1500s, the only way to transport coffee was through long sea voyages. The journey around the Cape of Good Hope could take more than a month, and the sea winds and transport time altered the coffee's flavor. Europeans grew accustomed to drinking coffee that had already been aged for several months. Even after the Suez Canal shortened the journey, most Europeans still preferred aged coffee over fresh coffee. This led to the creation of aged Mandheling as a commercial product. To satisfy customer preferences, merchants would replicate the effects of sea travel on coffee by storing beans in coastal warehouses for several months before shipment. This method was developed to initially age coffee. The best aged coffees come from low-acidity beans in India and Indonesia.

Aged Sumatra and Sulawesi coffees have distinctive spicy flavors, while India has its own specific aged coffee variety, Monsooned Malabar, known for its chocolate taste. Monsooned Malabar originated from the aged coffee that the British in India exported to Europe. The sea journey from India typically took several months, and once the coffee arrived, people began to realize that coffee transported during the monsoon season had different flavors and appearance compared to coffee shipped during other times of the year.

The combination of moisture and sea winds caused the beans to swell slightly and turn yellow. They also lost all their acidity, creating a heavy, earthy cup. After more efficient sea travel was implemented, beans were no longer exposed to the elements that caused them to develop in their unique way. To compensate for this, coffee beans are aged in warehouses and exposed to monsoons for three to four months. Monsooned Malabar is now protected by the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, which means it can only be produced in India - specifically along the Malabar Coast. Not all aged coffees have such strict standards as Monsooned Malabar, but there is a distinction between aged coffee and simply stored coffee. Aged coffee must be stored in well-ventilated warehouses. Every few months, the bags are checked and rotated to dry them. For proper aging, coffee needs a climate where beans can absorb moisture during the rainy season and release it during the dry season. This is why most premium aged coffees come from Indonesia, India, and parts of South America. Coffee tends to become mellow with aging, so varieties that start with low acidity typically age well.

Barrel-aged coffee is a variation, often used by those who don't have space to lay coffee flat. Whiskey-aged coffee has found a new market: coffee aged in barrels that previously held whiskey or bourbon. This coffee obviously acquires a whole new range of flavors.

However, it's worth noting that aged coffee is typically stored for several months to several years, depending on its variety or the roaster's preference. Aged Sumatra coffee is usually aged for three to five years, while some barrel-aged coffees are kept for only a month and a half. If stored improperly, coffee beans can deteriorate and lose their flavor.

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