Indonesian Mandheling and Golden Mandheling Coffee: Premium Specialty Roasted Beans from Sumatra

Sumatra Coffee Classification

Sumatra is the main specialty coffee producing region in Indonesia, with a complex coffee system that can be briefly summarized into four types:

1. Mandheling

Refers to semi-dry processed or natural processed beans from the Lake Toba region and the surrounding southwest coast area of Lin Dong Mountain at elevations of 900-1200 meters in north-central Sumatra.

2. Golden Mandheling

Coffee that has undergone four rounds of manual sorting, making it one grade higher than regular Mandheling with larger bean sizes.

3. Tawar Lake Coffee

Refers to washed, semi-washed,or natural processed (less common) beans from the Gayo Mountain area at elevations of 800-1600 meters near Tawar Lake in the Aceh region at the northernmost tip of Sumatra. This area features the renowned Costa Rican La Minita estate传授ing semi-washed processing technology, as well as the famous Dutch coffee group mainly producing Gayo Mountain washed beans.

4. Aged Mandheling and Old Brown Java

Mandheling vs. Gayo Coffee

Traditionally, all coffee produced in Sumatra is called Mandheling, which is neither scientific nor easily distinguishable. Coffee produced by the Batak people in the Lake Toba area or Lin Dong Mountain region of north-central Sumatra is mostly grown without shade and primarily processed using semi-dry or natural methods. The herbal and earthy flavors are more pronounced, with a tendency toward low acidity and mellow aroma, which is the main characteristic of Mandheling coffee; therefore, it is called Mandheling coffee. Meanwhile, the Tawar Lake area or Aceh region at the northernmost tip of Sumatra is cultivated by another group of Gayo people using traditional shade-grown methods, primarily processed through washed or semi-washed methods. The acidity and aroma are brighter, while the mellow notes are lighter. The American specialty coffee community generally refers to coffee from this region as Aceh coffee, Gayo Mountain coffee, or Tawar Lake coffee.

Mandheling Flavor Profiles

In short, regular "Mandheling" coffee uniquely possesses herbal and woody deep aromas, with relatively uneven bean sizes; Indonesia Purnama Coffee Company's "Golden Mandheling" coffee or Japanese companies' "Golden Tripod Mandheling" coffee is rich and bright, with stronger caramel sweetness and brighter, more elegant fruit acidity, almost entirely free from the herbal, earthy, and woody flavors of Mandheling. Mandheling coffee is suitable for medium to light roasting, which can reduce off-flavors; while Golden Mandheling has a wider roasting range.

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