A Comprehensive Guide to Sumatra Coffee Beans: Processing Methods, Estates, Growing Regions, Characteristics, Varieties, and Flavor Profiles

The Art of Coffee Roasting

Through roasting, green coffee beans release their distinctive aroma. Each coffee bean contains hidden notes of fragrance, acidity, sweetness, and bitterness. How these flavors are fully expressed depends on the precision of the roasting process. From bland green beans to a mellow cup with endless aftertaste, roasting is a crucial step in each coffee bean's long journey—a process that shapes character and nurtures aroma.

During this approximately 10-20 minute process (inversely proportional to temperature) at over 200°C, coffee beans engage in an intense dialogue with heat, undergoing numerous chemical changes. They produce first and second cracks, like popping popcorn, while losing moisture. From green beans to light roast, medium roast, and dark roast, moisture is gradually released, weight decreases, yet volume slowly expands. The coffee beans' color deepens, fragrant oils gradually emerge, and the texture becomes crisp. Green beans contain large amounts of chlorogenic acid, which gradually disappears during roasting, releasing familiar and pleasant fruit acids like acetic acid, citric acid, and malic acid found in wine. Proper roasting perfectly presents these wonderful acidic flavors in moderation.

Roast Levels

Light Roast (Cinnamon Roast)

When the beans produce their first light crack, they simultaneously expand in volume and transform into an appetizing cinnamon color. Acidity dominates the flavor profile of light roast beans, while texture and mouthfeel have not yet fully developed. These are typically used for canned coffee.

Medium Roast (City Roast)

Coffee beans display an elegant brown color. This roasting method is also called city roast. Medium roast preserves the original flavor of coffee beans while appropriately releasing aroma. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Washed Blue Mountain, FrontStreet Coffee Colombia, and FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen Estate single-origin coffees often choose this roasting method. At around 20 minutes, oils begin to surface as the beans are scorched by intense fire into a glossy deep brown, known as full-city roast. At this point, the coffee's acidity, sweetness, and bitterness achieve the most perfect balance, and the coffee bean's character is sharply defined.

Coffee Processing Methods

Coffee processing methods include washed, semi-washed, and natural drying methods. Different processing methods are adopted based on factors such as different regions, climates, and coffee bean varieties. Coffee beans processed through different methods will also present different flavor profiles.

Processing Steps

Depulping

Mechanical or manual methods are used to remove the skin and most of the pulp. All processing methods require depulping.

Fermentation

Fermentation is used to remove the mucilage and thin film surrounding the bean core. Since fermentation duration affects coffee flavor, each producer has their own fermentation time. The biggest difference between semi-washed and washed methods lies in the fermentation time—semi-washed fermentation is typically very short or even non-existent, such as with FrontStreet Coffee Sumatra Mandheling coffee beans. Coffee beans from Latin America and Africa typically use the washed method. Natural drying also involves no fermentation process.

Drying

Depending on the origin and season, different regions use different drying methods. Outdoor drying methods can impart a "earthy" or "soil-like" aroma to the coffee beans.

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