What Variety Is Ateng in Golden Mandheling Coffee?

Ateng, the name on PWN's Golden Mandheling, is the local Indonesian term for Catimor. Typica arrived on Java with the Dutch at the end of the seventeenth century and was widely planted until coffee leaf rust spread across Asia in 1869 and killed large numbers of plants, after which disease-resistant Robusta and Catimor took over.

Sumatra's wet-hulling process, where parchment is removed while the bean is still moist, gives Mandheling its herbal and spicy aroma and heavy body. The article traces how Ateng and Tim Tim replaced Typica, recounts the origins of Golden Mandheling and its history with the Japanese market, and lists pour-over parameters and tasting notes.

Mandheling is a classic category familiar to coffee lovers, but do you know what variety Ateng, used in the Golden Mandheling produced by PWN, actually is? It is in fact the local Indonesian name for Catimor. This article will start from the history of coffee cultivation in Indonesia, trace how Typica was replaced by the more disease-resistant Ateng and Tim Tim, and explain in detail how Sumatra's unique wet-hulling process gives Mandheling its distinctive herbal and spicy aroma. At the same time, the article will also recount the origins of Golden Mandheling and the Japanese market, as well as the pour-over parameters and tasting experience recommended by Front Street Coffee, helping you gain a comprehensive understanding of this full-bodied coffee bean's background and brewing key points.

The coffee variety currently used in the Golden Mandheling produced by PWN is labeled as Ateng. This name is the term habitually used by local Indonesian growers, and in essence it refers to Catimor. Looking back at history, the variety widely planted in Indonesia earlier was Typica, whose flavor was highly recognized. It was brought to Java by the Dutch at the end of the seventeenth century and was also called Bergendal or Sidikalang locally. So what caused Typica to gradually be replaced by Catimor?

The Development of Coffee Cultivation in Indonesia

The story of Indonesian coffee began at the end of the seventeenth century. After the Dutch captured Jakarta on the island of Java, they turned it into a stronghold of the Dutch East India Company in the East, and then introduced Typica seedlings from India in two batches for cultivation on Java. By the 1870s, coffee-growing areas had been established in places such as Sumatra, Bali, Sulawesi, and Timor, and the cultivation range gradually expanded from Java to the whole of Indonesia. Unfortunately, this situation did not last long. In 1869, coffee leaf rust suddenly broke out and quickly spread to coffee-producing regions across Asia. Indonesia was not spared either, and large numbers of Typica plants died one after another.

In order to save the severely damaged coffee plantations, the Indonesian government introduced more disease-resistant Robusta varieties from Africa and elsewhere. To this day, Robusta is still the main force in Indonesian coffee. At the same time, in order to ensure plant survival and increase yields, Indonesia continued to introduce various disease-resistant varieties from abroad. Among them, the Tim Tim and Bor Bor varieties, which are hybrids of Robusta and Arabica, as well as the Ateng series of Catimor, all showed unique cedar and herbal notes because of their good disease resistance, high yield, and adaptation to Sumatra's terroir. Soon, Ateng and Tim Tim gradually replaced the original Typica and became the main varieties in Sumatra and other regions, accounting for seventy percent of Sumatra's total coffee.

Front Street Coffee's Indonesian Lintong Mandheling daily-drinker beans are a mixed variety of Tim Tim and Ateng, processed using Indonesia's common wet-hulling method. They present a rich coffee bitterness, with extremely weak acidity, herbal and spicy notes, and a full, solid mouthfeel on entry. It is a coffee with very high recognizability.

Sumatran-Style Semi-Washed Method — Wet-Hulling

Indonesia's humidity remains between 70% and 90% all year round. If the washed method were used, the green beans would mold and spoil in the humid air before they were fully dried. Therefore, the locals developed a semi-washed method that greatly shortens processing time — wet-hulling. The first part of the wet-hulling process is the same as the washed method: first remove the pulp from the coffee cherries, ferment them in water for 3 hours, wash off the mucilage, and then dry the parchment coffee beans for a short period of 2-3 days. When the moisture content drops to 20-24% and the beans are in a semi-soft, semi-hard state, the parchment is removed, and drying continues until the moisture content falls to 13%, at which point they can be bagged.

However, the relatively large friction generated when the hulling machine operates tears open the parchment layer closely attached to the green beans. During the stirring and friction process, the green beans are prone to being crushed or squeezed, especially at both ends, forming small notches, commonly known as goat-foot beans. The "naked beans" that have lost the protection of the parchment layer dry extremely quickly, while also being directly exposed to the humid environment, allowing various microorganisms to breed. This is precisely why Indonesian coffee has its unique woody, spicy, and herbal notes, which is what we call the "taste of place."

Obviously, wet-hulling shortens the fermentation cycle, lowers acidity, enhances body, and strengthens grassy and medicinal herbal flavors. The "naked beans" still absorb moisture from the hot and humid air, forming Sumatra's characteristic earthy, herbal, and cedar-wood "muted aroma." After roasting, they further present intense dark chocolate, caramel, and roasted nut aromas, and are deeply loved by Japanese people who prefer dark-roasted coffee.

The Story of Golden Mandheling Coffee

During World War II, the flames of war spread from Europe to Asia. At that time, Indonesia was still a Dutch colony. Because the Netherlands declared war on Japan, Indonesia was invaded by Japan in 1942, and Japanese troops landed on Sumatra in February 1942. At that time, Japanese people who had already developed the habit of drinking coffee encountered wet-hulled Mandheling coffee in northern Sumatra and were captivated by its charm, becoming loyal fans of Mandheling ever since.

Even the origin of the name Mandheling is rumored to be related to a Japanese person. It is said that during World War II, a Japanese soldier happened to drink a cup of rich, aromatic coffee in a local café. Amazed, he asked the owner the name of the coffee. Because of the language barrier, the owner mistakenly thought the soldier was asking about his birthplace and answered "Mandailing." After the war, this Japanese soldier commissioned an Indonesian broker to ship 15 tons of the "Mandheling coffee" he remembered to Japan, where it became hugely popular. It can be said that this broker made Mandheling, and Mandheling also made him the founder of what is now the renowned Pwani Coffee Company (PWN).

PWN mainly purchases high-quality local lots of Mandheling green beans and produces only specialty-grade Mandheling. "Golden Mandheling" is its signature product. After the Japanese took a liking to Sumatran coffee and purchased it for a long time, they gradually discovered that the quality of local beans was uneven. So they invested more effort in Mandheling production and established strict defect-screening standards and methods. Starting with values such as bean density, size, shape, and color, the resulting Mandheling must undergo one mechanical sorting plus four rounds of manual hand-sorting to remove defects, ensuring the beans are complete, uniform, large, and translucent, while also reducing earthy and grassy off-flavors. It is said that in sunlight they show a golden, glittering effect, hence the name "Golden Mandheling."

As the specialty Mandheling market continued to expand, PWN also realized the importance of trademarks and registered the English name "Golden Mandheling" as an exclusive trademark earlier than the Japanese. Therefore, only the Golden Mandheling produced by PWN can be considered真正的 "Golden Mandheling," while what the Japanese produce can only be renamed "Top Mandheling." The Golden Mandheling obtained by Front Street Coffee is naturally the genuine product from PWN. Everyone can identify authentic Golden Mandheling through the green bean burlap sacks bearing the PWN logo and the origin certificates signed by PWN. Front Street displays both of these identifiers in its Dongshankou store.

How Should Golden Mandheling Be Brewed to Taste Good?

A customer asked Front Street Coffee: Which Mandheling is better to choose? If you are a beginner just getting into coffee and want to first understand the flavors of different producing regions, Front Street suggests starting with the cost-effective Lintong Mandheling daily-drinker beans. In this way, you can first learn about the flavor characteristics of several major producing regions and then choose the type you prefer. But if you are already a seasoned coffee enthusiast, Front Street believes that Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee is a good choice.

Mandheling has a full roasted coffee aroma and a solid mouthfeel, and is suitable for extraction by many methods, such as pour-over, siphon, French press, AeroPress, moka pot... Front Street most likes to enjoy the rich mouthfeel of Golden Mandheling coffee in the form of pour-over black coffee.

When brewing coffee beans that express body, Front Street likes to use the KONO dripper for extraction. The KONO dripper has short ribs only in the middle-lower part, while the upper part is a smooth curved surface. When the dripper is wet, it can fit tightly with the filter paper. During coffee extraction, airflow is restricted, the hot water's residence time in the dripper increases, the extraction yield rises, the concentration increases accordingly, and the coffee tastes richer and fuller. The KONO dripper is also suitable for beans with full-bodied flavor profiles such as Brazil Queen's Estate coffee.

Generally, Front Street uses 15g of coffee grounds for its output. The choice of dose is usually based on the size specified by the dripper's design. Front Street's dripper is suitable for 1-2 people, and the dose can be between 15-20g; too much can easily affect extraction. As for the coffee-to-water ratio, 1:15 is the most commonly used, and any range from 1:13 to 1:17 is acceptable. Front Street believes that everyone's taste is different. 1:13 may be too strong for some people, while 1:17 will be too weak, so the middle value of 1:15 is chosen.

Brewing parameters: KONO dripper, 87°C water temperature, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, China No. 20 standard sieve with 70% passing grind size, 15g coffee grounds, three-stage extraction.

First wet the dripper so that the filter paper fits tightly against it, then pour in the ground coffee and try to level the coffee bed. Pour 30g of hot water from the center to begin blooming for 30 seconds. At this point, you can see the dark-roasted Mandheling coffee form a tall dome. Then evenly pour the second stage until the liquid weight reaches 125g. When the coffee liquid drops to the halfway point, begin pouring the final 100g. Be careful to pour steadily with a small stream throughout to avoid uneven extraction. After all the coffee liquid has dripped through, remove the dripper, swirl the coffee in the server, and it is ready to taste.

The brewing parameters mentioned by Front Street are all based on fresh coffee beans, so fresh roasting is the primary condition. The coffee beans shipped by Front Street are all freshly roasted within 5 days. When you receive the coffee from the logistics provider, it is just within the best-tasting period. We hope every customer can drink the most complete and flavorful good coffee.

The freshly brewed Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling coffee has a solid mouthfeel. The notes of cedar, spices, dark chocolate, and roasted hazelnut are even richer, the finish is clean, and the flavor reaches an even higher level, allowing you to feel the sweetness and lingering aftertaste of caramel.

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.