Is Golden Mandheling Good for Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew, including ice drip, relies on low temperature and slow dripping to extract coffee. Because cold water does not easily pull out bitter compounds, the result tastes sweeter, smoother and less astringent than hot-brewed coffee, which is why many drinkers prefer it. The bean itself still decides the flavor, and the method only shapes the style.

Storage is another advantage. Coffee brewed with hot water starts to decline after about 45 minutes, while ice drip coffee can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Extracted ice drip is usually chilled 12 to 24 hours before drinking, though a recommended window is within 72 hours.

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Ice drip coffee has always been a very popular coffee at Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Especially in summer, the baristas at Front Street make ice drip coffee every day to ensure the fridge is fully stocked with various flavors of ice drip coffee.

 

What is ice drip coffee?

As the name suggests, ice drip coffee uses "low temperature" and "slow dripping" to extract coffee. Temperature affects the breakdown rate of oils, acids, and sugars in coffee. Depending on how quickly this process occurs, the aroma, taste, and texture of the coffee vary greatly. This is also why different extraction methods can produce coffees of different qualities.
 
 

The characteristics of ice drip coffee

Sweeter taste:
The aroma molecules in coffee have a dissolution order; the fragrant molecules are extracted first, followed by the bitter molecules.

When brewing coffee with hot water, improper control of temperature and time often dissolves too many bitter molecules, making the coffee taste poor. Ice drip coffee is extracted with cold water over a long period, dissolving only the good-smelling molecules, resulting in a richer, smoother taste that presents the best original flavor of the coffee.

Not bitter and not astringent is the main reason many people love ice drip coffee.

Good storage life:

After any food is heated, its molecular structure is destroyed, making it prone to spoilage. Coffee brewed with hot water has a very short shelf life; after more than 45 minutes, the taste begins to deteriorate. Ice drip coffee does not undergo a heating process, so its shelf life is very long. After extraction, it can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two weeks, and the fermentation process during this time will also give the coffee different layers of mellow flavor changes.
 
Generally, the extracted ice drip coffee is placed in the refrigerator12-24 hoursbefore drinking, and the flavor will be even better.

Many people say that after a week, ice drip becomes very mellow and smooth. Front Street does not advocate leaving ice drip for a week, because after all, there are bacteria in the air or in the bottle, and it is hard to guarantee the condition of the coffee after being left for a long time. The recommended drinking period for ice drip is within72 hours.
 
Because ice drip has so many advantages at the same time, some friends left us messages asking which beans should be chosen to make ice drip if they like coffee with a rich and sweet taste.

Based on Front Street's production experience, if you like black coffee with a mellow, rich, and intense taste, it is recommended to use dark-roasted Front Street Golden Mandheling to make ice drip, because this bean uses the local unique wet-hulled method, so when brewed it often presents unique caramel, spice, herbal, and nut aromas. Made into ice drip, it even shows a solid mellow body and fullness, like eating a piece of unsweetened dark chocolate.

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