What Makes Golden Mandheling Coffee Different?

Golden Mandheling coffee comes from Sumatra in Indonesia and is known for a full body, low acidity and deep notes of herbs and dark chocolate. It differs from regular Mandheling mainly in selection and grading, with tighter sorting of defects and bean size. Sumatra supplies about 74.2 percent of Indonesia's coffee, and the Lintong growing region is a key source for this lot.

The flavor comes largely from wet-hulling, a traditional coffee process used in Indonesia in which the parchment is removed while the bean is still moist. The Ateng variety and the island's volcanic soil also shape the cup. Mandheling was once held up as a peak of the coffee world before Blue Mountain rose to fame. Brew with medium-dark roasts and water near 90 degrees Celsius to keep the body intact.

Mandheling is one of the most frequently featured single-origin coffees in specialty coffee shops, highly praised for its rich, full-bodied character and low acidity. This article begins with the planting history of Sumatra, recounting the origin of the name Mandheling and its connection to PWN, and explains in detail the differences between Golden Mandheling and regular Mandheling, the characteristics of the Lintong growing region, as well as the unique wet-hulling process and the Ateng variety. At the same time, Front Street Coffee shares brewing parameters and purchasing advice for Golden Mandheling, guiding you through a comprehensive understanding of this classic coffee.

Mandheling coffee is almost never absent from specialty coffee shops. It is said that before Blue Mountain coffee rose to fame, Mandheling was once regarded as the pinnacle of the coffee world, enjoying tremendous popularity. It is widely recognized as one of the most full-bodied coffees in the world, and on the palate you can clearly feel that weighty texture. Mandheling has extremely low acidity, yet a trace of acidity can still be detected upon careful tasting. Front Street's deepest impression of Mandheling is its richness—that lively subtle acidity interwoven with the abundant aromas of herbs and dark chocolate truly earns it the title of an exceptional coffee.

Next, please join Front Street Coffee as we step into the world of Mandheling.

The Planting Origins of Sumatra Mandheling

Sumatra is the second-largest island in Indonesia, with a resident population of approximately 55 million, and it is also one of the country's most important coffee-producing regions. Sumatra's coffee output accounts for about 74.2% of Indonesia's national total, while the second-ranking region accounts for only 12%. However, coffee is not a native crop of Indonesia; it was introduced to the island by the Dutch colonial government after the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the early period. Two centuries later, during World War II, a large number of coffee trees were replaced by crops such as rice, corn, and cassava to address local food shortages. By 1950, local coffee production had dropped to just one-eighth of its pre-war level. But since then, coffee crops gradually became the local economic lifeline.

The Origin of the Name Mandheling

When it comes to Sumatra Mandheling, one must trace the origin of its name. Mandheling is neither a growing region name, a place name, a port name, nor a coffee variety name—so where exactly does it come from?

In fact, Mandheling was originally the name of a small place on the island of Sumatra, which later gradually evolved into the name of an ethnic group—the Mandailing. Many people have heard the story of this name's origin when learning about Mandheling coffee, but few know that it was first discovered and named by the Japanese, which led to its later fame. The person who exported the first batch of Mandheling coffee beans to Japan was the coffee shop owner in the story, who recognized the business opportunity of Mandheling coffee and founded PWN Coffee Company in 1957. Pawani mainly purchases higher-quality local coffee lots and has established a strict multi-stage screening system to ensure that the coffee beans sold are uniform and large, plump beans.

The Definition of Mandheling

In the traditional strict sense, only coffee beans produced in the Lake Toba region (located in the northwestern part of Sumatra, Indonesia) are called "Mandheling." The finest coffee on the island of Sumatra comes from two places, one of which is Mandheling from the Lintong region, located near Lake Toba in North Sumatra, and is the most renowned coffee of the area. Coffee in the Lintong region is grown at an average altitude of 1,200 to 1,500 meters, cultivated by smallholders under shade trees, processed using the wet-hulling method, and displays a unique flavor and lively body.

That coffee merchant is now the well-known Pwani Coffee Company (PWN). Indonesia's local PWN company (Pwani Coffee Company) was also the first green bean trader to cooperate with Japan.

PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee

Indonesia's Pawani Coffee Company is the processor of Golden Mandheling. Since "Golden Mandheling" has been registered as its trademark, Golden Mandheling has become an exclusive product of PWN.

What exactly is the difference between Golden Mandheling and regular Mandheling? Mandheling is a specialty among Indonesian coffees, while Golden Mandheling is the finest of the Mandheling selections. PWN's Golden Mandheling is known for its strict screening and large, uniform beans, with a cleaner taste. The plump, lustrous Mandheling coffee obtained through meticulous hand-sorting can be called the beauty of coffees. In fact, in order to improve the problem of Mandheling having a relatively high proportion of defective beans, the Japanese began implementing meticulous quality control early on, removing defective beans through four rounds of manual sorting.

The quality of Front Street's PWN Golden Mandheling is also reflected in its price. Some merchants, in pursuit of higher profits, purchase regular Mandheling coffee beans and screen out suitable-sized beans according to Golden Mandheling specifications, even using the same four rounds of manual hand-sorting to remove defective beans, making them appear as close as possible to Front Street's PWN Golden Mandheling in order to sell them at a high price.

Some friends worry that what they bought is not authentic Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling. In fact, you can ask the merchant for relevant certification. Front Street Coffee also has relevant certificates hanging on the walls of its stores—one is a certificate provided by PWN, and the other is the burlap sack certification for Golden Mandheling green beans, printed with the PWN logo.

Lintong Mandheling Coffee

Lintong Mandheling comes from the Lintong region and is a representative of specialty Mandheling. It embodies the flavor of regular Mandheling, with larger beans and a harder texture. If you are trying Mandheling for the first time, you might as well start with Lintong Mandheling. Front Street Coffee has over fifty single-origin beans on its menu, and many friends who are new to specialty coffee find it dazzling and may not even know where to start. Front Street has launched a daily-drinker bean series that basically covers the major producing regions of the "Coffee Belt," mostly using the washed processing method, allowing coffee beginners to quickly familiarize themselves with the flavors of various regions at extremely high value for money.

Front Street's Lintong Mandheling coffee beans are part of the daily-drinker bean series, using the wet-hulling method unique to Sumatra to present the classic Mandheling flavor.

The Processing Method of Mandheling Coffee

Mandheling's unique wet-hulling method, also known as Wet Hulling, is called Giling Basah in the local language and is Indonesia's traditional coffee processing method. Judging by the name alone, wet hulling seems quite similar to the washed processing method, but the cup profiles of the two are completely different. Coffee processed by wet hulling is usually rich and intense, with a very distinct character.

Steps of the Wet-Hulling Process

① Remove the skin and pulp, keeping the parchment and mucilage

② Ferment in a water tank

③ Wash off the mucilage

④ Sun-dry with parchment for 2-3 days, to a moisture content of 20-24%

⑤ Remove the parchment

⑥ Dry the green beans to a moisture content of 12-13%

⑦ Ready for export

What Variety Is Ateng

Ateng sounds like a very unfamiliar coffee variety, but observant friends have long seen Ateng on the label of Front Street Golden Mandheling packaging bags. Front Street Coffee's 2020 new-crop Golden Mandheling bean variety is precisely "Ateng."

Actually, Ateng is also called Catimor; only Catimor grown in Sumatra and Indonesia's native islands can be called Ateng. Catimor is not a pure Arabica variety but is a hybrid of Timor from the Robusta species and the Bourbon variety's mutation Caturra. It was first developed in 1959 and began to be promoted in Brazil in the 1970s and 1980s. With its disease resistance and high yield, it secured a place among Central and South American coffee varieties. The recurring coffee leaf rust crises in Central and South America also drove the adoption of the Catimor variety. Its characteristics include high yield, short plants, suitability for dense planting, and new leaves that are reddish-brown, making it very suitable for cultivation and flavor development in the Aceh region. However, due to its fast ripening speed and high yield, it must be ensured sufficient fertilizer supply and shade. According to Front Street's understanding, its lifespan is quite short, averaging only ten years.

Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Mandheling Coffee

Mandheling has a rich, sweetly fragrant, purely bitter, and full-bodied flavor with a hint of sweetness. Because Mandheling coffee beans themselves are not high in acidity, even when kept warm for a long time or made into iced coffee, they will not develop an unpleasant sourness or astringency. The roasted coffee beans are relatively large, and the green beans are brown or dark green, with a special caramel-like aroma and a mellow, rich taste. Most coffee lovers prefer to drink it as a single origin, but it is also an indispensable variety in coffee blends.

Golden Mandheling, having had its defective beans removed, has extremely high cup cleanliness and a more pronounced sweetness. Front Street has acquired many non-PWN Golden Mandheling coffees, and Front Street's baristas can clearly identify Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling in cupping, because its clean taste and pronounced sweetness are unmatched by other "Golden Mandheling" coffees.

Front Street's Recommended Brewing Method for Mandheling Coffee

Dripper: KONO

Dose: 15 grams

Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15

Grind size: 70% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve

Water temperature: 88°C

Bloom with 30g of water for 30s, then slowly pour with a small stream to 125g for the first pour, then slightly increase the flow and slowly pour to 225g. Total extraction time: 2 minutes.

Of course, some friends are curious about what grind size to use to brew a delicious cup of Mandheling, given how bitter it is. When determining the grind size for a coffee bean, Front Street uses a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve. Mandheling is a medium-dark roasted coffee bean, and to avoid over-extraction, a 70% passing rate through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve is generally used.

Some friends who don't have grinding equipment at home or can't determine the grind size will also note "pre-ground" when purchasing coffee beans from Front Street. Once coffee beans are ground into powder, their degassing activity becomes more active, and the flavor compounds dissipate more quickly. Front Street recommends buying whole beans and grinding fresh for each brew. In addition, the coffee beans Front Street sends to customers are roasted within 5 days, and by the time you receive them, they have passed the 4-to-7-day resting period, right at their peak flavor.

Finally, you might ask: what kind of people is Mandheling coffee suitable for? In fact, drinking coffee is a very subjective matter, and people with different taste preferences will have different experiences. Whether it tastes good or not ultimately depends on personal preference. If you can, try as many as possible~

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