How does wet-hulling shape Golden Mandheling coffee flavor?

Sumatra Mandheling coffee splits drinkers into two camps, and the reason sits in processing. Farmers hull the beans while they are still semi-dry and semi-wet in the parchment, a local method called Giling Basah, or wet-hulling. That early hulling raises the risk of damage to the green beans but gives the cup its herbal, spicy, and woody jungle notes and a viscous, full body.

PWN Golden Mandheling goes further with G1 grade screening and three rounds of hand sorting, which sharpens cleanliness and sweetness compared with standard Mandheling. Both are medium-dark roasted, so they work for pour-over as well as moka pot and SOE. The wet-hulled profile and the moka pot method reinforce each other, concentrating that heavy body and low acidity in the cup.

Sumatra Mandheling coffee, with its unique flavor, presents a sharp polarization among coffee enthusiasts. The formation of this distinctive flavor is inseparable from the local unique wet-hulling process—hulling the beans prematurely while they are still semi-dry and semi-wet in their parchment. Although this increases the risk of damage to the green beans, it unexpectedly endows the coffee with herbal, spicy, and woody jungle notes. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the specific wet-hulling process and recommend two products: Front Street Indonesian Mandheling and Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling. The latter undergoes G1 grade screening and three rounds of hand sorting, resulting in more prominent cleanliness and sweetness. Both coffees are medium-dark roasted, suitable not only for pour-over but also for making moka pot coffee and SOE. Detailed moka pot operating steps will be included in the article.

People's acceptance of Sumatra coffee flavors often tends toward two extremes. Those who prefer acidic coffee typically do not turn their attention to this region, while coffee enthusiasts who are more averse to acidity will favor it greatly. The key reason Mandheling coffee can form such a unique flavor lies in the post-processing method used for the local green coffee beans.

Sumatra experiences frequent rainfall, and given the relatively limited local economic conditions, coffee farmers generally adopt a special semi-washed processing method. In the local language, the term "Giling Basah" is used to refer to this processing technique known as wet-hulling. Wet-hulling precisely imparts to Sumatra Mandheling coffee a more viscous, full-bodied mouthfeel and a distinctive flavor. Mandheling coffee is widely known for its unique flavor, and wet-hulling has likewise gained fame because of Mandheling coffee—the two form a mutually reinforcing relationship.

After the coffee cherries are harvested, farmers remove the skin and pulp by machine on the same day, then place the mucilage-covered parchment beans into a water tank to ferment overnight. The next day, clean water is introduced for stirring, washing away the outer pectin layer as thoroughly as possible. The parchment beans are then scooped out and spread evenly for drying. When the parchment beans are in a semi-wet, semi-dry state, they are bagged and sold to nearby green coffee processing stations.

After purchasing these parchment beans, the green coffee processing stations, in order to speed up the drying process, first remove the parchment layer by machine, fully exposing the green coffee beans, and then send them for drying. Once the moisture content of the green beans drops to around 13%, they can be collected for storage.

What distinguishes wet-hulling from many other green coffee post-processing methods is that it removes the parchment layer before the final drying step. Hulling while the parchment beans are still semi-dry and semi-wet carries considerable risk; for example, the green coffee beans may be damaged as a result, and the exposure of green beans to humid air can further affect the drying outcome.

Yet it is precisely this processing method that, by a twist of fate, gives the coffee herbal, spicy, and woody jungle notes, and creates the impressive Mandheling flavor. If you haven't tried it yet, you might as well purchase Front Street Indonesian Mandheling. The medium-dark roast not only preserves that mysterious note but also, through a series of caramelization reactions, brings out flavors of dark chocolate, spices, toast, and nuts—very suitable for beginners who dislike acidity.

But if you are already an advanced taster hoping to experience a higher-grade premium Mandheling, then you must purchase Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling coffee, which can be ordered from the Front Street Tmall flagship store. Unlike other regular Mandheling, PWN's Golden Mandheling, after machine screening to select the highest grade G1 beans with beautiful appearance, large size, and high density, undergoes three rounds of hand sorting and one round of machine screening to ensure defective beans are completely removed, thereby greatly enhancing the cleanliness and sweetness of the Mandheling coffee.

Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling

Region: Gayo Mountain, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Altitude: 1,100m–1,600m

Variety: Ateng

Grade: G1, 3 times hand-sorted

Processing method: Wet-hulled

Because Golden Mandheling's flavor is extremely clean, many veteran coffee connoisseurs are deeply fond of it. Many coffee novices who have only heard its name but never tasted it also wish to see it for themselves. It should be noted that PWN has registered "Golden Mandheling" as a trademark, so only Golden Mandheling produced by PWN can be considered true Golden Mandheling in the real sense.

If you want to know whether the Golden Mandheling you have purchased is from PWN, you can ask the merchant to provide the jute bag of Golden Mandheling green beans printed with the PWN logo and the certificate issued by PWN for verification. The Front Street store displays both of these proofs.

To present the classic Mandheling taste, first, it must not have obvious acidity; second, the mouthfeel must be full-bodied. Therefore, the roast must be medium or above. Both Front Street Indonesian Mandheling and Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling use medium-dark roasting, carrying more caramelized aromas. Besides being a pour-over single-origin black coffee beverage, they can also be used to make moka pot coffee and SOE coffee.

Making a delicious cup of moka pot coffee with Front Street Golden Mandheling is very simple—just follow the steps below:

First, weigh 30g of coffee beans and grind them into powder. For the coarseness, you can refer to the picture (coarser than espresso powder, but much finer than the granulated sugar particles used for pour-over coffee).

Fill the lower chamber with cold water (hot water would scald your hands), then place the filter basket into the lower chamber. Cup your hand around the filter basket to form a ring, fill the basket with grounds until a small mound rises in the center; after the grounds around it have filled the gaps in the basket, directly press on the upper chamber and tighten it.

Then place it on an electric ceramic stove to heat (a gas stove works too). When you hear a "whooshing" sound, it means the coffee liquid is starting to surge up. At this point, simply turn off the heat and wait for the coffee liquid to finish rising.

Freshly brewed moka pot coffee has a layer of golden crema on the surface, and can be diluted with a certain proportion of hot water or milk before drinking.

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