What Sets Golden Mandheling Coffee Apart?
Golden Mandheling is a PWN-branded Sumatra coffee, and the difference from ordinary Mandheling lies mainly in sourcing, selection and grading rather than a separate species. It suits drinkers who want a low-acid, heavy-bodied cup. Common flavor notes are herbal and earthy with dark chocolate and a syrupy body, and it holds up well in milk drinks.
Mandheling takes its name from an ethnic group in the Lintong area of Aceh, Indonesia, with two competing origin stories. Beans from this coffee producing region are wet-hulled, a process that lowers acidity and builds body. Roast curves are usually taken to a medium-dark level, and brewing favors slightly lower water temperatures.
People who like rich coffee without acidity have mostly heard of Mandheling. And among Indonesian coffees, PWN's Golden Mandheling attracts even more attention. What exactly is the difference between it and ordinary Mandheling? This article starts with common ordering scenarios at Front Street Coffee stores, sorts out the two theories about the origin of the name Mandheling, introduces PWN's company background and how to identify Golden Mandheling, and takes a deeper look at the Sumatra producing region, the wet-hulling process, roasting curves, and cupping performance. Finally, it includes Front Street Coffee's brewing suggestions and flavor description to help you fully understand the uniqueness of this bean.
At Front Street stores, customers often say directly as soon as they walk in: they want coffee that is not acidic and tastes stronger. In this situation, Front Street Coffee baristas usually recommend two directions: Brazil or Mandheling. If it is further explained that Brazil brings out a slight acidity after the temperature drops, those who truly prefer heavy flavors often choose Mandheling without hesitation. At the same time, many people become curious about the Golden Mandheling listed in the first row of Indonesian coffees on Front Street's bean list: what exactly is Golden Mandheling coffee? And how is it different from ordinary Mandheling?
Front Street Coffee has always taken sharing specialty coffee and coffee knowledge as its mission, so let's now talk about the differences between Golden Mandheling and ordinary Mandheling.
What is Mandheling?
The origin of the name Mandheling is quite special. It was originally the name of an ethnic group in the Lintong area of Aceh Province, Indonesia. After checking materials, Front Street Coffee found that there are two explanations for the origin of Mandheling.
The first theory: during World War II, when Japan colonized Indonesia, a Japanese soldier drank a very delicious coffee locally. In its early days, PWN had rubber plantations on the island of Sumatra and specifically collected rubber sap as raw material for export to Japan. Later, this soldier had a need for coffee raw materials and asked PWN to purchase the best coffee beans from Indonesian producing regions. The person in charge of PWN then traveled through many producing areas and collected a large number of high-quality coffee beans to send to Japan for tasting. One of them particularly captivated the Japanese, who asked what coffee this was. The person in charge of PWN originally wanted to explain that this coffee came from near Mandailing in the production area of its rubber department, but because it was inconvenient to disclose the commercial source, he casually said the name "Mandheling." After that, PWN gradually entered the green coffee raw material market.
The second theory is: at the time, a Japanese officer asked the shopkeeper what the coffee he was drinking was called, and the shopkeeper mistakenly thought the other person was asking about his own origin, so he answered "Mandailing." Because the Japanese officer did not pronounce it accurately, he read "Mandailing" as "Mandheling," and the name Mandheling spread in this way. After that Japanese officer returned home, he could not forget Indonesian coffee, so he entrusted a local Indonesian trader to find green coffee beans, and this green bean trader was the founder of what is now the famous PWN company. Front Street believes that no matter how the details of the story differ, at least three keywords can be drawn from these two small stories: Mandailing, Japanese, and PWN company. Around these three points, we will expand the discussion below.
PWN Golden Mandheling
As mentioned earlier, PWN is Indonesia's most well-known green coffee purchasing company, and the highest-quality Golden Mandheling coffee beans are often all bought up by PWN. At the same time, PWN has registered Golden Mandheling as a trademark, so only Golden Mandheling produced by PWN is considered authentic. In Japan, there is also a brand called Ding Shang Golden Mandheling. So how do you judge whether Golden Mandheling is genuine or fake? Front Street believes there are mainly two methods: green bean burlap sacks printed with the PWN logo, and the factory certificate for Golden Mandheling.
PAWANI (PWN) was founded in 1958 by an overseas Chinese family from Quanzhou, Fujian. It is located in Medan, an important port on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and is a trading company engaged in export business. It began export operations in 1957, dealing in products such as rubber, cassia seed, cloves, and patchouli oil, and of course also exporting Sumatra coffee beans to Japan. As a long-established coffee bean exporter, PAWANI's Mandheling was first exported to Japan, and the Japanese attached great importance to this coffee, so they had extremely strict quality requirements. The coffee beans are all hand-picked and processed, then manually selected four times, giving them a classic, unique, heavy and intense mouthfeel, as well as a highly concentrated aroma.
Characteristics of Golden Mandheling coffee beans
Unlike ordinary Mandheling, Golden Mandheling coffee beans have a smooth, fresh green appearance and are perfectly polished, while most Mandheling coffee has a mottled exterior.
Mandheling coffee producing regions
In Sumatra, Indonesia, famous coffee producing regions include the GAYO mountains (that is, the Aceh producing region), Lintong (the Lintong producing region), and Sidikalang. Lintong Mandheling comes from beside LAKE TOBA, a famous tourist area in Sumatra, where the altitude is 1,400-1,800 meters and the varieties are Jember, Garundang Typica, and Ateng.
In recent years, Mandheling from the Lintong area has also begun to be further subdivided, and some Mandheling named after regions has begun to appear on the market (for example: Sidikalang, abbreviated as SDK Mandheling). The meaning of the Lintong area has also gradually narrowed to become the producing area near Lintongnihuta, while Lintong Mandheling often represents Mandheling coffee.
Golden Mandheling is mainly produced in Sidikalang, Sumatra, adjacent to Lake Toba, at an altitude of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. But it is worth noting that starting with the new crop season in 2020, Golden Mandheling has been produced in the high mountain production area of GAYO by Lake Tawar in the more northern province of Aceh, and the bean variety has also changed from the original Typica to Ateng (the local Indonesian name for Catimor).
Mandheling's unique processing method: wet-hulled process
The climate of Sumatra is humid, while the three traditional major coffee bean processing methods—natural, washed, and honey—all have very high requirements for sunlight conditions. Therefore, local coffee producers adapted to local conditions and invented this unique production method.
1. Remove the skin and pulp, retaining 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. Prepare for export
Roasting analysis of Golden Mandheling and Lintong Mandheling
Front Street Coffee PWN Golden Mandheling coffee bean roasting curve
Front Street Coffee Lintong Mandheling coffee bean roasting curve
Golden Mandheling is a green bean with relatively high moisture, and there is a relatively large deviation in moisture compared with natural beans, so special attention must be paid during dehydration. For green beans with high moisture content, you can close the damper immediately after charging the beans, soak for 30 seconds, then open it to 3, until the color of the green beans turns light green or white, open the damper to 4, and after first crack open it to 5 (maximum).
Front Street Coffee suggests keeping good data records before roasting, including the coffee beans' moisture content, density, origin, processing method, and the roasting environment temperature and humidity in the roasting room, and planning your roasting curve. During roasting, record the relevant chemical and physical change phenomena. This will all help you better understand the final roasting result and help improve the roasting curve.
Charge when the drum temperature reaches 200°C, set the damper to 3, after 1 minute adjust the heat to 160°C, keep the damper unchanged, roast until 5 minutes 40 seconds at 148°C, when the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, and dehydration is complete, adjust the heat to 140°C and change the damper to 4; at 9 minutes 40 seconds, the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and dark streaks, and the toast aroma clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen clearly to the sound of the first crack point. First crack begins at 9 minutes 54 seconds. Reduce the heat to 60°C and open the damper fully (adjust the heat very carefully, not so low that there is no crackling sound), and discharge at 204.5°C.
Cupping report of Golden Mandheling and Lintong Mandheling
Golden Mandheling tastes cleaner than Lintong Mandheling. The original herbal, earthy, and woody notes of Mandheling are almost gone, but the caramel sweetness is stronger, and the fruity acidity is also brighter and more elegant. Generally, Lintong Mandheling is best dropped after second crack, which can effectively reduce off-flavors, but Golden Mandheling has very good transparency and sweetness whether dropped before or after second crack, and the room for roasting interpretation is wider.
Front Street Coffee brewing analysis
These two Front Street beans, Lintong Mandheling and Golden Mandheling, both use medium-dark roasting. Medium-dark roasted beans generally have a relatively high dehydration rate, so they are relatively light in weight. During brewing, the grounds do not completely sink to the bottom. As soon as water is poured in, it is immediately absorbed. Because degassing is vigorous, there are bubbles all around the grounds, thus creating channels. The fresher the beans, the longer these channels last, causing the water level to drop quickly. I generally use a thick stream of water and slowly go in circles.
Front Street brewing suggestions
Dripper: KONO
Coffee dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Water temperature: 86-88°C
Grind size: medium-coarse (70% passing through a national standard No. 20 sieve)
Front Street Coffee brewing method
For the first pour, use 30 grams of water to bloom for 30 seconds. For the second pour, use a small stream and circle until 125 grams, then pause. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring for the third stage until 225 grams and stop pouring. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Start timing from the beginning of blooming.) Extraction time is 2'00".
Golden Mandheling flavor description: layered and changeable, clean, balanced, with a long-lasting caramel sweetness in the finish
Lintong Mandheling flavor description: herbal and medicinal notes on entry, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet aftertaste
Golden Mandheling tastes cleaner than Lintong Mandheling. The original herbal, earthy, and woody notes of Mandheling are almost gone, but the caramel sweetness is stronger, and the fruity acidity is also brighter and more elegant.
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
