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I wonder if you've noticed that beginners often find Mandheling very bitter, and espresso also very bitter, so sometimes they even think the two should taste the same, or they may have a slight comparison in mind: which is more bitter, Mandheling or espresso? Can Mandheling be used to make SOE?

What is Mandheling coffee? What is espresso?
 

Let's briefly understand the differences between these two types of coffee beans.

Mandheling coffee is essentially one type of single-origin coffee bean. So-called single-origin coffee refers to coffee beans of a single variety or from a single origin.Mandheling coffee has a very rich flavor—aromatic, bitter, full-bodied, with a slight sweetness. The mouthfeel is rich and solid, with a pleasant acidity. The aroma is mellow, the acidity is moderate, and the sweetness is abundant and memorable. It is suitable for deep roasting, giving off a rich fragrance. Front Street Mandheling has always expressed its most unique sweetness through its most unique bitterness.

The notable forms of espresso areespresso and Americano, as well ascoffee with milk, such as cappuccino, latte, and mocha; the brewing equipment is the semi-automatic espresso machine often seen on café counters.
 

A semi-automatic espresso machine uses high temperature and high pressure (hot water at 90.5–96°C and about 9 bar of pressure) to dissolve out the essence in just 20–30 seconds (similar to the principle of a pressure cooker). The resulting coffee liquid is generally two to three times the amount of coffee grounds used, and this is espresso.

Although espresso has a strong bitterness when it first enters the mouth, if you taste carefully, you can still distinguish the unique aroma of coffee, and at the same time there is a strong sweet aftertaste. This unique rich crema aroma is something pour-over coffee cannot possess. The Americano, latte, cappuccino, caramel macchiato, and various other fancy coffees you usually see are actually also evolved from espresso by using different proportions of milk and milk foam, and then adding various flavored syrups.

This gives rise to a question: can single-origin coffee beans be used to make espresso?

The answer is: yes.

Espresso made from single-origin coffee beans is called "Single Origin Espresso," originally known as Single Origin Espresso, which is what everyone knows as SOE.If Mandheling is used to make espresso, then the resulting espresso is Mandheling SOE. Because Mandheling has strong herbal and caramel flavors, the espresso will also carry obvious dark chocolate roasted aroma and bittersweet notes.

Of course, with the development of the coffee market, the choice of espresso beans has also begun to diversify, so everyone can purchase according to their own taste and needs. Below, for friends who love Mandheling, and based on the high-selling products of the time-honored self-roasting brand Front Street Coffee, a list of espresso beans has been specially compiled.

1、Front Street Indonesia Mandheling SOE Coffee

Mandheling coffee is mostly given a relatively deep roast to weaken the acidity in the coffee, making the mouthfeel fuller and more caramelized, while also carrying herbal, spice, and pine-like muted notes.And Front Street Indonesia Mandheling SOEcomes from the Lintong region of Sumatra and belongs to Indonesia's highest green bean grade, G1. It uses the wet-hulled method and deep roasting, maximizing Mandheling's caramel, spice, nut, and dark chocolate roasted aromas. The SOE espresso made from it has a full-bodied mouthfeel, is rich and low in acidity, and carries moderate crema.

2. Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling SOE Coffee

"Golden Mandheling" is the signature product of the PWN company. Mandheling has strict standards and methods for screening defects, including starting from values such as bean density, specification, shape, and color. The Mandheling produced needs 1 mechanical sorting plus 4 manual hand-sortings to remove defects, ensuring that the resulting Mandheling beans are complete, uniform, large, and translucent, and also reducing Mandheling's earthy and grassy odors. Front Street Golden Mandheling SOEhas notes of licorice and caramel, and tastes of dark chocolate, cocoa, nuts, and spice. Overall it is clean, with obvious sweet aftertaste, and high body.

3. Front Street Classic Espresso Blend 

Most coffee lovers have only heard of Mamba coffee, but do not know the recipe and origin of "Mamba." In fact, Mamba is a blend of Indonesian Mandheling beans plus Brazilian coffee beans. The flavors complement and harmonize with each other. In Taiwan's early coffee shops, Mamba blends were very popular and could be considered an old-school espresso flavor. Front Street Classic Espresso Blend adds robusta to the base of the Mamba recipe, fully enhancing the coffee's crema and making the body of the espresso stronger. It is suitable for home preparation and for latte art.