万圣节将至，星巴克在国内首度推出「南瓜芝士派风味拿铁」及星冰乐两款限定饮品，引发粉丝热议。海外经典Pumpkin Spice Latte的忠实爱好者原本满心期待，却有不少人尝鲜后直言失望——既缺南瓜味，也少芝士感，更因少了肉桂粉而被指失去“灵魂”。不过也有观点认为，品牌或为迎合本土口味做了调整。本文将带你了解这款节日新品的真实反响，以及它与此前海外限定饮品之间的差异。 [more…]

Indonesia has been on the coffee-planting path since the Dutch started it in the 17th century, and to this day Indonesia's coffee enjoys a pivotal position internationally. But if you were to ask which Indonesian specialty coffee is the most famous, many people would probably think of Sumatra Mandheling. So what exactly is Mandheling? Does it taste good? How do you choose a high-value [more…]

Compared to other conventional processing methods, anaerobically processed coffee beans usually have a more intense and more distinctive flavor (for the most part), because their fermentation tends to go a bit deeper. For example, the Front Street 90+ Eleta on the Front Street Coffee menu has obvious notes of longan, spice, and citrus. [more…]

If you like coffee that is heavy, low in acidity, and intensely flavorful, Indonesian Golden Mandheling is almost a name you cannot avoid. Its dark chocolate, herbal, spice, and faint earthy notes after dark roasting make many veteran coffee drinkers hooked from the very first sip. The uniqueness of the Mandheling producing region—Mandheling comes from the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. [more…]

The origin of Mandheling coffee can be traced to the fact that many single-origin coffees that can be named are generally named after the coffee bean's producing region, place name, variety, or the name of the green bean processor, but the naming of "Mandheling" is rather special, and it begins with a story of misunderstanding. During World War II, the Japanese army [more…]

The darker the coffee is roasted, the more the acids in the coffee are destroyed, replaced by more caramel flavors, smoky notes, and bitterness. Correspondingly, the coffee tastes fuller-bodied and thicker, and Mandheling is one of the most famous examples. Deep-roasted Mandheling coffee not only has unique spices, herbs, [more…]

Coffee lovers often enjoy dining out, but after eating out too often, they always think about making a cup of equally rich coffee at home themselves. At times like this, a bag of delicious yet affordable everyday beans can easily eliminate most of the trouble. Today, we'll introduce a few selected good buys that are most worth ordering and repurchasing. All coffee beans come from Guang [more…]

What is specialty coffee? According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), specialty coffee is, in short, coffee obtained through good green beans, good roasting, and good extraction. The so-called "SOE" is actually "Single Origin Esp [more…]

The charm of dark roast coffee beans lies in their full body, deep aroma, and long finish. They often present notes of dark chocolate, roasted nuts, caramel, smoke, or spice, with acidity pushed to the background, making them suitable for pairing with breakfast in the morning or for making rich drinks with milk. If you prefer a solid, smooth coffee with a roasted feel, dark roast will be a good choice. [more…]

“Why is Mandheling coffee so bitter?!” Many friends, when first encountering Mandheling coffee, are always struck by its unique herbal spice notes and rich, intense mouthfeel. But that’s exactly where its charm lies! Although it is bitter, a good Mandheling coffee comes with a very pleasant sweet aftertaste, and its texture is smooth and full. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee) Have you ever 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 make some comparisons in their minds? [more…]

On the journey of learning about specialty coffee, I believe everyone is especially impressed by a colorful ring. It is the SCAA 2016 Coffee Flavor Wheel that has tormented you countless times. Of course, this is already a "simplified" version; the first edition of the flavor wheel in 1995 had two, one on the front. [more…]

Mandheling is well-suited for showcasing the steady, full-bodied side of a moka pot. It mainly comes from producing regions such as Sumatra in Indonesia, and its common flavors include dark chocolate, spices, wood, herbs, and black sugar. Its acidity is usually softer, and it has a noticeably weighty mouthfeel. The coffee brewed by a moka pot is more concentrated, which can bring out these [more…]

Colombia is one of the few single-origin coffee-producing countries that sells worldwide under its national name, and the complex terrain along its Andes Mountains has created a flavor spectrum from north to south, each with its own character. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee's bean selection, this article sorts out the flavor differences among Colombia's three major growing regions—northern, central, and southern—with a focus on the dark chocolate and caramel notes of Huila's everyday drinking beans, and an in-depth analysis of Finca El Paraiso Sakura, a double anaerobic washed bean with its unique spice aroma and strawberry jam finish. At the end, it includes the V60 pour-over parameters and staged pouring steps used by Front Street Coffee baristas, helping enthusiasts reproduce at home this cup of Colombian flavor that combines floral and fruity acidity with a full-bodied mouthfeel. [more…]

From bean to cup, a coffee must still go through grinding and extraction. With dark-roasted beans, your day-to-day buying decisions need to take into account how quickly you'll drink them, how much to buy at a time, and whether your home setup mainly makes black coffee or milk coffee. First confirm your usual equipment and the taste you enjoy, then compare specific beans—your practical choices will have clearer direction. Dark-roasted beans' [more…]

What is specialty coffee? In the past, people's impression of coffee was nothing more than bitterness, a flavor characteristic caused by dark roasting. As times changed, coffee culture also evolved into the third wave trend of medium and light roasting, among which a new term emerged—specialty coffee. A simple definition of specialty coffee is [more…]

When it comes to sun-dried coffee beans, start by thinking about how you'll be drinking them every day. For everyday bean purchases, you need to consider how quickly you'll go through them, how much to buy at a time, and whether you mainly make black coffee or milk coffee at home. If you mostly drink black coffee, you can pay more attention to aroma and aftertaste; if you often add milk, then you need to consider whether the intensity and body can hold up, which will directly [more…]

When it comes to SOE single-origin coffee, start by looking at how you plan to drink it every day. For everyday bean buying, you need to consider how quickly you'll go through them, how much to buy at a time, and whether you mainly make black coffee or milk coffee at home. If you mostly drink black coffee, you can pay more attention to aroma and aftertaste; if you often add milk, then you need to consider whether the intensity and body can hold up. This [more…]

Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling coffee beans have been renowned for over half a century since the 1960s. Front Street Mandheling coffee is characterized by its unique bitterness that highlights its most distinctive sweetness, much like the bittersweet experiences of life. At Front Street, I once heard a friend use this idiom to describe the experience of drinking Front Street Mandheling coffee. [more…]

When selecting coffee beans for opening a shop, you can set the complex information aside for now. For everyday bean purchases, you need to consider how quickly you'll drink them, how much to buy at once, and whether your home mainly makes black coffee or milk coffee. Start with these two sets of differences—light versus rich, and black coffee versus milk coffee—then look at the roast date and processing method, and your judgment will be more in tune with daily life. [more…]