Mandheling is the traditional market name for coffee grown in the region around Lake Toba and the northern end of Sumatra.

Sumatra coffee is wet processed using an unusual technique a prolonged three–step drying. The skins are removed using home-made pulping machines immediately after the cherries are picked. They are then left to ferment overnight in woven plastic bags. The fruit pulp is washed off in the morning and placed out on drying sheets or sometimes directly on clay.

The parched skin is then removed by machines at the middle-man’s warehouse and allowed to dry further .

It is then transported to the port city of Medan where it is dried a third time in the exporters facility.

It is not clear how much of the unique character of Mandheling style coffee derives from the soil and climate and how much from the unusual processing techniques to give this coffee deep body and low–toned richness.

Tasting Notes:

Sumatran coffee is very full bodied with aromas of fresh earth and butter. In the cup it displays fruit notes with low acidity. The pungent tones smooth out in a sweetly rich finish.

It has a sweetness that is desirable in espresso blends or as a single origin espresso.

To purchase, Sumatra Mandheling Coffee