In the world of coffee, not everyone pursues floral and fruity aromas and bright acidity. There are a large number of coffee lovers who always love the classic flavor of mellow, warm and calm. Among the mellow faction, Mandheling and Blue Mountain are two unavoidable names - they are both famous for being "not sour, mellow and drinkable", but their styles are completely different. Let’s talk about these two classics today and see which one is more suitable for you.
Production area and variety: Indonesian wet planing vs Jamaican washed
Mandheling is produced in Sumatra, Indonesia, and its main growing areas are in the northern provinces of Aceh and Subei. The coffee here is processed using a unique "wet planing method" - because the rainy season in Sumatra overlaps with the coffee fruit maturity period, growers will first remove the peel and pulp, and then use a machine to remove the parchment in a semi-dry and semi-wet state to speed up the drying process. This processing method creates Mandheling’s characteristic rich aroma, rich taste and unique earthy herbal flavor.
Blue Mountain coffee is produced in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The highest peak is 2,256 meters above sea level and is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. The large temperature difference between day and night brought by the high altitude allows the coffee cherries to have a longer ripening cycle. The volcanic soil provides rich nutrients, and the sufficient and even rainfall allows the coffee cherries to slowly accumulate sugar. Blue Mountain coffee uses traditional washing processing, with a clean and balanced flavor, which is synonymous with "balanced beauty".
Front Street PWN Gold Mandheling: Power and mellowness
Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling is produced by the Indonesian PWN company. It uses large-grained beans with a mesh size of 18 or more. There are less than 3 defective beans per 300 grams of raw beans, reaching the G1 grade, and has been hand-selected three times - this is a very strict standard in Mandheling.
After brewing, you can feel the rich flavor of dark chocolate, herbs and spices, accompanied by Mandheling's unique woody tone and light earthy aroma. The taste is thick and full, with a long finish and very low acidity. Front Street uses a dark roast, which further enhances the richness and bitter-sweet layers. For those who don’t like sour flavors and prefer a strong style, Mandheling is almost a classic choice that can’t go wrong.
Brewing recommendations: For Moka pot, grind slightly finer than hand brewing, add hot water to the pot, and heat over medium to low heat; for hand brewing, the recommended powder to water ratio is 1:14, the water temperature is 88-90 degrees, and medium to coarse grinding. The Mandheling brewed in the Moka pot is stronger, while the manual brewing can show more layer changes.
Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain One: Balance and Delicacy
If Mandheling is a powerful type of mellowness, Blue Mountain is a balanced type of mellowness. Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 comes from Clifton Manor and is the Blue Mountain No. 1 grade - one of the highest grades of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. It has strict standards for bean size and defect rate.
The charm of Blue Mountain Coffee is that it has "no obvious shortcomings." It does not have strong acidity like African coffee, nor does it bring heavy bitterness like dark roasted coffee. Instead, it achieves an excellent balance between sour, sweet, bitter and fragrant. After brewing, you can feel the complex flavor of cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts, honey and slight fruity tones. It has a smooth and round entrance, rich sweetness in the middle, and a clean and long finish.
Front Street uses a medium-dark roast, retaining the classic balanced character of Blue Mountain. Brewing recommendations: hand brewing powder to water ratio 1:15-1:16, water temperature 85-88 degrees, medium-coarse grinding to highlight the creamy caramel and nutty flavor; Moka pot grinding slightly finer than hand brewing, heating over medium to low heat to enhance the chocolate caramel flavor and make the taste thicker and fuller.
The core differences between the two beans
style positioning: Mandheling is "epee without edge" - rich, direct and impactful, suitable for people who like strong taste; Blue Mountain is "warm as jade" - balanced, delicate and rich in layers, suitable for people who like mild balance.
degree of pain: The bitterness of Mandheling is more obvious, but a good Mandheling is bitter and sweet with a long-lasting sweetness; the bitterness of Blue Mountain is very slight and can hardly be felt, and it is more sweet and mellow.
Flavor direction: Mandheling is more dark chocolate, herbs, wood, and spices; Blue Mountain is more cream, caramel, nuts, and honey. The former is deep and the latter is gentle.
price range: Golden Mandheling is moderately priced and is a good choice for daily ration beans; Blue Mountain No. 1 is more expensive and is more of a choice for tastings or gifts.
How to choose? Depends on your taste preference
If you like strong, direct and powerful coffee, and your coffee must be "tasteful", choose Qian Street PWN Golden Mandheling. Its mellow and herbal woody tone, when paired with a Moka pot, is a cup of heavy-flavored coffee that can make people calm down.
If you like a mild, balanced and delicate taste, not too bitter or too sour, choose Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1. Its sense of balance can satisfy almost everyone, and it is a classic choice that "cannot go wrong".
Of course, if the budget allows, it would be most enjoyable to buy both for comparison and tasting. The same brewing parameters, the same powder-to-water ratio, one cup of Mandheling and one cup of Blue Mountain, you can experience two completely different "mellownesses" - one warm and deep, the other gentle and elegant. This is the richness and charm of the coffee world.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
