When it comes to coffee blends, we have to talk about a classic combination - Front Street Blend 100% Arabica Mamba Coffee! As the name suggests, Mamba coffee is a blend of Indonesian Mandheling and Brazilian coffee. In order to try out what Mamba coffee blend feels like and why it has become such a classic coffee blend, we decided to try it with [Front Street Lindong Mandheling] and [Front Street Brazilian Red Bourbon]!
【Lin Dong Mandheling】
In the mid-17th century, coffee trees were introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch. Indonesia exported 300,000 tons last year and is the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world. About 75,000 tons are Arabica coffee. Ninety percent of this coffee is grown by small tenant farmers on farmland of one hectare or less.
The main coffee producing areas in Indonesia are Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, among which the "Mandheling" produced in Sumatra is the most famous. Lake Tawa at the northern end can be called Aceh coffee or Lake Tawa coffee, and the area between Lindong and Lake Toba can be called Mandheling. There are eight provinces in total, but only two of them plant a lot of coffee - Aceh and Subei. The most representative coffee-producing areas in these two provinces are the Gayo mountains surrounding Lake Tawar in Aceh, where coffee is grown by the local aboriginal Gayo people. Coffee in Northern Jiangsu Province is grown around Lake Toba. This lake is very large and is the largest volcanic lake in the world. The Mandheling produced by Lake Tawa and Lake Toba is the famous [Two Lakes and Two Manns]. To the south of Lake Toba is the Lintong production area.
sumatra【Planting environment】
Lindong Mandheling grows in the Michael Mountains at an altitude of 1000-1500 meters. There are many volcanoes and numerous volcanic lakes in its territory. The most famous coffee growing area is located in the freshwater lake Lake Lawar. The fresh soil comes from volcanic soil and is a primitive brown ash material mixed with a considerable amount of organic matter. Coupled with the local tropical rainforest climate and abundant rainfall all year round, it provides the most suitable geographical and climatic environment for coffee growth.
[Wet planing method]
The reason why the flavor of Mandheling is mellow and strong, and its personality is very distinct, is inseparable from a unique Indonesian processing method [wet planing method]. Drying coffee takes an average of 2-3 weeks, because the humidity in Indonesia is between 70-90% throughout the year, with constant typhoons and heavy rainfall. In such a humid climate in Indonesia, drying coffee has become a big problem. At the same time, farmers are pursuing more efficient economic returns. It is obviously different from the washing method. The peel and pulp are removed, and the parchment paper and mucous membrane are left to ferment in the pool. The mucous membrane is then washed away, and the parchment paper is sun-dried for 2-3 days to a moisture content of 20-24%. Planing off the parchment paper will remove the parchment paper for the final step. One-step drying, in this way, the sunlight will directly hit the surface of the green beans, making the green coffee beans dry quickly, which is 2-3 times faster than the washing process, so the beans will be easier to be squeezed, forming small gaps. This is what we often call horseshoe or sheep's hoof beans. Therefore, you will often see feta beans in Mandheling, but these are not defective beans, but caused by the processing method.
【Flavour】
Sweet herbs, cinnamon spices, orange and grapefruit peel notes, mellow and rich sweetness, buttery walnut chocolate. The fruit acid is restrained and soft, with a strong melon aroma in the aroma. As the temperature decreases, the herbal aroma comes out, with a hint of spice, and the herbal aroma is mellow and rich in sweetness.
【Brazilian Red Bourbon】
The Brazilian red bourbon we chose comes from the earliest production area of Brazilian coffee - the hills of South Minas with an altitude of 700m-1200m.
Brazil's coffee growing areas are mainly based on two types of terrain, one is the Brazilian plateau with an altitude of more than 500 meters, and the other is the Brazilian plain with an altitude of less than 200 meters. The main cultivated and well-known variety is bourbon (including yellow bourbon, red bourbon, and flat bean Santos). The taste of Brazilian coffee is mainly characterized by low acidity, nutty flavor, balance, and moderate body. In the world of specialty coffee, Brazilian coffee is not outstanding, but it is often used as a blending variety in Italian coffee. Because of its high balance, it is often used by merchants as Blue Mountain flavor beans.
【Processing method】
This bean is processed using the semi-sun drying method.
After picking the coffee cherries, the immature fruits and foreign matter are removed through the water tank, the outer skin and part of the pulp are removed, and then the mucous membrane is removed using a pectin removal machine. Removing the mucous membrane reduces the required sun drying time and reduces the risk of fermentation. This method is mostly used when climate conditions are less than ideal. If the air humidity is high, the climate is warm, or there is rainfall, there is a risk of mold damage during the drying process. Therefore, most of Brazil's washed beans for commercial trade are processed using the semi-sun drying method.
【Flavour】
High in sweetness, clean, smooth and low in acidity.
[Lindong Mandheling] and [Brazilian Red Bourbon] are both medium-dark roasted. We blend these two beans together in a 1:1 ratio.
【Brew Recommendations】
Supercharged Italian coffee usually uses blended beans as raw materials. This time, in order to highlight the caramel, dark chocolate, nuts, and cocoa adjustability of Front Street’s classic blend, we will combine Front Street Mandheling coffee and Front Street Red Bourbon coffee, and present them with dark roasting. At the same time, in order to make your latte art more exquisite, we add a small amount of robusta to make the oil richer and more delicate.
Coffee beans: Front Street classic Italian blend
Origin: Brazil·Ceradoes+Indonesia·Mandheling+Vietnam.Robusta
Amount of coffee powder: 20g
Coffee liquid volume: 40g
Powder to liquid ratio: 1:2
Extraction time: 26~32 seconds
Grinding scale: Galileo 2.0 grid
espresso extraction
The coffee machine used by Front Street has a double powder bowl capacity, and the amount of powder is about 18 to 20 grams. Here we use 20 grams of Front Street Classic Blend coffee powder, and the extraction ratio is 1:2, that is, 20 grams of coffee powder extracts 40 grams of coffee liquid. The time is related to the flow rate of the coffee powder. Generally, the duration of a single extraction is controlled between 20 and 35 seconds, because within 20 seconds, the coffee tastes easy to be thin, and if it exceeds 35 seconds, it is easy to over-extract and produce a burnt and bitter taste. Most of the concentrates in the front end are in the range of 28 to 30 seconds.
Before extraction, you need to dry the powder bowl first, turn on the grinder, grind out a double amount of coffee powder, place it on the electronic scale and increase or decrease it to reach a weight of 20 grams. Then use a powder spreader to spread the coffee powder, and press the powder tamper vertically downward to fill the coffee powder cake tightly to ensure more stable coffee extraction.
Then turn on the extraction switch and let in water for 1 to 2 seconds to moisten the brewing head and take away the coffee grounds stuck on it. Place an electronic scale under the cup where the Espresso is connected, return the weight to 0, and place it under the brewing head during extraction.
Gently snap the handle onto the brewing head and start turning down the extraction switch. Observe the changes in the extraction liquid. When the electronic scale shows that 40 grams of coffee liquid has been extracted, and the time is about 30 seconds, pull down the extraction switch. The brewing parameters will change subtly based on the daily air humidity and the state of the coffee beans, so the amount of coffee powder, scale, and extraction amount of coffee liquid need to be adjusted up or down.
In order to experience the rich taste of Mamba blend, Front Street decided to combine espresso with whipped milk to make a cup of latte. Front Street will use double concentrate (about 40g) as the base, and then whip 240ml of fresh milk until it is warm, with 0.5cm thick milk foam, and then evenly blend it with the Italian concentrate to outline a beautiful pattern.
The mamba latte produced in this way has a rich aroma of chocolate, cream, and cookies, and is smooth and mellow in the mouth. After drinking, the sweetness of caramel remains in the mouth, making people unable to help but take a second sip. It is full of flavor. Since the taste of latte is more compatible, we can also add different flavoring accessories according to our own taste when making it to make the coffee more layered.
Of course, in addition to the selection of coffee beans and production details, if you want to restore the traditional mamba flavor, you must use fresh coffee beans. Different from other foods, roasted coffee beans will continue to emit gas, and the aroma is fullest during the tasting stage. When the roasting date exceeds 50 days, the internal gas has dissipated and little aroma remains. Therefore, it is recommended to buy fresh coffee beans from a roaster with quality assurance. We recommend Front Street Coffee, an old brand in Guangzhou.
Front Street Coffee beans are all freshly roasted within 5 days and support 24-hour delivery. They have a variety of flavor options, high cost performance and stable quality. Whether you are a novice or an advanced player, you can find the right fresh coffee here.
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
