Country: Indonesia
Region: Batak, Aceh
Varietal: Typica, Catimor
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,600 MASL
Cupping Notes: Pipe Tobacco, Malt, Dark Chocolate
Recommended Roast:City to Full City
Good For:Pour Over, Auto Drip, Espresso, Blends

Description: In Sumatra, the second-largest island in the Republic of Indonesia, Mandheling coffees are grown on the lofty, volcanic slopes of Mount Leuser, near the port of Padang in west-central Sumatra. Mandheling coffee also comes from Aceh in the north, near lake Laut Tawar. The name doesn’t reference a place, however, but rather honors the Mandailing people, an ethnic group in the Batak area who go by this second spelling.

Giling Basah is the traditional Sumatran method of processing coffee. It involves hulling parchment at roughly 50 percent moisture content, versus the 10 to 12 percent moisture that’s common elsewhere. This unusual practice results in a trademark flavor profile—a light acidity, lingering richness, and earthy/spicy and chocolate notes.