Sumatran Mandheling is one of those coffees that we have not stocked for quite a few years, in fact probably close to a decade, and yet it is a wonderful coffee. I love it because it responds well to dark roasting, bringing out the oils and giving it a full body whilst still being smooth, I really can’t fault it. The Catimor and Typica varieties are grown between 750 and 1500 meters in the Batak region of West-Central Sumatra. The cherries are wet-hulled, a method of washing the dried husk of the cherry in hot water, and then sun drying them. The name Mandheling comes from a misunderstanding by some of the first purchasers of this coffee and actually was a name referring to the people of the North of the island, the Mandailing, who are a traditional cultural group and distinct ethnic minority.
