Sumatra Mandheling Double Picked

Each farm averages about 2 acres with elevations ranging from 4,400 – 4,900 ft above sea level. There are a mix of coffee varieties is this lot of Sumatra Mandheling Double Picked, including Ateng, S795, S288 and TimTim. Both S288 (Selection 288) and S795 (Selection 795) were developed in India and crossed with Kent varietals to improve their resistance to coffee rust. The lot is certified Grade 1 and Double Picked. Traditionally Grade 1 is the best grading of Sumatras, however requests from specialty coffee purveyors looking for even cleaner cups has resulted in the adoption of “Double Picked” and “Triple Picked” certifications to further enhance grading quality. In the cup the Sumatra Mandheling Double Picked is big bodied with muted notes of dark chocolate, a syrupy mouthfeel, and a pleasant lingering finish. Also look for a nice earthy and syrupy aroma at lighter roasts.

When it comes to flavor profile, processing is paramount, and one of the main differences between Sumatra and other origins is just that–—Sumatra (and Sulawesi) growers are the world’s exclusive practitioners of the Semi-Washed / Wet Hulled (or Giling Basah) process. A chief characteristic of the process is the moisture content of the parchment at the point of sale – Washed or Wet Process coffees (which are the most common throughout the world) are pulped, fermented, washed and dried in the parchment until moisture content is reduced to approximately 10-12%, which typically takes about 12-24 hours. Conversely Semi-Washed coffees like this Sumatra Mandheling Double Picked are pulped and dried for only a handful of hours until moisture is somewhere between 25 and 50%. At this point the parchment layer is still intact along with a good portion of the mucilage, causing the beans to be gummy and sticky if not outright slimy to the touch. With regards to flavor, the extra mucilage profoundly alters the cup profile by providing more sweetness and even body. In effect this makes the semi-washed process a sort of mid way point between washed coffees and naturals.

In yet another departure from convention, the drying of semi-washed parchment occurs on natural clay or dirt patios where the beans freely absorb the characteristics and minerality of the soil, which in turn contributes greatly to the classic, earthy profile of the semi-washed. Moreover semi-washed beans appear to have a bluish hue and frequently curly shape when compared to other types of green, due to their unique processing and elevated moisture content. Sumatra and Sulawesi farmers traditionally sell their lots to local collectors who handle storage and shipment to the dry mill where the coffee is ultimately stripped of hull and parchment before being sorted and exported. In this way the farmers are able to receive payment for their crop much more quickly than if they were to use the more typical and time intensive washed/wet process.