Showing posts with label Mandehling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mandehling. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Sumatra - Mandehling Gr. 1 - 5

Indonesia

I just made the final pot of the Mandeling that I had beans for. This pot had a wonderful body and mouth feel as I ground it quite fine. This finer ground seems to have released a really deep flavor that seemed to be dominated by a hint of spiciness but what really stole the show was the body. The richness of the body made this cup more of a meal than a beverage. Yum, yum.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Sumatra - Mandehling Gr. 1 - 4

Indonesia

I made this cup using the one-cup french press. The grounds were a mix of popcorn and stove-top roasted beans. I set the burr grinder to 15 for a coarse ground and only ground 2 cups of grinds.

The taste is strong but yet very smooth and pleasing. The flavor of the Mandehling is classic which makes me think it would be a great base for a blend with the right bean which has a sweeter attribute.

As this cup cooled the body became quite dominant and a woodsy flavor emerged. I really began to appreciate the deep simplicity of this cup. I suspect that I have to grind this bean a little finer for the 12 cup coffee maker and add enough grounds to make it stronger.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Nirvana? Have I Arrived?

I think I have made a break through. Today I went into the local Salvation Army store to look for a bread maker to convert into a coffee roaster (see left) but instead of finding a bread maker I found a popcorn popper for $2.50! So I bought it.
This evening I made a 1/3 cup of Mandehling and the results were much better than I had hoped for or even expected. I could hear the First Crack but the transition between the First and the Second was more difficult to hear. Between the noise of the popper's fan and my kids yelling and playing behind me, I was mostly flying by sight (ie. the chaff and the color of the beans).

Stove Top VS. PopperThe image to the right illustrates two batches of beans side by side. On the left are the beans from stove top roasted in a standard aluminum pot and the beans on the right are the ones roasted in the popcorn popper (Click the image to get a closer look). The beans done on the stove top are less uniform in color, some beans look under roasted while some shine with the oils of a dark roast. The beans from the popper are uniform in color and roast - These are a City to Full-City roast.

I made an 11-cup pot of coffee with 1.75 oz. of these beans. I set the grinder to a coarseness of 10 from Fine and the brew was great! I will admit that this was not the best cup of coffee that I had ever had but it was close. Now that I have the popper to roast my beans in I am looking forward to retrying my coffees and experiencing them uniformly roasted. I will keep you posted.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Sumatra - Mandehling Gr. 1 - 2

Indonesia

The aroma of this Sumatran Mandehling stands out to me just as it did the first time. The smell is earthy and deep. It is comforting and inviting. I wish I could explain it better than this but words allude me as I try to describe it.

I roasted this as a Full-City+ or maybe even Espresso roast which made it seem more like a cup of Tim Horton's coffee though I would not presume to suggest that it was as good.

I am a little concerned with this bean as I suspect that it may be a little defective. The green beans themselves seemed to be a little too dried out, these beans appeared to be slightly what a raisin is to a grape. After I roasted them there was relatively little chaff to blow off which also makes me suspicious. However, I am sure that it is my lack of experience which causes me concern. The coffee itself tasted good.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Sumatra - Mandehling Gr. 1

Indonesia

The aroma of this Sumatran Mandehling stands out to me as a firm coffee that is classic but far from basic. As I took in its fragrance I could detect the rich earthiness that is imbibed in the flavor.

I roasted this as a City roast (removing the beans from the fire just seconds after the First Crack) as I desired to experience the raw flavor of this bean (I do that sometimes). The flavor is long and earthy which is free from any hint of bitter. Although it is not listed as one of the attributes I sensed a hint of butter, though that could just be the creamy feel of the body upon my tongue.

This is certainly a pleasurable cup.

From 1 to 10 I rate this coffee a 5.