While this coffee is called Sumatra Mandheling, there is no region with this name - it is a reference to the Mandailing people of the island. The traditional method of processing coffee in Sumatra is known as Giling Basah, or semi-washed, and is a combination of the regular washed and natural processes. This technique reduces the acidity in the bean, makes a heavier body in the cup and creates earthy and tobacco-like flavours. These characteristics hold up and work well in one of our darker roasts.
Since coffee in Sumatra is rarely separated into different lots at origin, the growing altitude varies. We roasted this coffee at 452 degrees to bring out the boldness and flavours of earthiness and malted grain.