I am back with my coffee review. Today I was testing and cupping Sumatra Mandheling from Excelso. There are two variants of this coffee. One is whole beans and the other is packaged ground coffee. I happen to get the sachet ones with 10g ground coffee. Inside the box, it has 10 sachets of 10g coffee ground. They are medium roast with fine grind despite it’s not for an espresso.

The package suggested that the brew method is either ground, coffee press and regular coffee maker. Ideally it shouldn't be a fine grind but coarse for these brewing method. Anyhow, for specific cupping purposes, I am using a french press with only 100ml hot water and brewing it for 5 minutes. That amount will fit a small shot of glass that I have just so I can get the best taste of this coffee. Let’s get brewing!

When I first opened the package, I was quite indecisive with the aroma. To my senses, they smell like a fruity berry-like apricot compared to what the package said which mentioned fruity citrus like with zesty lemon. They are also quite fragrant and once I was brewing that, it smelled a pleasant mix of fruity and flowery. It’s certainly unlike the previous product I reviewed from Excelso which has a more nutty-nut like aroma.

My first sip was quite pleasant as well. It has a delicate taste with a hint of sour winey tart. One of the things I love about this one was that it also has quite a light mouthfeel. In the end, this coffee makes you crave for more and it’s like getting into a journey that you wish would never end.

There’s one good tip from my favorite small handy coffee book “ Home Barista” by Simone Egger.

If you’re using a plunger or french press, make sure after brewing you immediately transfer it to another cup so that it’s not being overly extracted, hence making it bitter.

I certainly didn’t regret this one and among all the products I have sampled from Excelso, Sumatra Mandheling is the best. Paired with the french press method I used, it was a simple pick me up coffee that brightens my day. It’s unfortunate I don’t have my v60 with me but it would be best using that method to extract more flavors from this coffee. I ended up making a lot more and while adding milk to my next one, the taste of the coffee was still pretty much present with such a fragrant aroma from the cup. If you haven’t tried mandheling coffee, it’s definitely a must try!

Roaming For Roast Note: