Amazing Espresso with Dark Roast Sumatra Mandheling

Espresso Series

This is the first in a several-part Espresso Series I'll be posting this week. We will cover pulling a shot and a couple of easy tools to use to elevate your espresso to the next level.

Intro

A chocolate‑rich espresso shot that’s gentle on your stomach and drenched in syrupy body? That’s the promise of dark‑roast Sumatra Mandheling. Yet many baristas struggle to tame its earthy punch and thick crema. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to dial in Mandheling for espresso—so you can trade bitterness for balanced depth and turn your daily shot into a rainforest‑scented delight.

What Is Sumatra Mandheling (and Why Should Espresso Lovers Care?)

Grown on the volcanic slopes of northern Sumatra, Mandheling beans undergo the traditional wet‑hulling process. The result is an Arabica with full body, low acidity, and flavors of dark chocolate, cedar, and sweet spice when pushed into a dark roast; those cocoa and herbal notes intensify, creating a base that cuts cleanly through milk and shines as a stand‑alone ristretto—perfect traits for espresso.

How to Brew Dark‑Roast Sumatra Mandheling Espresso

Below is a step-by-step workflow that can get you going. Each step includes the why behind the move so that you can tweak with confidence.

1.   Rest the Beans

Freshly roasted Sumatran coffee off‑gasses aggressively. Rest whole beans for a week after roasting to allow CO₂ to settle; this prevents gassy channeling and uneven crema.

2.   Dial‑In Parameters (a starting point)

·         Dose: 18 g in a 58 mm basket (adjust ±0.5 g for your basket).

·         Ratio: 1:2 (18 g in → 36 g out).

·         Time: 28‑30 s from first drip.

·         Temp: 92 °C / 198 °F. Dark roasts extract fast, dropping a degree or two tames the bitterness

·         Pressure: 9 bar flat profile.

Tip: Mandheling beans are relatively soft; they require a slightly coarser grind than a dense, washed African coffee to avoid over-extraction.

3.   Tamp with Care

Because Mandheling’s roast produces more surface oil, fines can clump. A consistent puck keeps earthy notes pleasant rather than muddy.

4.   Taste & Tweak

·         Bitter, ashy finish? Coarsen the grind or lower the brew temperature to 90 °C / 194 °F.

·         Thin body, underwhelming chocolate? Finer grind or increase the dose to 19 g for a 1:2.2 ratio.

·         Sour bite? Your extraction ran short—lengthen the contact time to 32 seconds.

Keep tweaks minor (one variable at a time) and compare side‑by‑side shots to isolate changes.

Advanced Tricks for Next‑Level Shots

1. Pre-infuse at Low Pressure (2 bar for 5 s) to gently saturate soft Sumatran grinds; you’ll get denser crema and a sweeter spice.

2. ‘RDT’ Static-Reduction Spray (0.1 g of water misted on beans pre-grind) reduces cling and yields a more even particle spread, especially helpful for oily, dark roasts. Read more about this on our Wednesday blog post.

3. ‘WDT’ Weiss Distribution Tool. This tool, which resembles a porcupine, will help smooth out those pesky clumps that cause inconsistent flow. Read more about this handy tool on our Friday blog post.

4. Milk Pairing: For flat whites, aim for a 35 g yield; Mandheling’s syrupy body stands up to 6oz micro-foam without tasting hollow.

Tips and Reminders for Sumatra Mandheling

• Storage: Store in an airtight, opaque canister at room temperature only. Fridge moisture dulls those earthy aromatics.

• Water: Target 75–125 ppm total hardness; higher minerality can overemphasize spice.

• Equipment Cleanliness: Dark roasts leave an oil film quickly—back-flush daily to avoid rancid flavors.

Closing

Dialing in dark‑roast Sumatra Mandheling is less about forcing flavor and more about respecting its natural heft. By resting a week after roasting and extracting at a gentle 1:2 ratio around 92°C / 198 °F, you’ll unlock a shot that tastes like melted 80% chocolate drizzled with cedar syrup—bold yet silky smooth. If this roast and bean sound like something you'd enjoy, grab a bag from us at Wigglebutt Coffee