Sumatra Mandheling green coffee beans are about as distinctive as raw coffee gets. They come from the highlands of North Sumatra, they are wet-hulled rather than washed or natural, and they cup with heavy body, low acidity and the earthy cedar and dark chocolate character that made Sumatra famous. Grade 1 is the top screening tier for Indonesian arabica, hand sorted to a very low defect count.

We ship these Sumatra Mandheling green coffee beans unroasted in 1 lb, 3 lb and 5 lb bags from our roastery in Concord, CA. It is the same green we pull from for our own commercial roasting, handed over raw so you can take it where you want it.

What Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans Taste Like

Wet-hulling is why this coffee tastes the way it does. Parchment comes off while the seed still holds a lot of moisture, which opens the bean up and lets it pick up flavor from the drying environment. That gives you forest floor, damp earth, tobacco leaf and cedar, over a thick syrupy body and a bittersweet chocolate finish.

Acidity is very low. If you are used to a bright Kenya this reads flat at first, then you notice it carries twice the weight in the mouth. Raw Sumatra Mandheling green coffee beans look rough: bluish green, irregular, often hooked at the crease. That is normal for wet-hulled coffee, not a defect.

• Region: North Sumatra, Indonesia
• Altitude: roughly 750 to 1,500 meters
• Process: Giling Basah, the Indonesian wet-hulled method
• Grade: Grade 1, the lowest defect tier for Indonesian arabica
• Cup notes: earth, cedar, tobacco, dark chocolate, dried herbs
• Body: heavy and syrupy, very low acidity
• Best for: dark single origin, French press, espresso blend base

How to Roast Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans

Wet-hulled coffee behaves differently in the drum. The beans are softer and more porous than their altitude suggests, they take color early and unevenly, and first crack is often quiet and scattered instead of a clean snap. Do not panic if the batch looks blotchy leaving the drying phase. It evens out during development.

1. City+ (light-medium): Drop a little past the end of first crack. You keep the herbal and cedar top notes plus some dried fruit sweetness that gets buried darker. Keep drying gentle, around 4 to 5 minutes, because a hard early charge scorches that soft porous surface before the core catches up.
2. Full City (medium-dark): The sweet spot, and where we would point a first timer. Take it to the edge of second crack and drop. Body goes thick and the earthiness settles into baker’s chocolate. Stretch development to 20 to 25 percent of total roast time so the low-acid structure builds sweetness.
3. Full City+ or Vienna (dark): A few pops into second crack, the traditional treatment. Watch closely, because a porous wet-hulled bean runs away faster than a dense washed Central American once second crack starts. Thirty seconds of inattention is the difference between rich and ashy.

Still calibrating your eye? Our roast level guide walks through what each stage does to the cup.

Weight Loss and Yield

Green coffee sheds moisture and organic matter in the roaster. Plan on 15 to 18 percent weight loss. One pound of green yields roughly 13 to 13.5 oz roasted, and Sumatra Mandheling green coffee beans usually sit toward the higher end of that range because people take them darker. A 5 lb bag lands around 4 lb 3 oz roasted.

Storing Green Coffee

Cool, dry, dark and breathing. A closet away from the stove works. Leave it in the shipping bag or move it to cloth or paper, and keep it off a concrete floor. Stored that way it holds quality a year or more, which is why buying 5 lb at a time makes sense. Do not vacuum seal and do not freeze. Green still carries 10 to 12 percent moisture, and sealing or freezing that in damages the cell structure and flattens the cup.

Shipping and Local Pickup

Sumatra Mandheling green coffee beans ship anywhere in the country from Concord, CA, so Bay Area customers get short ground transit. Local buyers can pick up at the roastery instead. Everything currently in stock is on our green coffee page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do these green beans look misshapen and bluish?

That is the wet-hulling. Pulling parchment at high moisture leaves the seed soft enough to deform, and the color comes from the same step. It is characteristic of Sumatra, not a quality problem.

Can I hear first crack on this coffee?

Sometimes barely. Wet-hulled beans often give a soft scattered first crack instead of a sharp one. Watch your bean temperature curve and trust your nose.

Are Sumatra Mandheling green coffee beans good for espresso?

Very. They bring body and low acidity, which is what most espresso blends are short on. Many roasters run 20 to 40 percent in a blend.

Do I need special equipment?

No. Drum, fluid bed or popper all work, though the soft bean lets air roasters push dark faster than you expect. Our home roasting FAQ covers gear.

How long should I rest it after roasting?

Three to five days for drip, seven to ten for espresso. Dark roasts degas faster, so a Full City+ Sumatra drinks well by day three. Background on the region is covered in this overview of coffee production in Indonesia.