Sumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee vs Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee

Wet-hulled and earthy against washed and bright — opposite ends of the coffee spectrum.

Sumatra Mandheling Earthy CoffeeKenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee

Measured comparison of Sumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee and Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee
	Sumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee	Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee
Caffeine	85 mg	95 mg
Serving	8 oz cup (240ml)	8 oz filter cup (240ml)
Strength (per 100 ml)	35.4 mg	39.6 mg
Acidity	Low	High
Category	Single origin	Single origin
Origin	North Sumatra, Indonesia	Nyeri, Kenya
Best for	French press	Pour-over
Water	92°C	94°C
With milk	Takes milk well	Either way
Tastes of	Cedar, Dark Cocoa, Dried Plum	Blackcurrant, Grapefruit, Tomato Jam

Which one, for what

Worked out from the two records above rather than asserted, so nothing here can contradict the table.

A hard morning startToo close to call
Both land at roughly the same dose — 85 mg against 95 mg.
Drinking it after sixSumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee
Lower caffeine wins here, and at a five-hour half-life the gap matters more than it looks.
A sensitive stomachSumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee
Sumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee is low acidity; Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee is high. Acidity is only part of why a drink provokes reflux, but it is the part you can choose.
Taking it with milkSumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee
Sumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee: takes milk well. Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee: either way.
Something to sit and pay attention toKenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee
Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee scores higher on aroma, and much of the pleasure in these drinks is retronasal.
Making it without special equipmentToo close to call
Sumatra Mandheling Earthy Coffee wants french press; Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee wants pour-over.

sweetnessFilter Coffee noticeably higher

acidityFilter Coffee noticeably higher

bitternessEarthy Coffee noticeably higher

bodyEarthy Coffee noticeably higher

aromaFilter Coffee noticeably higher

Comparative editorial positions within this catalogue, calibrated so entries can be ranked against one another. Not laboratory measurements.