Tanzania

The Tanzania coffee character belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees - bright (acidic), and almost aggressively flavorful. Kenya may still produce superior coffee, but Tanzania has pushed ahead and shows many of the same positive qualities of Kenya. Coffee is grown in the North and South and there is good quality potential from both areas.

Peaberries are often sorted out and sold at premiums, but the cup is sometimes tainted and not worth the price. It has become a novelty coffee, and sells well in the US, so many roasters capitulate. Yes, it is a coffee with great potential but shipments arriving in the US do not always express that truly excellent Tanzanian cup.

Keep reading...

We currently offer these unroasted coffees:

Tanzania Peaberry -Malala Coop
Tanzania AB Burka Estate
Tanzania Peaberry -Malala Coop
$5.75
$10.93
$25.01
Bringing in coffee cherry by bike, Malala Cooperative
Arrival dateMarch 2013 Arrival
Appearance.2 d/300gr, PB Screen
GradePeaberry
ProcessingWet Process (Washed)
RegionArusha, Tanzania
Varietal(s)Arusha
Intensity/Prime attributeMedium-Bold intensity / Sweet, berry note, chocolate
RoastCity+ to Full City+ roast level.

It's been a while since we've had Tanzania coffee. Harvesting in Tanzania can be tricky at best, and is subject to erratic weather patterns, chronic water problems, and transportation issues to get the coffee out of the country without damaging it. The farm samples we've received in the past have really been sub-par, and so we're especially excited to offer 2 lots this year of really great Tanzania coffee. This first lot is a nice peaberry coffee produced at the Malala Cooperative in Western Tanzania. Malala is a buying group located on the slopes of the Ngorongoro crater. The group buys cherry from small scale farmers in this area for pulping and washing. Most of the area is planted in Bourbon, and the volcanic sandy loam provides a nutrient rich soil for the plants to thrive in.

This lot of Tanzania peaberry is fruity indeed, but with such sweetness that it's pectin-like. The dry aroma is perfumed with jammy fruits - plum and black preserves top the list - and with notes of strawberry fruit roll up and berry tea. There is a rustic quality as well, with a combination of walnuts and floral honey, and darker roasts show aromatic wood and powdered ginger. Adding hot water gives this coffee a smell of raisins and dried plums, along with light brown sugar and maple syrup. Sometimes it's difficult to tell how fruity a coffee will be when the cup is still hot, but this Tanzania is fruit-forward right from the get go. When hot, there are notes of strawberry, huckleberry, and raspberry, along with raw honey and a burned caramel finish. As the coffee cools, the flavors shift toward concord grape and sweet citrus, along with a tropical note of pineapple juice. There's also an element of floral hops, that along with the fruits, tastes of an IPA. The body is creamy, and along with the fruited, sweet profile, will make a very interesting SO espresso.

View Cupping Scores
Tanzania AB Burka Estate
$5.60
$10.64
$24.36
$46.48
$89.24
View of Mount Meru from Burka Estate
Arrival dateApril 2013 Arrival
Appearance.2 d/300gr, 15-16 Screen
GradeAB
ProcessingWet Process (Washed)
RegionMount Meru, Arusha
Varietal(s)Bourbon
Intensity/Prime attributeMedium-Bold intensity / Complex sugars, chocolate, citrus
RoastCity+ to Full City+ roast level.

We have offered Tanzania coffees from the northern and southern areas, depending on weather patterns in the year, the chronic water problems in Tanzania, and the transportation issues to get the coffee out of the country without damaging it. I feel that, as far as Tanzania goes, you have to remain open-minded and flexible as to where the best coffee lots can originate due to all these factors. This coffee comes to us from the West, from a larger farm called Burka Estate. This is an older estate, over 100 years old, and situated on the slopes of Mount Meru in Western Tanzania. This whole area is ripe with volcanic ash, making for naturally mineral rich volcanic loam. This mountainous area offers great opportunity for latitudinal coffees, and this particular farm rests at approximately 1350 masl. The varietals are mainly KP423 and N39, both cultivars of Bourbon. Though harvest was stunted due to the unpredictable weather conditions, they were still able to produce a decent yeild, and we feel lucky to have acquired this lot.

The dry grounds of Burka Estate have stone fruits, along with a rustic sweetness of raw sugar. This coffee really leads off with a spiced profile of Darjeeling tea, all-spice, and clove. Wetting the coffee brings up this spiced quality and adds to it a note of malted sugar and dark honey. We also get a note of blueberry muffin and sweet cream butter on the break, which. When hot, this coffee cup stays close to the aromatic profile. Black tea, simple syrup, and baker's chocolate are some of the flavors that jump out. The cooling temp of the cup really bolsters the fruitiness, bringing out citrus in the profile. Naval orange, red grapefruit, and citrus zest 'pop' in both cup profile and as an expression of acidity. Complex sugars round out the cup with demurara, toffee, and brulee.

View Cupping Scores